I believe to this day that the biggest parenting blunder I ever made was buying a puppy for the Not My Fault daughter over seven years ago. I don't think enough people really consider all the economic implications of dog ownership -- I don't mean the obvious stuff like food and shots and so forth. I mean ruined couches and rugs, vacation weeks at a kennel, ruined shoes and hats, the hidden social cost of dog hair on your pants, etc and etc and ad nauseam...

So what would be revealed if someone actually compiled at least the known costs? Well, wonder no more...(1991 dollars no less. It's like 2 years of college.)