The Business of Pets: What Does a Dog REALLY Cost? | Business & Money for Kids

Raina has been campaigning for a dog for TWO YEARS. So this week, the Junior Boardroom puts pets on trial. Is owning a dog actually a good deal? We dig into the $150 billion U.S. pet industry (yes, that's bigger than the entire NBA), and we teach two business concepts every kid — and grown-up — should know: recurring costs and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

In this episode:

• Why companies LOVE pet owners (hint: you keep coming back every week)
• Live math on air: $100/month × 12 months × 12 years = the real price of a dog
• The jobs built on top of dogs — dog walkers ($600/week!), trainers (six figures), and vets
• Service dogs and how a K-9's nose is 10,000× more powerful than ours (300 million smell cells vs. our 6 million)
• Famous movie dogs that out-earned their human co-stars — Toto from The Wizard of Oz, Air Bud, Marley & Me, and the cautionary tale of 101 Dalmatians

After all the math, does Raina still want a dog? You'll have to listen to find out.

The Junior Boardroom is a family-built podcast where kids break down business, money, and how the real world works. Hosted by Raina (10), Devin (8), and their dad Mel.

Subscribe, share with a friend or a teacher, and send us topic ideas at JuniorBoardroom.com.