The Cost of Rehabilitation

Why is Rehabilitation so Expensive?

Rehabilitating a dog in the condition Buddy came to me in is extremely expensive. Between the various vets (due to the multiple specialties involved in the rehabilitation), the medications, supplements, special foods, equipment, etc., the bills add up quickly. At the writing of this update (4/6/25) the cost has been $24,000, and it will continue to rise. Please understand that my cost is actually quite a bit higher, but I have not kept track of all the costs involved, so I am only detailing those I have kept track of (not all the costs are easily tracked).

Now I have had many people criticize me for this cost for many reasons. Here are just a few of the criticisms:

• Some say that if I spent that amount of money that means I must be '"rich" and can afford it - I assure you, I am NOT rich. I have had to sacrifice a great deal in order to help this dog that I actually never wanted.

  
  

• Others say that if it is costing this much then I must be doing something wrong, so it is my fault. Nothing could be further from the truth. When a dog has been through what Buddy has, there is a great deal that has to be done to help them heal.

  
  

• Others think the cost is what I am paying someone else to do the rehab. If only that was the case, but it is not. I am the person doing the rehab and the cost of my time is not included in the costs I have incurred. I detail in another blog post what it would have cost if I were paying someone to do all the work involved with the rehab exercises, and it is far more than what I have spent. I will put a link to that blog post at the end of this post.

  
  

• I have had people scold me when they hear these costs and tell me that instead of helping Buddy they think I should have donated the money to helping children or to another cause they think is 'more important than dogs' (I guess they think Buddy should have been euthanized instead of helped.... I always have to explain that when I started working with Buddy I had no idea what the cost would be, these are the costs I have incurred over time. I explain to them that I share this information on what it costs to rehab a dog like Buddy so people will understand what the financial consequences are of using the wrong training and handling methods on dogs.

  
  

• And the most common response I hear from others is that they would have been able to completely rehab Buddy in 6 months or less. They claim to be "dog whisperers" or otherwise superior when it comes to the subject of dogs. When I hear this from someone what it tells me is that they simply haven't learned enough yet to realize just how much there is to learn. People who say things like this are the people who will certainly use the wrong methods and make things so much worse.

For as many people who criticize, there are just as many who are open minded and seek to understand why the costs are so high. These people are wise and also understand that there is more to the cost of rehabilitation than the cost of training a dog. So much more...

Consult with the right professionals to get the best results

It is important to be sure you are consulting with the right professionals if you want to get good results. I consulted with several Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorists and Veterinarians who had specialized training and certifications in handling dogs with behavior issues. It is important to know that not all vets have had enough training in the area of behavior to be able effectively help when dealing with a dog displaying aggressive behavior or other serious behavior issues. Do your homework and find the professionals with the right credentials, and then interview them to be sure they are a good fit for you.

While these professionals and specialists are not 'cheap', they are worth their weight in gold.

What is involved in Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitating a dog is not simple "obedience" training. Rehabilitation uses psychological exercises in order to re-program the dogs mind to desensitize them to the triggers which cause them to react aggressively; we are changing their perception of the things they fear so they will no longer fear them anymore. It also teaches them how to cope non-aggressively with fears they have not yet overcome.

Please note:

Once a dog has bitten, you can never fully trust they will not bite again.

The goal is to lessen their tendency to bite by raising their trigger threshold and teaching them to have better coping strategies if they do become fearful. However, since these dogs have bitten, they have learned that biting does get them the results they want (whoever they bite usually backs off) and therefore the risk they will resort to this method again is always there. It is actually more involved than that, please read "The Experience Bank" to learn more. It is not a matter of IF they will bite again, but instead a matter of WHEN they will bite again, and what will trigger a bite.

Much of managing an aggressive dog is in managing their environment to prevent them from being put in the situation where their trigger threshold will be reached.

Exercises

The rehabilitation exercises are extremely time consuming and must be done consistently, and very gradually, at the dogs pace. Moving too fast can cause the dog to become even more aggressive. Using the wrong methods will actually teach the dog to react aggressively and cause the problem to escalate, which is what happened to Buddy with his 4 previous owners. This is why ensuring you are consulting with the proper professionals, not just any trainer, but either a board certified veterinary behaviorist or a trainer specifically trained and certified in behavior by a qualified organization, is crucial to success and to safety.

I said above that the exercises are time consuming. This is an understatement. To give you an idea of the time required, I spend a MINIMUM of 2 solid hours EVERY DAY just on exercises, it is usually more like 3-4 solid hours (it is extremely rare for me to spend only 2 hours working with Buddy in a day, but that is the minimum). This does not include incidental things I do with Buddy throughout the day when we are not doing formal exercises. It is pretty much a full time job if you are going to get results and turn things around for the dog. You have to be fully dedicated to the process. While it is important to make the exercises fun for the dig, this is not fun and games, this is serious work. But I can tell you that all the work and dedication does pay off in many cases (although, I do have to say, there may be some dogs who might be past the point of being able to be helped - I'll discuss that more in a later post). So if you are in the situation where you are dealing with rehabilitating a dog displaying aggressive behavior, I hope this is helpful for you to know.

Health Matters

Rehabilitation also involves assessing the condition of the dogs medical state and correcting any issues contributing to the aggression. There are 3 Veterinarians involved in Buddy’s case. I discuss the medical issues found with Buddy, which we believe have been contributing to his aggressive behavior in my later blog post "Rehab 5 - Medical issues contributing to Buddy's aggression". In this post I also explain what we are doing to treat these medical issues. The cost of assessing and treating these medical issues has been the majority of the cost of Buddy's rehabilitation.

What's the breakdown?

Click the button below to read the blog post I wrote at the end of 2023 (after 3 years of rehab) where I break down the rehab cost into categories. The breakdown is slightly different now, but you will get the idea. In this post I also discuss what the cost would have been if it the rehab exercises were being performed by someone charging for their time. As you will see, that cost is quite high.

Read the cost breakdown here

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Note and disclaimer: All information in the blog posts on this site is my opinion based on my own experience rehabilitating an aggressive dog. I am not a professional behaviorist or otherwise involved in the Veterinary profession. If you are dealing with an aggressive dog, I recommend you seek the advice of a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist.