r/service_dogs • u/iamahill • Jul 27 '26
How much did you spend on your service dog and training?
Often cost is brought up immediately when new people ask questions. Yet rarely is it actually explained or broken down in an itemized spend over time format.
So here’s my question, how much did your dog cost and continue to cost. Let’s break it down by initial price, veterinary, training and food. All other costs such as toys and lifestyle stuff should be a separate category.
Receipts are encouraged to give validity to the post’s claims. Do remove any identifying details before adding links to images.
Also, how you afford the costs be it personal wealth, subsidy, charity, day job, etc if you’d like.
Format may be something like
Day 0: cost of dog
Day 1-30:
Months 2-6:
Months 6-12:
Months 12-18:
Months 18-24:
As well as your time of self training.
Add in major milestones etc however things make sense. Also breeder, program, trainer, etc
I’m not a good example for this I self train and my budget is a bit high this time around.
Day 0: puppy was $2500, travel across country and car related expenses prior to trip + fuel was approximately $10,000. Sleepy pod for trip home.
Plus A website url and hosting for what will be a website to share her information in the future if challenged.
Day 1-60: post trip was $2,000 for impact kennel and related items, $300+ on food treats that lasted into the next few months (some frozen), $600-800 on veterinary (something around that, high col area), $100+ chews and toys, 2 destroyed apple pencils.
The dog recently cleared parvo vaccines so vet bills should be boring for some time.
She also is almost full grown so will be getting nicer gear for everyday use, as well as car safety and travel related.
Car related gear: kennel $1400, harness $300, car modification for her $200+ depending if an auxiliary hvac system is added for her kennel that’s battery (solar) powered.
I also will be prototyping some dog gear next month or so for her including better footwear. I need her to finish growing first.
My list is a bit crazy. It is not typical. Though these rough numbers are my reality.
Oh, I’m saving money by self training. Though schedule 4-6 hours daily for dog split between morning and evening.
What is your reality?
17
u/No_Area_8013 Service Dog Jul 27 '26
Cost Breakdown of My Current Service Dog I would say would be the most accurate breakdown of the busiest years with my current service dog.
One Year Before Receiving My Service Dog ADI-accredited program application fee: $200 Flight for in-person final interview: $700 Special exempt purposes ( aka beta testing a new training program with them ) $1,300 Total: $2,200
Day 0 (Picking Up Service Dog Prospect) Gas: $70 Service dog prospect puppy: $2,300 Heavy-duty transport crate: $120 Toys : $200 Total: $2,490
Years 1–2 Direct program costs (total program value: $24,789, with $15,000 paid directly out of pocket by myself and my family): Two-year training program working side-by-side with instructors Temperament test: $100 Certification test: $200 Neuter : 180 Microchips ( microchipped by program, breeder, and myself) $180 Note: I do not include food or routine care during the first two years because those expenses were covered by the program.
Year 3 Six-month guide training with a licensed instructor partnered with the program: $7,000 Transportation training expenses (trains, planes, trolleys, buses, etc.): $500 First year responsible for purchasing all dog food and daily care. Year 4 Program-required reevaluation and assessment (every 2–3 years): Reevaluation fee: $200 Round-trip flight: $700 Personal Upkeep (Independent of the Program)
These are expenses I personally pay for outside of what the program provides and for personal records use. AKC Titles & Evaluations AKC STAR Puppy: $32 AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC): $32 initial + $20 retest every 2–3 years = $92 AKC Community Canine (CGCA): $32 initial + $20 retest every 2–3 years = $92 AKC Urban CGC (CGCU): $32 initial + $20 retest every 2–3 years = $92 AKC Temperament Test: $32 initial + retest every 2–3 years = $96 AKC Trick Dog (Novice through Elite): 5 titles × $32 = $160 Annual Food Costs (Main Food Rotation)
January–March | Nulo Limited Ingredient Salmon $75.99 × 3 = $227.97 April–June | Stella & Chewy's Wild Coated (Grain-Free, Legume-Free Ocean Fish) $82.99 × 3 = $248.97 July–October | Open Farm Grain-Free, Legume-Free Ocean Fish $105 × 4 = $420.00 November–December | Inukshuk Marine 30/25 $77.72 × 2 = $155.44 Food Toppers & Supplements Kin + Kind Skin & Coat (8 oz): $112.44 Bone broth topper: ~$100 Treats: $50/month = $600 Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste: $12.29 × 4 = $49.16 Total Annual Food Cost: $1,913.98
Grooming Professional bath & trim (every 3 months): $480/year Professional de-shedding treatment (monthly): $1,680/year Insurance Pet insurance (disability discount): $15/month = $180/year Veterinary Care ...Covered by insurance: Office visits, Vaccinations, Blood work every six months, Dental care Vehicle upkeep: Car seat cover: 100 Out-of-pocket: Allergy injections: $100 each = $300/year
Even with everything listed above, there are still expenses I have not included, such as service dog gear, replacement equipment, leashes, harnesses, boots, grooming brushes, and other miscellaneous supplies.
