# What dog stuff do you spend your money on?



## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Besides dog food, what stuff do find yourself buying regularly?


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## Joe Hardesty (Aug 24, 2007)

After food, the biggest expense by far is for drugs; Frontline & Interceptor.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> Besides dog food, what stuff do find yourself buying regularly?


Dog food of course is a biggie, to the tune of about $16,000 per year. 
Replacement leashes and collars. The dogs wear a reflective, international orange collar with the department phone number. Medical is also a big expense. The requisite Interceptor and Top Spot or whatever they use. We also buy inserts for the cars, they can be reused generally. Each car is also equipped with a heat alarm and anti-theft device. The good thing is, most of the expense of running a working dog kennel is paid for by our local drug dealers. About the only thing the state ends up paying for is the salary and vehicle. Training is also a very big expense in terms of manpower. Taking a Trooper off the road for 10 weeks irritates the District Captains, loss of productivity for that period and paying motel and per diem. It's all part of it though. 

DFrost


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

food for tracking and Obedience
interceptor/frontline
whip poppers
puppy sleeves
sleeve covers


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Eating after training. Lots of training discussion and just plain fun bs!
Tuesday night it's Applebees
Thursday night it's ShowMe's (chicken wings)
Saturday it's either Chinese buffet or Hometime buffet.
Fortunately most of my vet costs are just yearly checkup. There was Thunder's heartworm last year.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

besides food? 
supplements
booties and foot stuff
lots of straw(bedding)
rope
rails and plastic for runners
sled repairs
batteries for headlamps
harnesses and collars (make my own)
lots of good winter gear for me

I also find myself buying lots of plywood and 2X4's as I am always repairing or replacing doghouses 

this is just the regular purchase stuff - there is alot of biggies (truck, dogboxes, sleds -that you don't buy as often that are pretty big ticket items)
plus buying dogs


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

way more dog toys than necessary.


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## Greg Leavitt (Aug 31, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> way more dog toys than necessary.


I hear that Susan I bought so much from a couple of vendors that they set me up as a wholesale shopper.

I would also say I spend alot of money on crates as I always seem to have to ship and dog and loose my crates.
Also Gas to and from training
club Dues


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## Amber Scott Dyer (Oct 30, 2006)

I don't know that I can itemize, but I'd say... 

does supplementation count as food? Because if not, that's a chunk right there.

Advantage for all my animals runs about $50 a month, and that's with me dividing up the XL tubes with a syringe. 

I go through lots of toys, lots of shampoo.  

But altogether, including food costs, I probably spend 50% of the money I spend on the bird every month on the dogs. So I'd say that they're pretty cheap pets. :lol:


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## Michelle Kutelis (Sep 28, 2006)

Leashes. 

I am forever losing leashes to my husband, my daughter, or my absent-mindedness. I am picky about what leashes FEEL good in obedience, but then I will take it off and toss it to the side when I'm on the field and PRESTO! I forgot about it and need to buy another because it is lawnmower bait/rained on/stolen.

We also spend quite a bit on the Natural Balance Rolls for tracking. With 5 dogs in the household tracking, we go through a case easily.

And supplements. Puppy Gold for the puppies, K9 Super Fuel for the adults, Canine Hylasport for joint health....well, you get the picture.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Frontline
Interceptor
Batteries
Supplements
Doggie Crack (food rolls for rewards)
Toys-orbee balls, tugs (various levels), kongs, and decoy launches
I am in love with the Amish made stuff, so I buy alot of leads, collars and harnesses. 
BAND-AIDS
Neosporin

$50 for enough straw to get me through winter

Ear wash
Crates (when I see a crate for a good price I pick one up, various sizes)

Fuel for training
Motel Rooms
Food (for me)
Seminar and Workshop Fees
I think that is about it...........


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## Pauline Michels (Sep 1, 2006)

Training sessions
Too many toys and giant rawhide bones
Vests (have still not found "THE ONE")


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## Alex Corral (Jul 10, 2007)

I think food is the most right now. I have been able to get everything else pretty cheap. Tugs, toys, collars, etc... I need to trash all these cheap nylon leashes I bought at the beginning and get some nice Amish leather leashes though... Or that other stuff they use for the tracking lines...Biothane?? What do members think of that material for a regular 4-6ft leash?


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

I drive to training twice weekly and a round trip to training is 100 miles. So I drive 200 miles a week to train my dogs. I pull a trailer and get around 16.5 miles per gallon. So it looks like gas is my biggest expense to train my mutts.

So here is the math.

200 miles / 16.5 mpg = 12.12 gallons of gas per week

12.12 * $2.90 = $35.15 dollars per week on gas

1. fuel cost me about 0.176 cents per mile on my truck while
pulling my dog trailer
2. One set of tires on my truck cost $1000 per 30000 miles 
or .0333 cents per mile.
3. It cost $50 dollars to change my oil every 7000 miles or 
or .0071 cents per mile
4. Add another .05 cents for maintenance of other items

So the total is 0.2664 cost per mile for maintenance/fuel and this does not count the cost of the vehicle, insurance and taxes. It looks like it cost around $53.28 dollars per week to go training. So this is my biggest expense.









