Raising a Dog in Minnesota Isn’t Cheap

My wife and I told our kids that when we moved back home to Minnesota, and we bought a house, that we would get a dog. Well, we just bought a house -- so you can bet my daughter is holding us to that promise (not that we mind).

We haven’t had a dog for about eight years so I was curious to know what kind of expenses I was looking at. And not just the cost of a dog itself (which any dog owner knows can be insane) but also how much it costs, per year, to take care of it.

According to Takespruce.com when you factor in things like dog food, vet bills, grooming, and any boarding you might have to do, it turns out that Minnesota is one of the most expensive states in the country to own a dog.

Not factoring in emergency vet visits, it costs, on average, about $1900 annually to care for a dog in Minnesota. With emergency vet visits, the average is around $3200 annually.

Here's what factors Takespruce.com looked to come up with these costs:

• Annual food
• Annual regular and emergency vet
• Annual grooming
• Flea/Heartworm/Medication
• Annual boarding
• Annual licensing and fee
• Annual pet insurance
• Dog toys

Yeah, it can be pretty expensive to raise a dog. But this is average and also factoring in grooming, boarding, and insurance costs. Some dogs don't require much grooming --  some people never need to board their dog -- and many people don't have pet insurance.

Those three things drop your costs way down. Now whether you should have pet insurance is something to consider -- but more on that later.

So what about cats? They must be cheaper right? Of course. Find out more here.