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On average, a single small-medium sized dog will cost between $1200-1500 a year; including food, collars/leashes/toys, routine veterinary expenses, not including, training, unexpected vet expenses, kennel fees. If your dog develops a food allergy that number will go up quite a bit.
How much time you should have available to spend with a dog depends entirely on the breed. For example, Beagles are relatively small scent hounds and thus need at least 1 hour of brisk exercise a day; likewise, Whippets are relatively small sight hounds and also require a least 1 hour of exercise a day and frequent opportunities to run off leash (Whippets are a wonderful companion breed by the way). These dogs were breed to hunt, and physical needs reflect that. A small toy class breed can get by with very little exercise, a 20-30 minute walk daily is sufficient. The toys will also usually require less obedience training.
You're going about this with much greater maturity than most prospective dog owners, congratulations and good luck.
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