Service dogs help millions of people around the world live better lives. Whether you need help with a physical disability or a mental disability, service dogs can be trained to have your back whenever you need it. In fact, some service dogs can even help you navigate the world, break the ice, and find help when you need it the most.
While this all sounds great, it’s important to understand that service dogs don’t provide their services for free. Now, the dog won’t charge you for anything, but the organizations that train them will, and additional gear, food, and other costs may add up.
For these reasons, it’s important to learn more about service dog costs before you decide to go this route. Thankfully, this guide covers everything you need to know about the costs associated with handling a service dog.
What Exactly Is a Service Dog?
Before we dive into the cost of a service dog, it helps to understand what a service dog is. Service dogs are canine companions who are assigned to a handler. For their handler, the dogs are trained to help with specific tasks.
While some service dogs are trained in a more general sense, like guide dogs, many service dogs are trained to handle the specific needs of their human companions.
Unlike other animals, service dogs also have some unique protections in place. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that service dogs can accompany you in public spaces. It also ensures that they can live with you in non-pet-friendly housing. Acts like the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) allow you to bring a service dog with you on commercial airlines.
Overall, service dogs have a lot more privileges than your average dog, but they require a lot of training to attain them.
What Disabilities Qualify for a Service Dog?
It also helps to know if you’ll qualify for a service dog if you plan on dropping some serious cash on one. Typically, you’ll find that any disability can qualify if a service dog can improve your quality of life. To determine if a service dog is appropriate for your situation, you’ll need to speak with a licensed medical professional who can make that recommendation.
Still, to give you some perspective, we cover some common disabilities that qualify for a service dog below:
- Physical disabilities
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
While this list is nowhere near exhaustive, you can see how many types of conditions can qualify for a service dog.
How Much Does a Service Dog Cost?
A service dog will cost you around $15,000 to $30,000 all-in. This includes the cost of the puppy and the training program. There is a wide gap because service dog training requirements and costs vary based on how they need to help with your condition.
For example, service dog training costs for anxiety may be slightly less than service dog training costs for physical tasks. Moreover, some breeds cost more than others, and this is something worth considering.
It’s important to note that there are programs out there that can help you manage costs. Some programs help veterans connect with service dogs, and the Guide Dog Foundation can also help you out. Other foundations are around, too, so always keep an eye out if you need assistance.
Other Service Dog Costs to Consider
You’ll find that a service dog costs around $15,000 to $30,000 (on average), but these aren’t the only service dog costs you need to worry about. This is due to the fact that there are some ongoing costs you need to be aware of. For example, you need to feed and house them, bring them to the vet, and even supply them with the gear necessary to do their jobs.
Therefore, it’s important to understand the additional costs associated with service dogs below.
Feeding Your Service Dog
The first additional cost you need to worry about, and arguably one of the more important ones, is the cost of food. Dog food isn’t cheap, and you’ll need to keep them well-fed. Expect to spend another $500 to $1,000 annually on dog food for your service dog. While some state programs may help, this is likely something you’ll need to pay out of pocket.
This is even more important if your service dog is performing physical tasks, like pushing a wheelchair or opening doors. Because these tasks are more demanding, you’ll need to feed them more.
It’s also important to note that the size of your dog and the specific diet they need can play a role. For these reasons, food bills for larger breeds tend to be higher than the bill for smaller dog breeds.
Training and Refreshers
Training is where the bulk of your service dog costs come into play. The initial training program is the most expensive part, sure, but sometimes your service dog will need ongoing training. Expect $15,000 to $30,000 for the initial training program, and we recommend some ongoing maintenance.
This is significantly cheaper, but if your service dog needs to learn a new task, costs can add up. Some maintenance programs may cost a few hundred, while others can cost thousands for new tasks. For these reasons, it’s not a bad idea to get to know your service dog and train them yourself at this point. After all, once they have that foundation you shouldn’t have too many problems.
Grooming
Service dogs may also need a haircut sometimes, and you may even need to bathe them and trim their nails. Checking in between their ears is also important for any signs of infection, and you’ll need to clean up their hair if your service dog is a shedder.
While this all sounds free so far, sometimes you need to work with a professional. In these cases, grooming costs can be around $500 to $1,000 per year. In fact, some designer breeds may cost around $2,000 per year for grooming. For these reasons, you need to evaluate the breed based on your ability to groom them properly.
Supplies and Gear
An underrated cost of having a service dog is how much the supplies and gear can cost. Of course, not every service dog needs gear, but sometimes it helps. If you’re going to be traveling or navigating public spaces, for example, it helps if your service dog has a vest. This will prevent other people from messing around with your dog or trying to pet them, which can take their attention off of you.
Your service dog may also benefit from vests or bags that can carry your things. If you don’t have the ability to carry some items, sometimes it helps if your service dog can take the load off. There are also many different options available, along with customization, so there are plenty of directions you can take your service dog’s gear to ensure that they can help you.
Expect vests and other types of service dog gear to cost around $500 to $1,000. Thankfully, you shouldn’t have to spend this amount annually if you get high-quality gear.
Veterinarian Care
Last but not least, you can’t forget about veterinarian care. Now, monthly insurance can reduce the cost of any major surgeries, but you still have to pay for most checkups out-of-pocket. For this reason, you should expect to spend another $500 to $1,000 per year on trips to the vet.
Unfortunately, this is just the cost of a routine visit. If your service dog gets sick, well, you may have to spend a lot more. Therefore, you need to have another $1,000 to $2,000 set to the side annually to handle most trips to the vet. Of course, these costs may rise as they get older.
How Much Does a Service Dog Cost? Our Final Thoughts
So, how much does a service dog cost? At the end of the day, you’re looking at around $15,000 on the low end and around $30,000 on the high end. You’ll end up saving money if you adopt a puppy and train your service dog yourself. On the other hand, you’ll end up paying more money if you use a professional trainer and purchase a designer dog breed.
Before you commit to a service dog, make sure you understand all the costs. While $15,000 to $30,000 is steep right out of the gate, other little costs will also add up. So, set some money aside from food, grooming, and other essentials.