Like all other dog lovers, even you must be smitten by the Golden Retriever’s lustrous golden coat and wondering about its cost. To be honest, it is natural for you to be concerned about the dog’s price before venturing to own it. In fact, it is the first instinct of any potential dog owner.
However, as a responsible and well-informed purchaser, you must know that the purchasing cost is just the initial cost of owning a Golden Retriever. You can call it a mere fraction of the total cost. When it comes to your dog’s price, you need to reflect on a lot of things.
Apart from its purchasing cost, you need to take into account the cost of the following things:
- Vaccination
- Veterinarian
- Diet
- Other maintenance bills.
Overall Cost of Owning a Golden Retriever
The initial cost of purchasing your Golden Retriever from a standard breeder will be somewhere between $500 and $1000. If you want your dog to have a notable pedigree, you have to spend even more. A Golden Retriever with a title pedigree will cost you almost $2000 or even more.
Apart from the purchasing cost, you need to consider saving an additional amount of $1200. This amount is for your dog’s vaccination and other check-ups for the first year. After that, your dog’s annual expenditure will range between $800 and $1000. This amount includes the cost of your dog’s veterinary and food.
Based on the expenses mentioned above, you have to spend between $11,000 to $12,000 on your Golden Retriever over 10 years.
Now that you are well-aware of your dog’s overall expenditure, let us do a more detailed perusal of these expenses. The coming sections will break down your dog’s total expenditure and help you become mentally ready to fight all kinds of battles for your golden friend.
From where should I adopt my new Golden Retriever?
To be honest, your choice of breeder must not depend on your dog’s purchasing cost. Always remember that the purchasing cost is merely a handful of water from a vast ocean. When you start raising your pup, the amount of money you will have to spend on its health and other requirements will make the initial cost appear like a drop in the bucket.
Therefore, if you really want to use your money judiciously, try to answer the following questions:
- Why do you want a Golden Retriever?
- What are the objectives you want your dog to fulfill?
- Do you want a purely family dog or a sporting dog?
Most people want to have a good family dog for show or conformation. They neither have the enthusiasm nor the time to use their dogs for hunting and retrieving birds. Moreover, they do not wish to run their pooches in the AKC field trials or hunt tests.
If you are one of such prospective owners, no need to purchase your dog from top-notch breeders with championship titles. It will just be a waste of your hard-earned money on skills that you by no means intend to utilize. Instead, save that excess money for your dog’s future planning.
However, if you dream of running your dog in AKC events and winning titles, you must select your puppy from a top-notch breeder with championship titles. But then you must be mentally prepared to expend some extra money for those additional titles attached to your pup’s pedigree.
Do not adopt your dog from Backyard Breeders
While looking for your Golden Retriever, you can go whatever route you think will help you find that one right dog. However, it is a humble request that please do not end up at the doorstep of a backyard breeder. You may think you have incurred a profit by getting your pooch at a lower cost. But the truth is you have to pay the price of this quick profit throughout your dog’s life as you won’t know what potential genetic diseases your dog is having.
Now, you may desire to know what we imply by a backyard breeder.
Well, a backyard breeder is one who breeds and sells their dogs without taking into consideration their health and other requirements recommended by professional breeders.
You may assume that any dog found in Craigslist or a classified advertisement with the AKC stamp is bound to be good. However, reality is not always that straightforward.
Getting a dog enrolled with the AKC is not that difficult. All it requires that the concerned puppy’s parents should be enrolled with the AKC. Also, a mere registration with the AKC does not reveal anything about the pup’s overall health and temperament.
The fact that Golden Retrievers are so in demand leads non-trained dog owners to breed their family dogs. While doing so, they do not even think about getting the health of the prospective dog parents screened. The reality that not all dogs are for breeding doesn’t bother them at all.
Therefore, if you wish to own a healthy and happy dog, it is mandatory to ensure that the breeder you approach is reliable. A responsible breeder will ascertain that the puppy they intend to sell is a healthy one. As evidence for their puppy’s health, they will provide you with all your pup’s parents’ necessary health records.
Expenditure for Initial Setup
Before you bring your pup home, you need to set your home to accommodate a new member of your family. Here we have mentioned those necessary purchases that you will have to make to welcome your dog. Most of these are a one-time purchase. However, they must be considered an integral part of your Golden Retriever’s cost.
1. Crate
The crate is one of the mandatory articles that you must purchase before you bring your dog home. And by mandatory, we mean really mandatory. There is no room for contention. It will be in this crate that you have to give potty and house training to your pup. So, ensure that you choose a crate in which your pup can stand up, sit, and lie down comfortably.
