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THIS WEEK'S TOPICS:

• Pet sharing, splitting ownership of your dog 🤨

• A Pomeranian banking $27k per Instagram post 🤯💸

• Getting your dog inked ✒️ on your epidermis (Round ✌️)

• Pet insurance, do you really need it? 🧐

DOGGYDEX™

Winner 🏆: S&P 500

Proudly introducing the DoggyDex™, an index comprised of 10 publicly traded companies whose primary focus is the dog/pet industry.

The yellow line-plot in the chart represents these companies above (DoggyDex™) and their combined performance against both the S&P 500 and Bitcoin on a weekly basis.

Pawformance is measured by % gains & losses.

PET SHARING, SPLITTING OWNERSHIP OF YOUR DOG 🤨

We don't know, but at first glance we don't think we'd be down with pet-sharing....sounds cute as a word but strange as an idea.

However we'll keep an open mind and see what it's all about.

Pet sharing isn't really a new concept. For as long as couples have gotten together, acquired a dog, and then split up, pet sharing has been a thing. However, until recently, choosing to pet share hadn't really been a trend.

What pet sharing looked like in the 90s

As we've seen societal shifts more towards renting or sharing of traditionally owned things (homes 🏠, cars 🚗, furniture 🛋️, clothes👖, etc), there has been an uptick in pet sharing (though it's still a small trend).

Here's how it works: In true dog sharing, a pooch may be shared across 2-3 families, and stays with each one for a pre-determined amount of days.

The families pool costs and make group decisions. In a lot of cases legal documents are signed clearly outlining who is responsible for what.

Only one-person on earth who could fairly divvy up dog duties

Also common is "dog borrowing" where one family owns, but another takes for a few hours or days to walk, feed, love, etc.

So why do this?

Some potential Pros ✅:

• No way around it, dogs cost money, so sharing the load does help

• If you travel a lot, knowing your fur baby is getting some quality love vs. being boarded would put your mind at ease (and also save you 💰)

• For those gone at work all day, it could be an opportunity to get their dog out regularly

• It may enable people to become dog owners that couldn't before, thereby getting more dogs adopted (probably the best outcome 🏆)

Some potential Cons ⛔:

• The biggest one is we don't want to share our children! (only we could know what's best for them!)

• How do you decide on pivotal decisions around training methods, diet, veterinary care, etc.

• We would 100% miss them when they were gone 😭

• How do you settle disagreements?

Again, only one-person for the job

We will concede that there could be a lot of situations where it's mutually beneficial, and gets a doggo a home.

Having said that, we'd recommend doing it with people you already know, so you can vouch more for their personality (no stranger danger).

As to our conclusion on pet sharing?

A POMERANIAN BANKING $27K PER INSTAGRAM POST 🤯💸

We've all heard the saying, "sex sells." Well, so do pets.

The influence of pets, namely dogs, is quite impressive.

Some dogs have amassed 1M+ social media followings and can command $15K or more for a single Instagram post.

But why?

It's scientifically proven that time spent with or interacting with dogs (even digitally) releases endorphins. They make us feel good, and can be easier for us to connect with than human influencers.

There goes my endorphins again

Our dogs have become akin to children and businesses know this.

Take a look at what some brands are willing to shell out for a single post with these top dogs:

And it's not just pet brands that are wanting to pawticipate. We've seen sponsored posts from various industries:

• Toyota (currently running a big campaign with Loki the Wolfdog (@loki))

• Ralph Lauren

• Ritz-Carlton

• Away

• Ulta Beauty

Dog influencers have gotten so much traction that there's even an agency that manages talent on their behalf -- The Dog Agency

The numbers:

(According to a 2021 ProDog Raw Instagram study)

1. Loki – 2m followers $6,809 per post = $381,252/year

2. Manny – 1m followers $3,191 = $201,065/year

3. Harlow and Sage – 1.7m followers $5,247 = $52,479/year

4. Jiffpom – 10.2m followers $34,889 per post = $34,889/year

5. Crusoe – 824k followers $2,695 per post = $16,168/year

6. Tuna – 2.1m followers $7,091 = $14,183/year

7. Doug the pug – 3.9m followers $12,905 per post = $12,905/year

8. Reagan Doodle – 501k followers $1,702 per post = $8,509/year

9. Maya – 2m followers $6,665 per post = $6665/year

10. Turboroo – 307k followers $1,091 per post = $6,550/year

GETTING YOUR DOG INKED ✒️ ON YOUR EPIDERMIS

Maybe one day AI will power our tattoos

Well the results are in and 83% of you voted for more 👍 four-legged ink.

