How Much Does It Cost to Own a Dog? Explaining Monthly Running Costs | ブリちょく
Dogs| ✍️ BreederDirect Editorial
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Dog? Explaining Monthly Running Costs
A comprehensive guide to the initial costs and monthly running costs of dog ownership. We introduce specific cost estimates by dog size (small, medium, large) for food, grooming, veterinary care, pet insurance, and toys.
Key Takeaways
A comprehensive guide to the initial costs and monthly running costs of dog ownership. We introduce specific cost estimates by dog size (small, medium, large) for food, grooming, veterinary care, pet insurance, and toys.
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How Much Does It Cost to Own a Dog? A Comprehensive Guide to Monthly Running Costs
Welcoming a dog into your family is a wonderful choice that brings joy and comfort. However, it's also a reality that living with a dog comes with considerable expenses. Regret such as "costs were higher than expected" or "I wish I'd gotten pet insurance" can be prevented through gathering information in advance. In this article, we provide a thorough explanation of realistic figures as of 2026, from initial costs and running costs to unexpected medical expenses.
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Initial Costs Before Bringing a Dog Home
The first expenses you'll encounter are one-time initial costs. Beyond the purchase price of a puppy, you'll also need supplies to set up your living environment.
Item
Cost Range
Puppy purchase (purebred)
¥100,000–¥500,000
Cages/playpens
¥5,000–¥30,000
Toilet pads/sheets (initial)
¥3,000–¥10,000
Bed/cushions
¥3,000–¥15,000
Food (initial)
¥2,000–¥5,000
Leash/collar/harness
¥2,000–¥10,000
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BreederDirect Editorial
The BreederDirect editorial team specializes in care information for animals, covering veterinary care and breeding to deliver beginner-friendly guides.
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Total initial cost estimate: approximately ¥200,000–¥900,000
The cost of a puppy varies greatly depending on the breed and pedigree. Popular breeds like Toy Poodles, French Bulldogs, and Shiba Inus often cost ¥300,000–¥500,000 or more. Additionally, cages and toilet supplies range from budget-friendly to high-end, so it's wise not to invest in the most expensive options from the start, but rather upgrade them as needed.
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Monthly Running Costs [Comparison by Size]
Dog care costs vary significantly based on the dog's size. This is because food consumption, grooming costs, and insurance premiums all change proportionally with size.
Small Dogs (Under 10 kg)
This includes Toy Poodles, Chihuahuas, Miniature Dachshunds, and similar breeds.
Food: ¥3,000–¥8,000 (mainly dry food)
Treats and dental chews: ¥1,000–¥3,000
Pet pads and consumables: ¥1,000–¥3,000
Grooming (monthly average): ¥2,000–¥5,000 (every 2–3 months at ¥5,000–¥15,000 per visit)
Pet insurance: ¥2,000–¥5,000
Toys and daily items: ¥500–¥2,000
Monthly total estimate: approximately ¥10,000–¥25,000
Medium Dogs (10–25 kg)
This includes Shiba Inus, Beagles, Corgis, and similar breeds.
Food: ¥5,000–¥15,000
Grooming (monthly average): ¥2,000–¥8,000
Pet insurance: ¥3,000–¥6,000
Other consumables: ¥2,000–¥5,000
Monthly total estimate: approximately ¥15,000–¥35,000
Large Dogs (25 kg or more)
This includes Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Siberian Huskies, and similar breeds.
Food: ¥10,000–¥25,000
Pet insurance: ¥4,000–¥8,000
Other consumables and daily items: ¥3,000–¥10,000
Monthly total estimate: approximately ¥20,000–¥50,000
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Annual Medical and Preventive Care Costs
Even healthy dogs require preventive medical care once a year. Neglecting this directly impacts your dog's health, so it's important to budget for these essential expenses.
Flea and tick prevention (year-round/seasonal): ¥5,000–¥10,000
Rabies vaccination (mandatory): ¥3,000–¥5,000
Health check-up and blood test: ¥5,000–¥20,000
Annual basic medical cost estimate: approximately ¥23,000–¥60,000
Heartworm in particular is a parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes that can be fatal if contracted. Monthly or regular medication is necessary for prevention, so don't forget to take preventive measures. For dogs over 7 years old (senior dogs), increasing the frequency of health check-ups to twice yearly is recommended, and medical costs tend to increase with age. For senior dog health management, please refer to Dog Senior Care Guide.
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Unexpected Treatment Costs and the Importance of Pet Insurance
No matter how careful you are, dogs can get sick or injured. The reality is that veterinary medical costs don't qualify for health insurance, so you bear the full cost, which can quickly become very expensive.
Pet insurance is what protects you from these unexpected costs. Typical plans charge around ¥2,000–¥8,000 per month in premiums and cover 50–70% of treatment costs. In particular, purchasing insurance when your dog is young ensures lower premiums and fewer restrictions on pre-existing conditions, so we recommend considering it when you bring your puppy home.
The average lifespan of a dog is 13–15 years for small breeds and 10–12 years for large breeds. When you calculate the total lifetime cost, it looks something like this:
Small dogs: ¥150,000–¥300,000 per year × 14 years = approximately ¥2.1–4.2 million
Medium dogs: ¥200,000–¥450,000 per year × 12 years = approximately ¥2.4–5.4 million
Large dogs: ¥300,000–¥650,000 per year × 11 years = approximately ¥3.3–7.15 million
When you consider that initial costs and unexpected medical expenses are added to these figures, you can see that dog ownership is a long-term financial commitment. To prevent a situation where you find you can no longer afford to keep your dog, it's important to plan ahead. Since costs vary greatly by breed, also check out the Popular Dog Breeds Comparison Guide.
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With Br-Choku, You Can Welcome Your Dog Directly from a Trusted Breeder
Br-Choku is a platform where you can welcome puppies and kittens directly from breeders. Because there are no middlemen, you can confirm health status and upbringing environment with high transparency, and after purchase you have the ability to consult directly with the breeder.
Being able to hear advice directly from breeders on how to wisely control your dog-rearing costs—such as "How much food should I give?" and "How often should grooming be done?"—is a unique strength of Br-Choku. Whether you're bringing home a dog for the first time or you already have experience with dog ownership, we've created a system where you can confidently take your first step in welcoming your dog.