I guess I must ask myself how much my hobby is worth but I am not giving up anytime soon.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Coming from a background of race car projects where every little thing you do costs $1000, I am pretty happy with dogs :lol: I actually have money left over to do things besides fix stuff that broke.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

My husband says that I should have stick with the horses......they were cheaper.........:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I make my own harnesses, leashes, collars, tugs, toys so those are pretty cheap.

Discs (frisbees) are the big expense at $15 apiece.

Other than that, gas and entrance fees.

Occassional bales of wood chips for the dog yard....

I really stocked up a couple years ago and have a room devoted to storing dog equipment.


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

Carol Boche said:


> My husband says that I should have stick with the horses......they were cheaper.........:lol: :lol: :lol:


I actually gave up golf for mutts and glad I did. Golf was very expensive. I had a 2-3 handicap for a 3-4 years and played 100 rounds of golf a year and always walked. It still cost me a sh!t load of money for clubs, only pro v1 balls, range membership, gas, golf lessons, golf club membership, green fees, and it was priceless when I would throw a club. It was fun but it is more fun to have a dog mauling me twice weekly.


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## Terry Fisk (Jul 26, 2007)

Travel expenses have to be right at the top of the list, to and from schutzhund training, to events and to teach my agility classes. Even bought a new van just for traveling with the dogs this year. 

Veterinary bills - not usually the norm here but a big chunk of change this year ;-(

Entry fees and club/organization dues.

Supplements and training treats come in third. I ended up becoming a distributor for the supplements about five years ago which turned into a nearly full time business so that really helps. Training treats, hot dogs, Natural Balance, chicken, freeze dried liver, Carnivore Cuisine or whatever floats the boat.

Medical bills, after all.... schutzhund is a contact sport.

Terry


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## Julie Ann Alvarez (Aug 4, 2007)

Every trial season my Husband forgets HOW to cook. Since I am out at the training field until late my extra money is spent on bringing home take out dinner.

Honestly- My dog fund that usually goes to flying out of state with a dog or 2 went to purchasing a new dog..... I spent about $ 40 every 10 days on a bag of EVO to feed 3 dogs, $10 a month for the super heavy duty yard bags to dispose of the shit they produce, another $15 monthly for meaty bones. 

I haven't lost any equipment this year ((knocking on wood)), other than a new Veri Kennel for Havok and I got it for 50% off 

I would like a new set of rain gear for tracking- that would cost $220 but I don't need to spend the money yet- maybe next spring.

Julie


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## Amanda Layne (Aug 9, 2006)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> Coming from a background of race car projects where every little thing you do costs $1000, I am pretty happy with dogs :lol: I actually have money left over to do things besides fix stuff that broke.


Amen to that.

Food.
Supplements.
Gas to get to training every week. (Jacksonville, NC to Upper Marlboro, MD...you do the math)
Starbucks (every morning before tracking)
I have a collar obsession, even though they all wear fursavers 90% of the time.
Kongs....a LOT of them.
Leashes
HOT DOGS.....at least a pack a day between tracking and obedience.
Interceptor, Advantix (for 5 dogs)
Club dues (CWDC, UDC, USA, DVG)


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## Amanda Layne (Aug 9, 2006)

Oh yes...........and the biggie.....Pet Insurance!


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## Melissa Hoyer (Aug 28, 2006)

Hmmm....

Food, of course is a biggie. My GSD with EPI does better on ground RMBs so I spend too much on buying them already ground - about $ 5-6 per day to feed 2 GSDs.

Supplements...back to the EPI girl who requires a lot, but doesn't need to be on expensive enzymes - about $1 a day.

Training classes - about $80 a month, but only take classes during the colder months.

Treats - only the best lol...maybe $10 a month...

Toys - maybe $10 a month or so...

Also Heartgard - $20 per month

Vet bills sucked this year - Grace's diagnosis for EPI was about $250 and then my youngest hurt her leg (xrays,etc.) and then she was spayed. Then we had regular vet bills on top of that....

Yeeks!


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

Frontline, leashes and collars mostly. I have a thing with collars and keep looking for new ones:lol:


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I can easily get out of control dog crap shopping on the internet. Like the other day, I decided to get a particular sleeve. So of course, I had to shop all the different on-line stores to get the best price. BUT, along the way I see stuff I think I MUST have & order it. Luckily, it's usually stupid little $hit that captures my attention (I'm like a bird fascinated with something that twinkles or shines). The worst of it is many times when I get the stuff it's like WTF was running through my tiny little mind to make me want it?

I might be a dog crap shop-a-holic.:-& :-& :-&


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## Greg Leavitt (Aug 31, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> I can easily get out of control dog crap shopping on the internet. Like the other day, I decided to get a particular sleeve. So of course, I had to shop all the different on-line stores to get the best price. BUT, along the way I see stuff I think I MUST have & order it. Luckily, it's usually stupid little $hit that captures my attention (I'm like a bird fascinated with something that twinkles or shines). The worst of it is many times when I get the stuff it's like WTF was running through my tiny little mind to make me want it?
> 
> I might be a dog crap shop-a-holic.:-& :-& :-&


What kind of sleeve? Link?


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I was looking at intermediate sleeves, but came to my senses & jsut bought a bunch of stupid crap instead. Now I'm shopping e-collars.


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## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> (I'm like a bird fascinated with something that twinkles or shines)


:lol: :lol: so from now on we will just call you Magpie


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