A divider panel will serve as a cherry on the cake as you won’t have to buy multiple crates for your dog as per its age. All you will need to do is adjust the panel according to your pup’s size and age. Ascertain that you do not give too much space to your pup. Your pooch has to learn to remain clean. If the crate has too much space within it, your pup will empty itself at one corner of the crate and then move to the other corner to rest.
Apart from house-training, crates are also meant to keep your dog safe. Therefore, do not skimp when you intend to purchase a suitable crate for your pup. The right quality crate will cost you $500 to $600.
2. Bed
Some people may consider purchasing a dog bed luxury rather than a necessity. However, eventually, you will understand how essential it is to provide your pup with a separate dog bed.
A dog bed serves as a separate domain for your dog in your big house. As you teach your pup the fundamental obedience skills, the dog bed will serve as an area where you can send it to rest as you have your meals or go outside to meet someone.
At the initial stage, you won’t need any unique bed for your dog. A simple but comfortable mattress will be more than enough. However, as your dog grows old, you need to look for some specific orthopedic dog beds.
3. Puppy Pads and Gate
One of the biggest mistakes people commit while house-training their pup is giving them excessive freedom to saunter throughout the house. Although it is natural for you to pity your little pup and let it have its way. However, you must remember that you can’t let your dog develop any bad habits like chewing, digging, going to the bathroom instead of the backyard, etc. If you do not control your pup’s movements now, you won’t be able to do it when it has become almost 75 pounds.
To avoid such situations, you must get a circular gate to restrict your pup’s movements when it gets out of the kennel. You should also consider purchasing some cheap quilts and puppy pads to make a cushion for your pup inside the gate area. While a circular gate will cost you $32, you will have to spend $27 on puppy pads.
4. Cost of Initial Vaccinations
Vaccinations are one of the mandatory expenses you have to make for your dog’s well being. You cannot afford to skip vaccinations by any means. It is a matter of your dog’s life and death.
If you adopt your puppy from a reliable breeder, you will find that your dog has already been given the first shots at six weeks. Besides that, your breeder will ensure that your pup’s dewclaws are removed.
Once you bring your dog home, you have to get it vaccinated first at 10 to 12 weeks (from your pup’s birth) and then at 14 to 16 weeks (from your Retriever’s birth). The vaccination cost will depend on the veterinarian you approach. If you visit an animal shelter, the vaccination cost may be much less than your local vet’s clinic. Sometimes, the vaccinations may cost you only $20.
5. Expenditure on Miscellaneous Articles
Apart from the items mentioned above, you have to pay for your dog’s following requirements to help your new golden pup settle at your home.
- Food bowls
- Leash
- Collar
- Toys
Ascertain that you keep aside at least $50 for these articles.
6. Obedience Training
If you are a first-time dog owner, there is a high chance that you will need the assistance of a professional trainer to teach your pup essential obedience skills. Generally, a simple obedience class will cost you $50 per hour. However, these classes are definitely worth it as they will teach both you and your dog to cooperate with each other.
Initial Expenditure on a Golden Retriever
Based on all the articles mentioned above, you have to spend almost $350 before you plan to purchase your pup. In addition to that, you need to save some extra money, say, $500 to $600 for purchasing a permanent crate, preferably the G1 Gunner Kennel.
Monthly Expenses of a Golden Retriever
If you are wondering about your Golden Retriever’s monthly expenses, there is nothing to worry about. The only thing on which you need to regularly expend is your dog’s food. Do not skimp on your dog’s diet. Ascertain that you provide your pup with standard quality dog food. It will cost you only $30 to $40 per month and, consequently, $500 per year.
Annual Expenses of a Golden Retriever
In the first year, most of your dog’s expenses will be concerned with vaccinations and check-ups. Therefore, you should set aside an extra amount of $50 to $150 for your dog’s health. Besides that, you need to always save some extra money for emergencies like accidents and injuries. As your Golden Retriever grows old, its health expenditure will also increase. Hence, ensure that you save enough money for your dog’s future planning.
Conclusion
Truth to be told, your Golden Retriever’s cost will primarily depend on your pup’s pedigree and the breeder from whom you intend to adopt your dog. Besides that, you need to set aside an additional amount of $1200 to meet your dog’s first-year expenses. After that, you need to spend approximately $800 per year on your Golden Retriever.
Besides the expected expenses, you need to be ready for accidents and sickness. Set aside an amount of $2000 to $3000 for your dog. Remember that disasters do not give warnings before striking. In such situations, your Golden Retriever’s expenses can skyrocket.
You can also opt for purchasing insurance for your dog. It will enable you to be set for all kinds of emergencies.
Apart from your breeder, you can also get an insurance offer from the AKC when you register your Golden Retriever with them. Insurances with an investment of a mere $10 per month are also available in the market. Therefore, ascertain that you keep aside an extra amount of $120 per year for your dog.
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