Everything Guide

A Year of Kibble-and-Playdates Calculus

By Rosecrans Baldwin
Published Jan 7, 2007

	ROUTINE	EXTREME
FOOD	Six 37.5-pound bags of Purina Dog Chow Complete Nutrition Formula ($17.49 at Petco, 147 E. 86th St., at Lexington Ave.; 212-831-8001).	Twelve seventeen-pound bags of Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dog Food ($24.99 at Petco); one large doggie birthday cake, suitable for a party of ten dogs ($50 at the Barkery at Canine Ranch, 452A Columbus Ave., nr. 82nd St.; 212-787-7387).
DAYCARE	Five walks a week with a licensed dog walker ($65 per week; Sean Gillon, Williamsburg Walkers; 347-254-2400).	Five days a week in their own Upper East Side garden apartment with long walks and play in nearby parks, plus pickup and drop-off ($45 per day; Margie’s Darling Doggies; 212-861-2239).
TRAINING	Two six-week group training classes ($175 per class; Sit Stay Dog Training, various locations; 646-352-1980).	Twice-weekly in-home private training sessions ($125 per hour; Follow My Lead; 212-873-5511).
GROOMING	Twelve monthly “EZ-Bather” sessions, where you bathe your dog in a rented dog-shower stall ($19 at Dog Wash, 177 MacDougal St., nr. W. 8th St.; 212-673-3290).	Monthly hot-oil coat treatment and teeth brushing ($120 at Le Chien, 1044 Third Ave., nr. 62nd St.; 212-752-2120).
MEDICAL	One general checkup ($80 at City Veterinary Care, 220 W. 72nd St., nr. Broadway; 212-799-7000).	Kidney transplant with checkups and medication ($12,000 at the Animal Medical Center, 510 E. 62nd St., at York Ave.; 212-838-8100).
TREATS	Orange rope collar ($22 at Wagwear, 48 E. 11th St. nr. University Pl., 212-673-7210); two “Best Friends” group day hikes in an upstate park ($140 each, organized by Blue Sky Dogs; 212-531-3647).	O Kelly blue calfskin collar ($610 at Hermès, 691 Madison Ave., at 62nd St.; 212-751-3181). Six-week Agility Class with obstacle courses ($350 for one session per week by Andrea Arden Dog Training; 212-414-9597).
PORTRAITS	One nine-by -twelve-inch ink-and-watercolor portrait by Kate Williamson ($325; 917-566-1650).	One fourteen-by- eighteen-inch oil painting by Christine Merrill ($12,000 at the William Secord Gallery, 52 E. 76th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-249-0075).
VACATION	Ten days’ boarding at the Pet Camp, an upstate retreat for dogs on a 400-acre estate ($26 per night, plus about $70 pickup and drop-off fee; 845-692-2922).	Two weeks’ boarding at Happy Paws in a private suite with nineteen-inch flat-panel TV and DVD player ($115 per day; 212-431-6898).
	TOTAL ANNUAL COST: $5,099.94	TOTAL ANNUAL COST: $52,699.19
Photo: Courtesy of Sean Gillon (sean with dog), Willimam Secord Gallery (NYC Portrait), and Canine Ranch Barkery (cake)