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Methodology & sources

Every figure on this site is either measured — taken from a named source — or estimated by one of the formulas below and labelled as such. Nothing is invented; when we have no source, the field stays empty and the page is not published.

The total

The typical yearly figure is the sum of six categories: food & treats, vet & preventive care, insurance, grooming, supplies & gear, and training & boarding. The low and high ends of the range add up each category's own low and high. First year adds one-time costs: spay/neuter, the puppy vaccine series and first-month gear. Lifetime multiplies the adult yearly cost by the breed's median lifespan, with the years from age 8 onwards priced at the senior rate (extra exam and bloodwork), plus the first-year extras.

Food

Daily calories: resting energy requirement RER = 70 × (weight in kg)0.75, multiplied by a maintenance factor of 1.4 (low activity), 1.6 (moderate), 1.8 (high) or 2 (very high); 2 for puppies under a year and at most 1.4 for seniors. The formula and factors follow NRC (2006) and the WSAVA Global Nutrition Toolkit as summarised in the Merck Veterinary Manual. Treats add 30%, the treats-to-food ratio in the APPA 2025 survey.

Price per 1,000 kcal is the median of SKUs we recorded by hand at a national retailer's regular (non-promotional) price, with calories from the product's own label: budget kibble $1 (8 SKUs), mid-range kibble $1 (5 SKUs), fresh food $12 (7 SKUs). The range on each page is the cheapest and dearest SKU in the tier. The method mirrors Tufts Petfoodology's 2022 comparison. Fresh food is priced at retail; subscription services quote per dog and may land lower.

Vet & preventive care

Procedure prices are US national averages from CareCredit's 2025–26 study by ASQ360°: routine exam $93 ($56–$129), rabies $35, DHPP $42, heartworm test $71, chemistry panel $164, dental cleaning $379, spay $455, neuter $487. Our schedule (an assumption): 1 exam a year for adults, 2 plus bloodwork from age 8; rabies and DHPP every 3 years; a dental cleaning every 2 years for toy and small dogs and every 3 for the rest. Service prices are multiplied by the state factor below.

Parasite prevention is priced per weight band from recorded pharmacy prices (6-dose packs) for heartworm (Heartgard Plus, Interceptor Plus), flea & tick (NexGard) and all-in-one (Simparica Trio) products. Typical = average of "heartworm + flea/tick" and "combo"; low and high are the cheapest and dearest complete cover. Products are shipped nationally, so no state factor applies.

State adjustment

We use the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024 (released February 2026), specifically the "Services: other" component, which covers medical and personal services but excludes rents and utilities. A state at 104 means services cost 4% more than the US average. It is applied to vet services, salon grooming, boarding and insurance — not to food, gear or medication bought online at national prices.

Grooming

Salon full-groom prices by size are the median of three 2025–26 industry price guides (Bark.com, QC Pet Studies, MoeGo): toy/small $62, medium $77, large $95, giant $120; the range spans the lowest and highest guide. Visits per year follow our coat rubric: smooth 1, short double 3, long double 5, wire 5, long silky 7, curly non-shedding 8. Home grooming is a recorded tool kit ($31) written off over 3 years plus shampoo.

Insurance

The typical figure is the US average annual accident & illness premium for dogs from NAPHIA's State of the Industry Report 2026 ($836, 2025 data), multiplied by the state factor. The low end is the accident-only average ($190). Insurers also rate by breed and age; no public breed-level table exists, so we deliberately do not add a breed loading. Turning insurance off removes the category entirely.

Supplies, gear, boarding

First-month gear and yearly replacements come from a hand-recorded list of mainstream SKUs at a national retailer, matched to the dog's size (crate, bed, bowls, leash, collar, harness, brush, nail clipper, waste bags, toys, training treats, pads; carrier for toy and small dogs). Training & boarding uses the APPA 2025 average yearly kennel/boarding spend ($322) — an average across all owners, including those who never board — adjusted by state.

Breed data

Weight and height are taken as facts from the AKC breed page, cross-checked with the FCI standard where the AKC gives only a maximum. The reference weight used for calories and dosing is the mean of the male and female mid-ranges. Size groups: toy under 12 lb, small 12–25, medium 25–50, large 50–90, giant 90 lb and over.

Median lifespan comes from McMillan et al. (2024), a study of 584,734 UK dogs across 155 breeds (Scientific Reports, CC BY); it is the only openly licensed breed-level table, and UK figures are shown as such. When a breed is not in that study we fall back to the US life-expectancy-at-birth for its size group from Montoya et al. (2023), 13.3 million Banfield patients — labelled "size-group estimate". The AKC's own range is shown alongside for comparison.

