So, you’ve decided that the adorable Goldendoodle is the ideal choice to be your new furry friend. Now, you’re probably wondering how much a Goldendoodle puppy will set you back.
Goldendoodles are an increasingly popular pooch which means that they’re certainly not the cheapest breed around. However, the joyful time you spend with your canine pal will be priceless.
In this guide, we’re going to look at the different options you’ll have when buying or adopting a Goldendoodle and how much each one will cost you. We’ll also examine the other costs associated with caring for your dog.
The Average Cost Of A Goldendoodle Puppy
In recent years, Goldendoodles have become one of the most popular mixed-breed dogs around. With their adorable looks and charming temperament, it’s not hard to see why.
However, this rising popularity means that Goldendoodle puppies don’t come cheap. Currently, the average Goldendoodle price in the US is between $2,000 and $5,000.
Of course, this won’t be the only expense involved when buying and owning a Goldendoodle, and you’ll also have to bear in mind the costs of caring for it throughout its life.
Factors Affecting The Cost Of A Goldendoodle Puppy
So, exactly how much does a Goldendoodle cost? Well, there are many different factors that can affect the overall price you’ll pay for a Goldendoodle puppy.
Location
Where you live can have a fairly big impact on the average Goldendoodle price that you’d expect to pay. Generally, if you live in a rural area of the country, you’re likely to pay less than if you live in a big city. This is largely due to demand.
There is also a difference in the price of Goldendoodle puppies depending on the state that you live in. For instance, a standard-sized Goldendoodle puppy in New York costs about $2,500.
If you buy your puppy from a Goldendoodle breeder in California, the price is likely to be around $2,900.
Still, if you find a puppy for cheaper in a different state than the one you live in, you’ll have to cover shipping costs. Shipping costs of Goldendoodles can often be hundreds of dollars, so it may still be cheaper to buy your puppy from a breeder in your own state.
Genetics and health testing
One thing that’s sure to increase the cost of your Goldendoodle puppy is health and genetic testing. Reputable breeders will always carry out full health tests on their dogs to minimize the risk of genetic illnesses being inherited from the parent dogs.
Although this will make your Goldendoodle more expensive to buy, it’s very important. Carrying out health and genetic tests on the parent dogs is one of the best ways to make sure that you end up with a happy and healthy dog.
Reputable breeders will also often give you a two-year guarantee for certain genetic health issues. This means that their testing programs are designed to guarantee the health of your new pup once you take it home with you.
High demand
As we mentioned earlier, Goldendoodles have become incredibly popular. This means that the demand for Goldendoodle puppies is very high at the moment. Of course, this has led to a big increase in price.
Some of the best-rated, reputable breeders have waiting lists that are as long as a year. The prices that these breeders charge also tend to be the highest.
In densely populated areas, the demand is also higher, which means you can expect to pay more for a Goldendoodle puppy in these areas than in less densely populated places.
Breeding stock
Another factor that will affect the average Goldendoodle cost is breeding stock. Depending on which generation of Goldendoodle you’re buying, the price will be different.
For example, an F1 Goldendoodle puppy is bred from a Golden Retriever parent and a Poodle parent. However, F2, F2b, and F1b Goldendoodles are bred from an F1 Goldendoodle parent.
Breeder reputation
Buying your puppy from a reputable breeder will increase the costs. However, it’s worth spending extra to avoid puppy mills and disreputable backyard breeders so that you know you’ll get a healthy pup.
Reputable Goldendoodle breeders have to charge a higher price because their costs are higher. This is largely due to the fact that they carry out health tests on their puppies and also spend money on having them vaccinated.
Many reputable breeders are also often members of organizations like the American Kennel Club and the Goldendoodle Association of North America.
We’ll delve more deeply into the different types of breeders later on.
Coat type & size
One factor that will certainly influence the cost of your pooch is its size. Teacup Goldendoodles and Mini Goldendoodles are usually more expensive than standard-sized Goldendoodle puppies.
This is because it’s more difficult to breed a Mini Goldendoodle or a Teacup Goldendoodle than it is to breed a standard Goldendoodle.
When it comes to coat types, F1b and F2b Goldendoodles are usually considered to have more hypoallergenic coats than other Goldendoodle generations. This means that breeders will usually charge more for them.
How The Type Of Breeder Affects The Cost
The biggest factor that will affect how much you pay for a Goldendoodle is where you buy it from. There are numerous options that’ll be available to you, and the cheapest one may be tempting.
However, the least expensive option isn’t always the best one. So, let’s take a look at the different types of breeders and which one you should choose.
Puppy mills
Puppy mills are always the worst option when buying any type of dog and should be avoided. These breeders are only motivated by profits and don’t take good care of their dogs.
In order to save money, a puppy mill will cut all kinds of corners, including vaccinations, health checks, genetic tests, and even proper dog food.
The living conditions of dogs that are raised in a puppy mill are also very poor. They’re often kept in filthy, overcrowded kennels and are treated cruelly. This is also true of the parent dogs who are forced to continually breed and constantly produce puppies.
As a result, puppies that are bought from such places often have serious health problems later in life and usually require lots of medical attention.
They are also often poorly socialized due to their cruel upbringing and develop behavioral problems once they’re living with their owners.
As puppy mills are able to save money by raising their dogs incorrectly, it means that they can sell them cheaply. This means that a Goldendoodle puppy from one of these breeders may cost as little as $500.
The low cost may be appealing, but this will be offset by the high cost of vet bills you will most likely have to pay over the course of your dog’s life. Overall, it’s just not worth buying a dog from a puppy mill.
Backyard breeders
There are many backyard breeders who truly care about the dogs that they breed and do their best to make sure they’re bred in the right way. Still, they don’t usually have the right amount of experience and skills to raise happy and healthy Goldendoodles.