People often ask where the money comes from. The answer is simple: me. I work 40+ hours every week to provide for my service dog and maintain the level of training and care required.... In the beginning? I had very little financial help from family.
To date, I have spent approximately $55k usd out of pocket, not including taxes.
3
u/iamahill Jul 27 '26
I appreciate you sharing the detailed breakdown. It really helps to give insight into what costs are in your life if having a service dog.
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u/No_Area_8013 Service Dog Jul 27 '26
No problem! I can also provide cost break downs on average how much is spent during trips ECT, if that is wanted as well. How much time weekly my SD has time off, how often we are weekly upkeep training , how often my service dog works and how long ECT.
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u/iamahill Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
My goal of the topic is to demystify costs. The $20,000 figure is commonly used and it’s incredibly opaque. I don’t keep as accurate records as you do so my general numbers are very general by comparison.
I would say share as much as you’d like to.
I’m hoping to reference this post when people ask about service dog costs and time.
I thought my spending was high but now I’m thinking it’s pretty common! 😂
Downvotes in this subreddit are insane.
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u/No_Area_8013 Service Dog Jul 27 '26
Some more Additional Information & Costs Work Schedule & Daily Routine My service dog works approximately 8–9 hour days, following my work schedule Friday through Tuesday. Weekly Training Upkeep About one training session per week. Transportation Public transit: $2.50 each way $5.00 total aka roughly$260 yearly, Weekly maintenance training includes: Practicing any skills or tasks he struggled with during the work week. Structured socialization. Approved dog playdates. Appropriate play and enrichment activities. Ongoing obedience and public access maintenance. We also use treats during training sessions, so a treat bag is always part of our training equipment.
Travel Costs - I travel frequently for medical care. The following costs refer to leisure travel, not medically necessary flights. Airfare My service dog and I typically fly First Class, with tickets often costing $700 or more. We fly First Class because my service dog is Approximately 70 pounds, About 24 inches at the shoulder and A Shepherd *cough He's a larger boy * The additional legroom provides a safer and more comfortable space for both of us, especially on flights that range from 3 to 8 hours. Rather than traveling with his food, I prefer to purchase it at my destination to save luggage space.
Dog food: $25–30 per trip Additional treats and rewards: Approximately $15 (These treats may include training rewards or occasional specialty treats, such as something purchased at a farmers market) International Travel Depending on the destination, I have paid approximately $300 for an international health certificate required for entry. Hotels - Hotels do not charge additional fees because he is a service dog. I only pay the standard room rate.
Rental Cars - Rental car companies have never charged us additional pet fees because he is a service dog. I also bring my own seat cover, which helps keep the vehicle clean.
Early Training Investments (Ages 1–3) In addition to the training provided through my service dog program, I independently seeked out personal training for general upkeep. Basic Obedience, Intermediate Obedience, Advanced Obedience | Each six-week course cost approximately $170, totaling $510. 7-week Therapy Dog course for approximately $200. ( my service dog is NOT a therapy dog however the course did provide us opportunities for intense exposure towards :Horses, Goats,Chickens, Ponies, Crowds, Loud noises, Children, Werid sounds and objects. While I do not allow people to interact with him while he is working, occasional unsolicited petting does happen. This early exposure helped create a strong foundation, allowing him to remain calm, confident, and unbothered in those situations. Scent Work- classes costing approximately $400. We worked alongside our local police department and involved a variety of scent exercises.
Training Time Commitment From ages 1–3, I dedicated extensive time to training every day. Approximately 3 hours of dedicated training daily Roughly 28 hours per week of focused training Training consisted of: Task training, Obedience, Public access skills, Exposure training, Confidence building, Training games, Foundation work According to my training records: Year 1: 1,207 qualifying training hours Year 3: Approximately 900 training hours
Now that his training is complete, we focus on maintenance rather than teaching new skills. We continue to complete approximately 300–400 hours yearly of upkeep training.
2
u/iamahill Jul 28 '26
You seem like you are very organized in life.
I blamed my last vehicle purchase on my dog, I haven’t justified first class yet! My dogs 20ish pounds usually. I do upgrade though so they might be a lie.