Coat type and activity level are our own classification of each breed standard into a handful of categories; they drive grooming frequency and the calorie factor. Health conditions are the most frequently recorded disorders in VetCompass (Royal Veterinary College) breed studies, open access under CC BY, quoted with the study's own prevalence and odds ratios. We list no treatment costs because no openly licensed per-condition cost data exists.

Cats

Cat pages use the same engine with cat tables. Calories: RER = 70 × kg0.75 × 1.2–1.4 by care-needs level (neutered adult cats, Merck), 2.5× for kittens, treats 10%. Food tiers: budget kibble $1, mid-range kibble $2 and wet food $24 per 1,000 kcal from recorded SKUs. Vet prices are CareCredit's cat figures (exam $94, FVRCP $34, rabies $31, dental $395, spay $353, neuter $262); senior care starts at 10; there is no heartworm test line. Flea/heartworm prevention is priced per weight band from recorded pharmacy prices (Revolution Plus, NexGard Combo, Advantage Multi, Bravecto). Litter: 25 lb a month — our assumption for one cat on clumping clay — at the median recorded price of $1/lb, inside the supplies category. Grooming is home-only (brush and clippers written off over three years); there is no salon line. Cat sitting and boarding are not modelled — no public average exists. Insurance is NAPHIA's cat accident & illness average ($435).

Breed weight bands, coat length and care needs come from Hill's breed library (small under 8 lb, medium 8–12, large over 12, per sex); coat "long" maps to the long coat text, everything else to short, hairless to hairless. Care needs low/moderate/high set the calorie factor. Life expectancy for eleven breeds and the crossbred cat is from Teng et al. (2024), a UK VetCompass survival study of 7,936 cats; other breeds use the US purebred-cat life expectancy from Montoya et al. (2023) and are labelled as estimates. A cat breed is published only if at least one breed-specific measured fact exists (survival-study lifespan, CFA registration rank or a health study); the rest are built but kept out of the index.

Updates

Each source records the date we last checked it. A build-time report flags anything older than 12 months; price samples are re-recorded quarterly, government and industry statistics yearly when the new edition appears.