These types of breeders are rarely affiliated with any breed organizations and usually don’t carry out any genetic or health tests on their puppies.
Backyard breeders also don’t offer contracts, so if there are any issues after you’ve taken your puppy home, then they won’t offer you any support. It’s likely that you’ll also have to pay for any vaccinations yourself once you take the dog home with you.
If you plan on using a backyard breeder, then it’s vital that you carry out as much research as possible before you buy a puppy from them. You also need to ensure that the breeder allows you to meet your puppy and its parents before buying it.
On average, a Goldendoodle puppy from a backyard breeder costs between $1,000 and $2,000.
Professional breeders
The best choice when buying a new puppy is always a professional, reputable breeder. These breeders prioritize the well-being and health of their puppies above all else. They also usually have a lot of skills and are very experienced in breeding puppies.
Their experience means that they’re well-versed in the best ways to socialize and train young puppies. This means that a dog from one of these breeders will already have the foundations needed to develop into a well-behaved pooch.
They will also conduct health tests and genetic tests on the parent dogs to ensure that their puppies are healthy. Most professional breeders should provide you with a health guarantee as well that covers genetic conditions associated with the breed.
All of these factors mean that buying a Goldendoodle from a professional breeder is the most expensive option. However, it’s 100% worth it to know that you’ll have a pooch that’s as healthy and joyous as can be.
If you’re buying your Goldendoodle from a professional breeder, then you should expect to pay around $2,000 to $5,000.
Adopting
Another great option is to adopt a Goldendoodle from a shelter or adoption center. This is a kind thing to do and will give a lonely pooch a loving, new home.
The only issue with adoption is that designer breeds like the Goldendoodle rarely show up in shelters and adoption centers. The ones that do are usually old or quite ill.
This means that you might have to prepare yourself to look after a dog that might be on its last legs. Still, it is possible to find a young, healthy pooch that’s in need of a new family.
The costs of adopting a Goldendoodle are very low. Typically, you just need to pay an adoption fee of between $200 and $400.
The Costs Of Owning A Goldendoodle
Training
If you plan to train your Goldendoodle yourself, then the costs will be very minimal. You may need to buy a crate and some toys, but aside from this, it won’t cost you anything.
If you’d rather send your Goldendoodle to puppy school, then classes are usually around $50 to $100 per session.
Food
As with most breeds, Goldendoodles have good appetites and require a good amount of food. On average, you’ll most likely be spending around $40 to $60 a month on good-quality dog food.
Grooming
Goldendoodles are fairly high-maintenance when it comes to grooming. This means that they require regular brushing to keep their coats shiny and healthy. Although it can be a little time-consuming, it’s still easy to groom your Goldendoodle at home.
Doing so means that you won’t have any grooming costs apart from supplies such as brushes and shampoo.
If you plan to take your pooch to a professional groomer, then you can expect to pay between $100 and $150 for each visit.
Grooming your Goldendoodle yourself is a good way to save money and is also a great way for you and your dog to bond.
Vet bills
It’s difficult to say how much you’ll spend on vet bills during your Goldendoodle’s life as this varies widely. During the first year of its life, the costs can be as high as several thousand dollars.
This is due to things like health checks, flea treatments, spaying or neutering, and vaccines.
If your dog stays healthy, then it hopefully won’t require much medical treatment for most of its life. However, you should still expect to pay a few hundred dollars a year for regular checkups.
We’d highly recommend that you take out pet insurance for your Goldendoodle. This will help to protect you from unexpected bills during emergencies.
FAQs
Are Goldendoodles known to bark a lot?
The Goldendoodle is a relatively quiet breed and doesn’t tend to be very vocal. They may occasionally bark when encountering a stranger or a dog they’re unfamiliar with, but this shouldn’t be much of an issue.
If your Goldendoodle is barking a lot, it may be because they haven’t been properly socialized. It’s very important to socialize your dog early so that it gets used to other animals and people. This is the best way to ensure that it’s a well-behaved and quiet pooch.
Are Goldendoodles easy to train?
Goldendoodles are intelligent dogs and are easy to train. This is due to the fact that both parent breeds, the Golden Retriever and the Poodle, have a high level of intelligence. This has been passed down to the Goldendoodle.
Due to their intelligence, Goldendoodles respond best to training methods that involve lots of mental stimulation. You should use interactive games as part of your training sessions. This will help your pooch to engage with the sessions and learn quickly.
Which color Goldendoodle is the most expensive?
Generally, the rarer a coat color is, the more expensive the Goldendoodle will be. Colors such as tan, cream, and apricot are fairly common and very popular. This means that they tend to be less expensive than other rarer colors.
Colors like blue, black, silver and gray are quite rare, and Goldendoodles with these coats tend to be expensive. Goldendoodles with sable and merle coats are very rare and are some of the most expensive Goldendoodles out there.
Which type of Goldendoodle sheds the least?
F1B Goldendoodles have the lowest-shedding coats and are classed as more hypoallergenic than other generations of Goldendoodle. This is because its genetic makeup is 75% Poodle, and Poodles shed less than Golden Retrievers.
The F1 Goldendoodle sheds more as its genetic makeup is only 50% Poodle. This means that half of its genetics come from the Golden Retriever parent and Golden Retrievers shed more than Poodles.
Final Thoughts
Buying any dog is fairly expensive, and the Goldendoodle is no exception. As well as the upfront cost, there are other expenses that you need to factor in over the course of your dog’s life.
However, you should never look to save money by buying a dog from a disreputable breeder. The higher price of buying from a trusted breeder is always worth it to make sure you end up with a happy, healthy pooch.
It’s rare to find Goldendoodles in shelters or adoption centers. If you do find one, then welcoming it into your home could be one of the most rewarding decisions you ever make.
