Lifetime Cost of Owning a Dog

The 15-year lifetime cost of owning a dog runs $22,125 to $60,602, per a 2025 Synchrony survey of 4,861 pet owners. In the same survey, owners guessed their dog's lifetime cost at about $8,000 on average — nearly 8 in 10 (78%) underestimated it.

What's in that range

Synchrony's figure covers a dog's full life: food, routine and emergency vet care, grooming, boarding, supplies, and (for many owners) pet insurance. It's a survey of what owners report spending and expect to spend, not a receipts-based audit, and actual cost depends heavily on your dog's size, health, and how long it lives.

Source

Synchrony, "2025 Pet Lifetime of Care Study" (n=4,861, surveyed Jan 31-Feb 22, 2025). Seesynchrony.com/contenthub/newsroom. Checked 2026-08-15.