Use the calculator to build your own puppy budget from Ontario averages, then replace each line with a quote from your vet.
Ontario provincial averages, OVMA 2026-27. Costs vary; ask your vet for your clinic’s prices. Change any amount to match your own quotes.
Puppy: first year
Adult dog: each year after
First-year total (male, neutered): $5,245
Yearly total for an adult dog: $4,993
Source: Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, annual cost of owning a puppy and a dog, 2026-27. Pet insurance is an OVMA estimate.
Short answer
Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) 2026-27 averages put a puppy’s first year at $5,245 for a male (neutered) and $5,142 for a female (spayed). Each year after that, an adult dog averages $4,993. These totals exclude the purchase or adoption price.
How to use the calculator
- Choose male or female. The neuter or spay line switches to match.
- Replace any amount with the price from your vet, store or insurer. The totals update as you type.
- Read the first-year total for your puppy and the yearly total for an adult dog.
- Press "Reset to OVMA averages" to return every line to the published figure.
Printable checklist: Download the new-puppy checklist (PDF, 1 page). Supplies, the first vet visit, city registration, microchip and insurance questions, with a box to tick for each.
What is not included
- The purchase price or adoption fee.
- Grooming. OVMA does not list it, so price it with a local groomer if your dog’s coat keeps growing.
- Dog walkers, daycare and boarding.
- Emergency and specialist vet visits.
- Baby gates, a pen, an ID tag, grooming tools, a car restraint and cleaning supplies.
- City licence differences. OVMA uses $25; your city sets its own fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a puppy cost in its first year in Ontario?
OVMA’s 2026-27 provincial averages are $5,245 for a male (neutered) and $5,142 for a female (spayed), before the purchase or adoption price.
How much does a dog cost each year after the first?
OVMA’s 2026-27 average for an adult dog is $4,993 a year. The largest lines are food ($1,452), professional dental care ($1,347) and pet insurance ($1,172).
Why is the spay figure lower than the neuter figure?
OVMA lists $1,136 for neuter and $1,033 for spay in 2026-27. Prices depend on your dog’s size, age and clinic, so ask your vet for a written quote.
Is pet insurance in these totals?
Yes. OVMA includes an insurance estimate of $977 for a puppy and $1,172 for an adult dog. Your quote depends on breed, age, location and coverage.
Are these my clinic’s prices?
No. They are provincial averages. Costs vary; ask your vet for your clinic’s prices and enter them in the calculator.
Where do the numbers come from?
Every line comes from the OVMA 2026-27 cost table linked in Sources. Amounts are in Canadian dollars.
Sources
- Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, Annual cost of owning a puppy and a dog, 2026-27 (PDF, created October 6 2026; checked October 17 2026). Ontario provincial averages, OVMA 2026-27. Costs vary; ask your vet for your clinic’s prices.