All sources

  1. AKC Dog Breeds — breed pages (height, weight, life expectancy, group) — American Kennel Club, 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Numbers and group only. Never copy wording.
  2. National Pet Owners Survey 2025 — dog spending (press release) — American Pet Products Association, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · press release
    Basic annual dog expenses $2,524: surgical vet $474, routine vet $257, food $235, treats $72, boarding $322, vitamins $58, grooming $84, toys $47. Plausibility check only.
  3. Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs (ASQ360° research, 50 states + DC) — CareCredit / Synchrony, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Routine visit $56–129, rabies $35, DHPP $42, heartworm test $71, chemistry $164, dental $379, spay $455 ($361–829), neuter $487 ($385–885), x-rays $172.
  4. Demography, common disorders and mortality of Shih Tzu dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK — Dale et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2024 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC10807147. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  5. Demography and disorders of English Cocker Spaniels under primary veterinary care in the UK — Engdahl et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2023 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC10197368. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  6. FCI Breed Standards (nomenclature) — Fédération Cynologique Internationale, 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Cross-check for height/weight where AKC gives none.
  7. Hill's Pet cat breed library — size/weight bands, coat length, longevity, care needs — Hill's Pet Nutrition, 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Weight given as bands (small <8 lb, medium 8–12, large >12) per sex; coat length; longevity range; care needs (low/moderate/high). Facts only, no wording. Breeds absent from the library are not published.
  8. Dog grooming price guides 2025–26 (Bark.com, QC Pet Studies, MoeGo) — Industry price guides, 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Bark 2026 averages by size: $62/$77/$95/$120. QC Pet Studies (2025-08-29): small $30–60, medium $50–80, large $70–120, XL $90–150+. MoeGo (2026-02-23) full groom: $75–125 / $125–175 / $175–200 / $200+. Typical = median of the three per size; low = QC low; high = MoeGo high.
  9. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders — McGreevy et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2018 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC6196571. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  10. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death (Sci Rep 14:531) — McMillan K. M. et al., Scientific Reports, 2022 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    584,734 UK dogs, 155 breeds; Supplementary Table 3 = median longevity per breed. UK data — say so on the page.
  11. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (RER = 70 × kg^0.75, MER factors) — Merck Veterinary Manual, 2024 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Formula reference; cross-cited with NRC 2006 and WSAVA Global Nutrition Toolkit.
  12. Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data (Front Vet Sci 10:1082102) — Montoya M. et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2019 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    13.3M US dogs (Banfield). Life expectancy by size group (toy/small/medium/large/giant) — fallback for breeds absent from McMillan.
  13. State of the Industry Report 2026 — highlights (2025 data) — North American Pet Health Insurance Association, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Section 4, US average annual premium 2025: dogs A&I $836 (+11.5%), accident-only $190, with embedded wellness $1,414. Cats A&I $435. Published June 21, 2026.
  14. Beagles kept as companion animals in the UK – demography, disorders and mortality — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC11827713. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  15. Demography, common disorders and mortality of Boxer dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2023 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC10234096. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  16. English Bulldogs in the UK: a VetCompass study of their disorder predispositions and protections — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2022 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC9199211. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  17. Demography and commonly recorded clinical conditions of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016 — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2020 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC7014602. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  18. French Bulldogs differ to other dogs in the UK in propensity for many common disorders: a VetCompass study — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2021 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC8675495. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  19. Demography and disorders of German Shepherd Dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2017 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC5532765. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  20. Miniature Schnauzers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013: demography, mortality and disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2019 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC6376765. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  21. Rottweilers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2017 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC5698930. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  22. Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK – demography and disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC12344897. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  23. Border Terriers under primary veterinary care in England: demography and disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2017 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC5702187. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  24. Is it now time to iron out the wrinkles? Health of Shar Pei dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2023 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC10720141. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  25. Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2019 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC6547581. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  26. Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2022 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC9115981. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  27. West Highland White Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016: demography, mortality and disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2019 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC6720841. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  28. Commonly diagnosed disorders in domestic cats in the UK and their associations with sex and age — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2023 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by-nc
    Open access (CC BY-NC 4.0 — figures cited as facts, article not reproduced), PMC10812063. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  29. Persian cats under first opinion veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2019 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC6748978. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  30. Demography, common disorders, cause-specific mortality and life expectancy of Ragdoll cats under primary veterinary care during 2019 in the UK — O’Neill et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC12587670. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  31. pawdget methodology — our own schedules, rubrics and formulas — pawdget.com, 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · own sample
    Vet visit schedule, dental frequency by size, grooming visits by coat type, coat/activity rubrics, size thresholds. Everything referencing this id is an assumption, rendered as "estimated".
  32. Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the UK: their disorder predispositions and protections — Pegram et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2020 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC7510130. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  33. PetSmart.com regular (non-promotional) list prices — hand-recorded SKU sample — PetSmart (recorded by pawdget), 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · own sample
    Food (kcal/kg from the product page Caloric Content), pharmacy preventives per weight band (6-count regular price), first-month gear. Default variant as shown on the page; recorded 2026-09-21. No autoship or promo discounts.
  34. True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report 2025 — Rover, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · press release
    Annual $1,390–5,295; upfront $1,150–4,420; lifetime $16,440–52,075. Plausibility check only.
  35. VetCompass original publications — breed disorder predispositions — Royal Veterinary College, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Index page. Each breed entry must reference the specific paper (DOI) as its own SourceRef.
  36. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes (PLOS ONE 12(9): e0182064) — Salt C. et al., PLOS ONE, 2017 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    >6 million US puppies (Banfield). Centile growth charts by size category up to 40 kg, published as figures; cited as the reference for growth, no values reproduced.
  37. Prevalence of disorders recorded in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels attending primary-care veterinary practices in England — Summers et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2015 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by
    Open access (CC BY 4.0), PMC4579365. UK primary-care data. Top disorders table extracted 2026-09-21.
  38. Lifetime of Care study, 2025 update — Synchrony, 2025 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · press release
    Dog over 15 years: $22,125–60,602. Plausibility check only.
  39. Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK (J Feline Med Surg 26(5)) — Teng K. T. et al., VetCompass / Royal Veterinary College, 2019 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · cc by-nc
    7,936 UK cats. Life expectancy at birth for 11 breeds + crossbred (Burmese 14.42 … Sphynx 6.68). CC BY-NC 4.0 — figures cited as facts, article not reproduced. PMC11156239.
  40. Expensive eats? Comparing the costs of different types of dog food — Tufts Cummings School — Petfoodology, 2022 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · facts only
    Method reference for $/1000 kcal: 55-lb dog, 1,100 kcal/day, ≥3 diets per category, regular prices. Dry $0.55–2.00/day, fresh $3.50–11+/day (March 2022).
  41. Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (table SARPP) — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · public domain
    Released 2026-02-19. Components: all items, goods, rents, utilities, other services. Next release ~Feb 2027.
  42. CPI-U: Pet Food and Treats, U.S. city average (CUSR0000SS61031) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED, 2026 data. accessed 2026-09-21 · public domain
    Used only to flag stale price samples, never to publish adjusted prices as measured.