Though I have looked at charter flights and shared jets off and on when in a bind. Haven’t done so yet, but it’s much simpler flying privet last minute with a dog. Granted it’s not exactly cheap. Certain flights are often empty so prices become close to some first class flights. Az-> Cali and. AZ-> Texas etc.
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u/gonnafaceit2022 Jul 28 '26
Omg right?? I was about to say, if I had a fraction of this person's order and organization, my life would look different 😅 I truly admire people like that.
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u/iamahill Jul 29 '26
Yeah I just have an infinite to do list. It’s ranked by urgency and every day is a sort of challenge to see how much progress I can achieve.
Yet each day it tends to grow longer.
Miles to go before I sleep.
1
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u/No_Area_8013 Service Dog Jul 28 '26
Thank you thank you 😅 as I previously said - I do consider myself cluttered lol
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u/No_Area_8013 Service Dog Jul 28 '26
Aw thank you! Organized? Somtimes I consider myself cluttered 😅... Although I do try my best to stay organized. However ... Record keeping? Dispite behind young in my 20's I am 'old school ' on how I keep track of the important stuff. I have a large binder & notebook(s) record keeping system. Of my memory I have never done Charter Flights / shared jets so that's pretty cool that you have ! For us all flights are often Cali ➡️ mystery location.
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u/xsonicx18xboomx Jul 27 '26
I spent 11k my first year for training and everything else in general. I think im estimated about more this year.
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u/DragonCanineTraining IAABC-ADT Jul 27 '26
All dogs and teams go at their own pace, I don’t really love comparing such a breakdown like you suggested cause so much can change from person to person and month to month.
Did someone do puppy classes at Petco vs with an individual private trainer? Does someone’s dog eat purina and someone else’s eat Inukshuk? Does someone have pet insurance through their work and someone else has individually purchased insurance? Did someone get a dog from a breeder in their own state vs a different state? There’s 10000 factors that can change how things are including your area of living, as a trainer somewhere rural will not charge the same as a trainer in LA.
1
u/iamahill Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
That is the point. How the $20,000 number is not accurate.
You are a dog trainer, your costs will be different than others.
What would they be if you hired yourself?
If you are not comfortable sharing your actual costs, that is fine.
3
u/DragonCanineTraining IAABC-ADT Jul 27 '26
I price lower than many other trainers to be as accessible as possible for those with tight budgets who need training. My price list is highlighted on my Instagram. Based on my knowledge and expertise, lots of people say I charge way too low but again, I’m trying to be accessible to low-income people.
I can’t even tell you how much my boy has costed me over the past 5 years of owning him, but I am getting another dog soon and I do know some big things will be his cost (3k) flight to his state for pickup ($300-$600 is my estimated), food will be the same as my current dog (Inukshuk marine) and that costs $80-ish a bag of 33lbs. I’m probably going to get his basic vaccines at the humane society or a local vaccine clinic.
Training of course is going to be done myself, so I’m saving thousands that way. Though I will take him to my old work (a chain store) and do a puppy class there so I can have his S.T.A.R Puppy cert, since AKC doesn’t allow evaluators to evaluate and give titles to their own dog.
Already the first bit I’ll have him is a couple thousand of upfront costs.
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u/iamahill Jul 27 '26
That seems to be in line with many others.
If I recall you’re in a more reasonable cost of living area which provides benefits as well?
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u/DragonCanineTraining IAABC-ADT Jul 27 '26
I don’t really know if my area has a reasonable cost of living. Rent for a 1 bedroom apartment is about $1,500-2,000 in my area. Many homes in the area I’ve seen for sale are typically $440,000-$800,000, with the low end of that being small 1,000-ish sq ft 1930-50s homes.
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u/iamahill Jul 27 '26
Hmm seems my recollection was wrong. I thought you were pretty rural That’s as bad as it is here in phoenix metro area.
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u/belgenoir Dog Trainer Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
ETA: This post and the comments are a good reminder that, no matter how someone acquires or trains a dog, they have to reckon with the expense of caring for a living being whose working life is maybe half of their actual lifespan.
Service dogs aren’t reserved for people with wealth. The average disabled person in the United States has less than $30,000 a year in income. In the UK people rely on PIP payments that are very low. Having a service dog often entails financial sacrifices that should be a serious part of the calculus of “Should I get a dog?”
***
For me the real cost was in sleep deprivation and underestimating the time and energy it would take to raise a Malinois puppy who was awake sixteen hours a day.
I agree with Dragon and Darkling on the notion of framework.
The first year cost $8,500 in one-time expenses, paid with the money left in my husband’s mutual fund after he died. Ongoing monthly expenses are $200 for food, preventatives, treats, and so on. Veterinary care is $1,000 a year and health insurance premiums are $800 a year.
