Manicures or pedicures.
My wife and I have to take our puppy to our local vet to get his nails clipped.
We restrain him whilst the vet does the clipping.
$28 every 8 weeks so $182 a year but still cheaper than blood transfusions from being scratched by his untrimmed claws.
Relatives of mine ended up moving house because of a neighbour’s intolerance of their dogs’ barking (this after the legal battle instigated by the local council at the neighbour’s behest). Definitely an unexpected cost!
That’s some committed pet owners!
Thanks for sharing! That’s great to know 
You could try run him on hard surfaces much more and/or DIY claw trimming. The trimmers are not expensive and there is information available on how to do it. It isn’t hard, especially if you make a point of doing little and often, 8 weeks is probably not ideal. If DIY I would say nearer 2 weeks depending on wear.
We tried trimming his claws ourselves but it is impossible.
It took both of us to hold him last Friday whilst the vet trimmed his claws.
We believe he is suffering from PTSD after my wife brought him home on the flight from Brisbane to Cairns.
He is only a small puppy, 6.6 kg, so he cannot walk very far.
Frankly I do not think any one on the list is an unexpected cost. If you take on a pet you would/should know that these will be expenses. We have a small dog and she is a delight and makes a positive contribution to our lives. What is that worth?
@Fred123 I’m with you with the vet visits for the nail trims. I do everything else, having bought a super expensive clipper, which saves $50 Poodle parlour visits. I have tried doing the nail clipping, but I live on my own…next to impossible, plus I hate doing it, scared I’ll hurt them and I’m sure they can sense that.
I even roped in a neighbour, but we gave up…dog was trembling and that took 3 of us to hold her. Trauma plus…for me and the dog!!! Leave it to the experts!!
Yes, fully agree, however, working in with dog rescue groups, there are a surprising number of “non thinkers” out there. This is a good list for those naive, inexperienced people who just don’t think things through.
When Tommy (cat, pic below) came to me (he just arrived in the yard and never left, he was living under the Banksia at the bottom of the garden) I spent thousands in meds and vet visits and hospital stays over a couple of years until I realised that what was triggering his bladder crystals was tuna. and whats the most prevalent cat food on the shelves? Tuna. So he had to have specialised food as well as avoiding tuna. crikey! He was sickly in one way or another for all of his life. I expect thats why he was dumped (vet figured he was 2-3 when he came to me)
When my wife brought our new puppy home last year, he immediately proceeded to race in and out through the pool fence and pool gate so we bought a roll of shade cloth and fixed it to the fence and gate with cable ties.
He also started to run in and out of the backyard garden which has a number of plants which are toxic to dogs so we bought several rolls of plactic netting and several bundles of wooden garden stales and erected a fence affixed with cable ties.
Total cost was around $200 so as to protect him from himself.
Aww poor Tommy… 
you must be a real Saint Sue W for taking him in and taking care of this beautiful creature! Bless You and I wish there were more generous, loving and kind hearted animal lovers like yourself in the World.
You are a truly kind and caring lady.
It sure would make a Happier World…! xxxxx
I have taken my puppy to a number of training classes. I am a first time (responsible) dog owner and wanted to learn as much as possible to make sure that my puppy and I had the best possible relationship and relationship with the rest of the world!
Puppy school is a very commonly missed aspect of owning a pet. It’s important to make sure your new pup learns how to interact with other animals and people
We are having a problem with our puppy’s barking and need to do something about it.
I have looked at the item below as a possible solution.
Does Choice have any recommendations regarding stopping unnecessary barking, or do any Community members have any experience with this type of device?
The problem with silencing a dog is that he/she will no longer be able to do the job you’re paying him/her for… that is, alert you if something is really wrong. Best to find someone who knows how to train dogs to bark only when needed… and I have no idea who that would be. I was lucky, I guess, when I had a dog, he only made a racket if there was someone trying to break in, or similar.
On the other hand, if you are the person down the street from me who has a small yappy dog who never shuts up when his owners are out… that gadget looks perfect.
But be aware, all barking will stop so you’ll never be alerted to stranger danger, fire, people breaking in, stealing your car etc.
There is one key thing to remember: There’s always a reason the dog is barking, and looking at that needs to be part of the solution.
Solving or addressing these issues can help. Bark control may also assist, but wont solve it completely on it’s own usually.
My personal recommendation is the Petsafe brand. I’ve dealt with their customer care team before and have always found them to be generous with issuing refunds if you have issues. (regardless if you buy online or in store). They do sell zap bark collars but I personally never recommend them, and in some states they’re illegal or restricted.
As @Peterchu suggests understanding behaviour is important. And @SueW notes dogs bark for a reason.
For a few ideas - “It’s Me or the Dog” if you have access to the old series. There is also something about Victoria that dogs understand.
When I moved to Sydney, my dog and I moved into a flat without a back yard so I:
Unfortunately, my neighbours told me after a couple of weeks that he was loudly whining when I wasn’t at home (never makes a peep when I’m there), so it was quite a few weeks before I found out there was a problem and I had some very angry neighbours!
I bought a Petsafe citronella collar, and the problem was resolved within 24 hours. My neighbours said it was an instant change - they haven’t heard a peep from him since, so I’ve found it incredibly effective. I have to change the battery once every 6 months, and top up the citronella every couple of months. It’s pretty easy and was effective in my case (though he’s always been a quick learner)
An update to my original post, with a living example. I’m fostering a dog for friends, whilst they relocate due to floods. This dog costs a fortune! He has skin issues, which involves having the most expensive dog biscuits, shampoos and conditioners…anti-itch tablets that cost $250 for 100 of them, and associated vet visits.
Don’t forget to factor in the time it takes for his extra bathing, washing of his bedding, dishing out medications…this is not a “set and forget” dog!
He’s also got dicky knees…x-rays for that…$700, will probably need surgery down the track…$3000 each leg. Then ongoing arthritis injections.
With such pre-existing conditions, no pet insurance available.
On the positive side…he’s got a lovely personality and is a lot of fun…except for when he starts scratching at 2am…
