Lucy was about six months when we got Zeus who is now definitely a big, pushy Alpha.

Both are shelter pups, and for Zeus, the cash outlay was about $250.00. This covered collar, leash, a new bowl, some separate toys to avoid jealous fights, his own brush (bc. Lucy is a fuzzy and we figured she should have her own), the Humane Society's adoption fee which inc. neutering, and the first round of shots at our private vet. Now that both are grown at respectively 70 and 100 +/- lbs., we spend about $40.00 a month on brand-name food which we buy in bulk, and approx. $150 every two to three months on vet care/insect preventive, etc.

Ugh, sorry, it's so tacky to talk about cash, but it's important to make sure you can do it right, too, huh?

As a very sweet aside, Z was way too little to go down the steep stairs in our historic home without tumbling, so L would smush him against the wall next to her and taught him how to climb and descend that way. She also would reprimand him lightly when he went to the bathroom in the middle of the yard, and would push him over to the designated corner. When he would try to run on walks (dorky baby), she would run in front of him and push him back into heel position.

Almost 18 months later, Z doesn't really like other dogs OR other people, but he loooooves L, aww.