Budgeting for a puppy
 

My puppy had all of his shots minus rabies when I got him. He did, however, have an ear ache, ear mites and poor hair/skin. I spent $150 on medicine in two weeks. Good food is expensive and of course you're going to have to accessorize!

I think a good rule of thumb would be the cost of the pup plus a cushion of 1000. to 1500. for initial vet cost (well puppy checkup, shots, heartguard, flea preventative meds, supplies (crate, dishes, grooming supplies like shampoos, conditioner, combs, brushes, toys, bows, nail clippers, hair clippers. etc.) clothing if you want clothing, spay/neuter fees.

With my other dog, (a year old male ddb) we spent $950 give or take some in the first year. That was basically everything (including obedience classes) except neutering (we're showing him). Although he's a massive dog and food alone was probably more than half of that.

So far, with Bailey, I've spent $300 on top of the $1600 I paid for him. And today is only the 7th day I've had him. I definitely agree with saving money before you get the pup. Emergency's do happen.

well you have the cost of the yorkie......... and all the start up stuff like bowls, beds, ect...
I spend about $10 in food a month
Treats??? a greenie once in a while, but probably like $10 a month
I have to pay an extra $35 in "pet rent" every month in ADDITION to the deposit i allready paid
As far as vet visits go:
I take toby to a low cost clinic, it was $30 to have a checkup, get the shot and deowormer pill he needed and we also prepaid for the next set of shots...
I am not going to get toby a rabies shot, they can make little dogs sick, and toby is an inside boy. But you can get cheap rabies shots at teh petsmart and petco vaccine clinics
for toby to be fixed was $30
and also we have advantage flea stuff which is about $10 a month
We microchipped toby (but that was free)

Grooming: DO IT YOUR SELF!!!, i cannot stress this enough because it is SO EASY. I got a pair of clippers with attachments for $20 and now i save so much because i dont have to go to a groomer (i have never actually taken him to a groomer because i always that they were too darn expensive).... If you would like you could PM me and i can tell you exactly which attachment lengths to use on which part of the body..... and lets not forget that practice makes perfect and hair always grows.

My mom makes a lot of stuff for toby like his crate bed, blankets, clothes, ect.... so i dont have to buy any of that

I can not wait to have my puppy!! I told my sister (my roommate) yesterday that I can't wait until she moves out so I can get my yorkie! I think she was kind of offended. LOL!! If I could afford our rent by myself right now I would tell her to move back home to our parents in an instant! Haha!

Jaime

Hi Jaime and welcome to YT!! Where in Alabama do you live? We have a home in Anniston ... we aren't there very often right now due to my husband's job. Will be in Colorado for several years but Toto and I fly home fairly often. I have found that location has lots to do with the expense of a Yorkie. We have a wonderful vet who also raises show yorkies and the yorkie breed is her specialty. She is in Ashland ... about 45 min. from our home but we don't mind the drive at all because she is so great! Her charges [which I cannot remember off the top of my head] are extremely low! Your vet will be the most important person in your Yorkies life next to you, of course! Our Dr. Lucy has even assured us that if we ever need to leave Toto for any reason that she will keep her at her home! Unless I am in ICU, Toto will never be away from me overnite, even with Dr. Lucy available to keep her. We will all be looking forward to you getting your baby!! Keep us updated! ;)

When I got my Binky in NY, I spent about $300 for the initial stuff like crate, toys, brushes, shampoos...etc. Brought her to the vet at Cornell's Pet Hospital, and vaccinations and visits cost about an average of $80 each time. I later spent about another $100 for neutering. Food cost me about $15 each month. Expenses for the first year is the most.

Jaime,

Not sure if you are looking for a puppy or any yorkie. But someone has two yorkies for adoption in Jasper, AL. It is listed on petfinder.com under classifieds. They are older female (ex-puppymill dogs). You may want to check it out.

Hey bettyanne!
I live in Birmingham, and I have been looking in the paper for yorkies just about every day even though I can't get one right now. HaHa! I think I am obsessed and I don't even have one yet. I'm not sure how far Ashland is from Birmingham, but I know Anniston is a little bit of a drive. I am trying to be patient and look for a vet and start buying her stuff so that I can take my mind of not having her yet. I don't know if I will be able to wait a year to get her. My sister might just have to get over it! LOL
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Jaime

According to Map Quest ... beginning at 24th Street N., Birmingham, it's about 78 miles to Ashland. I live approximately 51 miles from Birmingham ... takes me about 1 hour [if I'm not in a big hurry! :) ]. It's lots better to plan ahead ... searching for a vet, etc. is really the smart way to go about it. If you might be interested in an older yorkie, yorkieagility had a good suggestion about the ones in Jasper ... wouldn't hurt to check on them. There are lots of these babies out there that people either don't want or can't keep for one reason or another! Good luck! ;)

That is a good plan..your a smart girl! It is definitley worth the time, effort, $... :)