ETF Evaluator: ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF () Follow This ETF

ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF Overview

ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF (RDOG) is a passively managed Sector Equity Real Estate exchange-traded fund (ETF). ALPS launched the ETF in 2008.

The investment seeks investment results that replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the performance of an index called the S-Network® REIT Dividend Dogs Index (the "underlying index"). The fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks and other equity securities that comprise the underlying index. The underlying index is a rules-based index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of the highest dividend paying real estate investment trusts ("REITs") in the S-Network® Composite U.S. REIT Index, a universe of mainly REITs listed in the United States, on a segment-by-segment basis.

About ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF (RDOG)

There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 6.84 years: Ryan Mischker (2015) and Charles Perkins (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.

The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: Bloomberg US 1000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and S-Network REIT Dividend Dogs TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF has 45 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 25.3% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.

ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 99.8% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.

Assets Under Management

The fund has $11 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Real Estate category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.

RDOG Performance and Fees

The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Real Estate category. ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35%, which is 29% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.

High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 54%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 69% for the Real Estate category.

Recently, in the month of July 2026, ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF returned -0.3%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Real Estate category had an average return of 1.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.

ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF has a trailing yield of 6.14%, which is above the 4.13% category average. The fund normally distributes its income quarterly and its capital gains annually.

It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.

ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF Grades

Year to date, the ETF has returned 19.0%, 4.3 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 25.3% over the past year (grade of A), 10.1% over the past three years (grade of B) and 2.4% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 3.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of D).

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