Free printable kit · 17 pages
Bring Your New Dog Home With a Real Budget
Plan every dollar of your first year with a dog, from the shopping list to the vet plan
- Upfront and first-year costs, item by item, from 2026 sources
- Year-one budgets for a small, medium and large dog
- Priced starter shopping list and a monthly budget worksheet
- Vaccine and vet plan for the first year, plus insurance basics
- A 4-week countdown, questions for shelters, breeders and vets
- Puppy scam and puppy mill red flags, plus proven ways to save
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What is inside
3 Cost tables1 Sample budget page1 Comparison3 Worksheets1 Timeline1 Checklist1 Page of questions to ask1 Page of red flags1 Page of ways to save1 Glossary16 named sources
- 3Cost tablesUpfront costs: bringing a dog home
- 4Cost tablesStarter shopping list: what each item costs
- 5Cost tablesVet, insurance and care costs
- 6Sample budgetsYear one by dog size: three sample budgets
- 7ComparisonsPuppy, adult and senior years compared
- 8WorksheetsWorksheet: first-month shopping
- 9WorksheetsWorksheet: monthly dog budget
- 10WorksheetsWorksheet: first-year vet plan
- 11TimelineTimeline: 4 weeks out to the first year
- 12ChecklistsChecklist: things new owners forget
- 13Questions to askQuestions to ask before you commit
- 14Red flagsRed flags: puppy scams and puppy mills
- 15Ways to saveMoney-saving moves that work
- 16GlossaryPlain-English glossary
Every number in the kit comes from a named source, listed with its date on the last page. General information only, not professional advice.
Read the full guides
PetsCalculatorHow Much Does It Cost to Own a Dog in 2026?The cost of owning a dog in 2026 runs $1,930 to $5,305 a year for an adult, per Rover, plus $1,195 to $4,650 up front. See costs by size and how to save.
Saving & InvestingCalculatorEmergency Fund Calculator: How Much Should You Save?Use our emergency fund calculator to size your goal. 3 to 6 months of essentials is the rule; for the average US household that's about $13,000 to $26,000.