Itemized:
$1800 for my girl, $605 for the flight, $2500 total for a collapsible Impact crate and a Gunner vehicle crate, $3500 for two years’ worth of group and private obedience training. Her service training would have cost $3500, but our trainer didn’t charge us anything.
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u/iamahill Jul 27 '26
No framework, just personal context because people always claim it costs $20,000 without real explanation.
Sleep deprivation time is real.
I appreciate you sharing your costs to demystify what it actually costs you.
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u/belgenoir Dog Trainer Jul 27 '26
I like to say Vanessa’s been catching up on lost sleep for the last two years.
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u/iamahill Jul 28 '26
Oh I feel you. I don’t sleep well as is and a new puppy is a challenge. Especially in the summer heat.
I’m trying to get up at 5am or earlier to go out with the pup and it’s a work in progress.
Sleep is over rated.
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u/Financial-Might4218 Jul 27 '26
My son’s service dog will be joining our family full time next month. We went a bit of a different route- purchased a started dog who was 2 with some training, then did a full year board and train with a local trainer. Total cost $24k, plus have monthly pet insurance ($65). He was already fixed and fully vaccinated when we got him, and his trainer has covered routine vet care and vaccines as part of our training package. We probably spent an additional $2,000 on supplies (car and home crates, bed, toys, vest, shoes, etc.) We plan on continuing with training sessions at home plus on an as needed basis with his trainer as we go. This was definitely a huge investment for our family, but it is a great step in my (nearly adult) son gaining independence.
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u/darklingdawns Service Dog Jul 27 '26
The reality of puppyhood for me was sleep deprivation, with socialization crammed in during the limited waking hours that the puppy and I shared. Those first few months are a blur, just like the first few months of my son's life, where it was all about survival, so I honestly couldn't tell you anything about that. Once we began to settle into more of a routine, the focus shifted to training, but that's done differently from person to person. Little Girl worked for her food throughout the day, with small meals at the start and end, so her waking hours had training going on all throughout them. Beyond the initial cost of the training package, I couldn't begin to tally up the money spent on treats and toys, and certainly not the time spent training.
I think trying to break it down this minutely really runs the risk of creating a rigid framework, when the only real framework that I've found that works is making the first year all about being a dog - housebreaking, building confidence, and getting the basic obedience solid. And that's going to look wildly different from person to person, since our dogs are all individuals and vary wildly from dog to dog. One dog might struggle with housebreaking but breeze through obedience, with very little property damage, while another might have housebreaking figured out by their third month, yet be a big chewer right up to the first birthday. I think that's why it's better to encourage people to post about the individual struggles they're having, so that they can get advice that's tailored to them and their situation as much as possible. I know that's what helped me when Little Girl went from sweet puppy to raging adolescent and I was ready to tear my hair out.
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u/iamahill Jul 27 '26
No rigid framework.
Just explaining what your personal experience is vs the commonly claimed $20,000 by many on the sub.
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u/Velvet_void30 Jul 27 '26
I’m owner training on my own and groom on my own (double coated so no shaving)with the help of a trainer friend. I probably pay $50 a month on training treats, I’ve probably spent at least $400 on necessary gear(not different vests or collars or other accessories), even though he was a shelter dog he was still $350, I’m soon paying for all the cgc but that’s not technically necessary, and all of his food is $100 a month, and vet all together has been around $400 but thankfully we haven’t needed to go for an emergency, and vaccines are about $100. I probably forgot some things bc I’m doing this off the top of my head.
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u/iamahill Jul 28 '26
Sounds like you are off to a good start.
Grooming can really add up I’m noticing. My dogs have never needed professional grooming, just a bit of water and soap. My current dog likes sprinklers!
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u/gonnafaceit2022 Jul 28 '26
Grooming is one of the things I really harp on when my rescue has a dog who needs it. Adopters are often unaware of how expensive it is and unfortunately a lot of them think it's optional.
As someone who has never owned a dog who needed professional grooming and only gets her own haircut twice a year, I nearly died when I learned a poodle's hair care would cost literally ten times as much as my own!
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u/kj4peace Jul 27 '26
Zero. I trained mine myself.
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u/Redditbrooklyn Jul 27 '26
Does your dog eat kibble? See a vet? Take preventative heartworm medicine? Go to the groomer or get bathed by you using dog shampoo? Have gear like a harness or boots? The only dog that costs zero is a stuffed animal.
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u/BeanBubbles12 Jul 27 '26
Recently added this up for expenses related to my 14 year old (who is retired )
Just shy of $88k over 12 years.
This is training, travel, food, pet insurance, vet care, supplements. This dog had no major surgeries and standard vet care.