What dog breed you can afford to keep might depend on your income. I thought it might be interesting to break down your pet ownership potential by looking at your annual income. Many people think they can afford a Labrador for instance and then are amazed at the amount of food it eats as well as the dental care and other expenses that it requires just to keep it healthy. They don’t really take into account that a Labrador is the same size as a small human being and has similar health care needs like dentistry and grooming.
For instance if you make fewer than twenty thousand dollars a year it is quite obvious that you can barely take care of yourself never mind a pet. You can’t afford food or health care for a dog as expenses could be as much as 5,000 a year. There is nothing worse than having a sick pet and not enough money to take care of it. Get a goldfish!
If you make less than forty thousand year then you can afford smaller dog that does not require the extra expense of a lot of food or training. You should stick to pets that are medium sized (less risk of accidents then toy breeds). Good choices include the American Water Spaniel, Bacon Fries. Bolognese, Brussels Griffon, Cairn Terrier, Cardigan Corgi, Javanese, Cotton De Tulia, Standard Poodle and the Tibetan Spaniel. These are compact pets that are well behaved, flexible, adaptable and do well in rented spaces because they tend to quieter.
If you make under sixty thousand year was your answer then you can probably afford most dog breeds for a pet with the exception of the more expensive breeds that cost over $1000 to purchase such as the Appenzeller Mountain Dog, the Cesky, the Chinese Shar Pei, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the Norwegian Lundehunde, the Afghan, the Giant Schnauzer, the Irish Setter, the Jack Russell Terrier, the Pharaoh Hound, The St. Bernard, the Shi Tzu and the Whippet. These dogs are all a bit alpha and require a lot of training to combat their hard wired instincts to chase, herd, run, jump up on people and nip at their ankles. They are also larger and more neurotic pets. You need to stick to braes that feature all smaller to medium sized dogs that don’t eat a lot and don’t need a lot of health care. Look for a friendly smaller dog. Better yet adopt one from a shelter.
If you make over sixty thousand a year you can well afford any dog that you like including many of the expensive toy breeds. However be aware that if you choose an alpha dog and do not have him trained that you could be liable for millions of dollars in damage. This is why it is a good idea to budget in for some dog training for your pet. An untrained dog can cost a lot of money in the long run especially if he or she bites someone.