So next up in our residency is Skyler Espinoza, of Title Tattoo Studios. Skyler has gone viral for offering up free tattoos just for a good conversation to a random passerby.

His work is typically black & white, and when it comes to dogs, it's mostly portraits.

You can follow him on IG (@skylerespinoza)

PET INSURANCE, DO YOU REALLY NEED IT? 🧐

The term "vet bill" is enough to send a shiver down our spines. There's no avoiding medical expenses for our pups, and while the benefit of owning a dog FAR outweighs the cost, there is still a cost.

So should you get pet insurance? Is it worth it?

Lets dig into some of the details on coverage, average costs, industry stats, and more:

What's covered?

What dog insurance looked like in the 16th century

Though it varies from carrier to carrier, generally insurance covers your dog from a few weeks old all the way through end of life.

Almost all policies require recent vet visits or an exam to qualify, but outside of that, most dogs can get insurance.

What that insurance covers is key 🔑.

Most plans are only going to cover accidents and illness, not routine care. There are "Wellness" plans that are growing in popularity that do cover routine care, but come at a higher premium.

With the most common accident and illness plans, you can expect them to cover:

• Surgery 🔪

• X-rays, ultrasounds and other diagnostic tests 🩻

• Emergency care 🚑

• Hospitalization 🏥

• Treatment for illnesses like cancer or infections 🤒

• Prescription medications 💊

Those are the table stakes, but plans can vary wildly in coverage after that. Some other common coverage items can be physical therapy, behavioral therapy, hereditary conditions, exams fees, prescription food, and others.

What's not covered ❌

The big items missing are pre-existing conditions (often why you consider insurance in the first place) and routine care.

Also, most plans won't cover elective surgeries or breeding related expenses.

How it works⚙️

Unlike hooman insurance, you don't have to worry about which doctor you go to, as most insurance covers any vet.

You pay upfront at the vet's office, then send the bill to the insurance company for reimbursement. How much you are reimbursed does depend on a few different things.

Payout limits - A lot of insurance companies have a cap either for the year, or your pets lifetime of what they'll pay out.

Deductibles - This is the amount you have to pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in.

It's usually an annual amount (and in some cases is per incident type).

For a simplified example, Rufio gets a foxtail in his nose and it costs $200 to get it out. Your deductible for the year is $150. That means you pay the $150 and insurance covers the other $50*. You've also hit your deductible limit so the next accident in the year is covered by insurance.

Reimbursement levels - *Well, insurance may not FULLY cover the $50 for Rufio's foxtail. Pet insurance plans generally reimburse you a percentage of the treatment costs. You choose the reimbursement level when you buy the policy, such as 70%, 80% or 90%.

Gotta follow the doctor's orders

What does it cost 💸?

Through 2021, the average Accident and Illness plan was $48.66/mo, and the average Accident Only plan was $19.93/mo (per the North American Pet Health Insurance Association).

The price is based on some of the following data points about your dog:

• Age and breed

• Your zip code

• Type of coverage

• Reimbursement level and deductible

• Insurance company

The pet insurance industry

As dog ownership has growth, so has the insurance industry. From 2020 > 2021, it grew an estimated 27.7% to around $8.5b in market value. Some more interesting numbers (src):

• It's estimated 45% of owners take their pet to the vet at least twice a year

• 21% of surveyed owners said they had paid more than $1,000 for single vet emergency visit

• The most common health issue for dogs are skin allergies, which can cost up to $1,100 to be treated

Get to the $%@*ing point, is it worth it???

Absolutely!

Opinions will differ, and ultimately this is a decision for you as the owner.

At Dogonomist, we firmly believe that owning a dog is a very important responsibility, and part of that responsibility is taking care of them. The cost isn't negligible, but neither is the joy and love you get from having an additional member of the family.

Even if you go the accident only route, you know you won't have to make the decision between your pup and a humongous bill.

One of the leading reasons people don't get pet insurance is that they don't feel educated on it.

Hopefully this gives you the push to do some learning and make an informed decision!

KIBBLE BITS:

• Dog thought parade was for him: a dog thought a parade that was meant for the pope was for him as onlookers cheered him on.

• AKC publishes most popular dog breeds: The most popular dog breed for 2022 was the Frenchie.

• Would you shell out $150k for a guard dog?: What's your protection worth to you4

Every week we love to shoutout a pooch that has made another trip around the sun. Happy 4th Birthday 🎂 to this snoozy Beagle!

That's all there is to bark about this week.

If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@dogonomist).