I am looking for a healthy golden puppy. I live part time in Northern CA and part time in Boulder, CO. I've learned a lot from these forums, but obviously the healthiest pups are the most expensive. How can I find a family dog I can afford? Thank you!
sjrslp
Both price and availability were shocking to me when I started searching for a family pet almost 3 years ago. The more I learned about health clearances on the parents and what normal prices are from reputable breeders the more I became willing to pay. The danger with not paying for a well bred puppy is having a dog you love suffer from elbow, hip, eye or heart problems. I think elbow or hip surgeries can be $3000-5000 so it seems wiser to me to pay up front to have the best chance of a healthy dog. Prices do very around the country but upwards of $2000 is getting to be the norm, I think.
Where I am here in Michigan was on the lower end for the longest time over here in the midwest to east and south east section of the country... but right now median price is $2500 - with $2000 or $2200 being the low end and $3000-3500 being the high end.
Before we bumped up - I heard "horror" stories about what you guys at either ends of the country were being charged for puppies. You were charged $2000 about 10 years before everyone else.
At least in California - I can somewhat understand WHY your puppy prices are so high. You live in a state that has been very eager to pass laws which are said to be just about puppy mills and people selling dogs in petstores, but those same laws negatively affect responsible and good breeders as well. Quite honestly, California is run by complete idiots who have driven up the cost of living in their state. Those things make it reasonable for breeders to raise prices so they can continue to do what they love - which isn't just breeding dogs and making puppies. It's also maintaining their name and kennel by breeding as high quality dogs as they can, by competing in different sports with their dogs and keeping that name very well known and synonymous with success, and it's a lot of all out participation - all of which costs money.
Personally speaking, I hope that prices go back down to a level consistent with the rise of income as most people in states like Michigan run smack dab into how capitalism runs - meaning that you can only price a product as high as people will pay for the product.
Currently speaking, there are a ton of people looking for puppies in Michigan and other places - but they are balking about buying pups who are so expensive. I've heard of breeders who depending on how frequently breed or how big their litters are and how much they are trying to charge for those litters - suddenly having problems selling all puppies in a litter well before they go home. It takes a little more advertising to find homes - and a few weeks extra to place the pups.
As we speak though - the best recommendation is for people to tuck a couple hundred away every month while they are looking for a pup or planning ahead. Pull a bigger chunk from your tax refunds, for example, and put that away as boost to your savings. But even just the $200 a month - I spend about that much on dog food and other misc for my dogs every month. So it's a good way to gauge if you can afford a dog and all the expenses that come with him. Because after you buy the pup - that money will still need to be tucked away for vet bills, dog training, dog food, dog chews, etc...
Before we bumped up - I heard "horror" stories about what you guys at either ends of the country were being charged for puppies. You were charged $2000 about 10 years before everyone else.
At least in California - I can somewhat understand WHY your puppy prices are so high. You live in a state that has been very eager to pass laws which are said to be just about puppy mills and people selling dogs in petstores, but those same laws negatively affect responsible and good breeders as well. Quite honestly, California is run by complete idiots who have driven up the cost of living in their state. Those things make it reasonable for breeders to raise prices so they can continue to do what they love - which isn't just breeding dogs and making puppies. It's also maintaining their name and kennel by breeding as high quality dogs as they can, by competing in different sports with their dogs and keeping that name very well known and synonymous with success, and it's a lot of all out participation - all of which costs money.
Personally speaking, I hope that prices go back down to a level consistent with the rise of income as most people in states like Michigan run smack dab into how capitalism runs - meaning that you can only price a product as high as people will pay for the product.
Currently speaking, there are a ton of people looking for puppies in Michigan and other places - but they are balking about buying pups who are so expensive. I've heard of breeders who depending on how frequently breed or how big their litters are and how much they are trying to charge for those litters - suddenly having problems selling all puppies in a litter well before they go home. It takes a little more advertising to find homes - and a few weeks extra to place the pups.
As we speak though - the best recommendation is for people to tuck a couple hundred away every month while they are looking for a pup or planning ahead. Pull a bigger chunk from your tax refunds, for example, and put that away as boost to your savings. But even just the $200 a month - I spend about that much on dog food and other misc for my dogs every month. So it's a good way to gauge if you can afford a dog and all the expenses that come with him. Because after you buy the pup - that money will still need to be tucked away for vet bills, dog training, dog food, dog chews, etc...
You have to realize costs have also increased for things good breeders do- prices for things we use/do/buy HAVE gone up in the last six years way more than they went up between 2006 -2012. Puppies prices (in my area/typical pricing) was between about $1200-$1800 in 2004-10, and in the next 5 years, probably $1500-$2000 was most common. Now I live in a different area, and when I moved here I was the least expensive puppy one could buy from a breeder of my level. I spent probably 20% more that first year on food, 20% on AC than I had the year prior, and probably 30% more on show expenses. Handlers charged maybe $50 a show in 2010, and now you're very fortunate to get away with $100 and you will share their expenses even if you are ringside pickup. That's a 100% increase! I think a well-bred Golden who is raised well sparing nothing is a wonderful bargain no matter the price.
Expenses have definitely gone up.... 
Not just for people who are seriously "doing stuff" with their dogs, but also people who want to provide a decide good life to their dogs with good food, regular supply of chews, etc...
The kibble I feed my guys is about $60-70 per bag per month (for 3 dogs). Go back 10+ years ago, I used to spend $28 per 18# bag of holistic (ie expensive) food with the 30# equivalent just $10 more!!!!!!! Compare that to $60-70.
Even my sister who is buying economy quality food (and I'm shutting my mouth because she and her hub can't afford $60-70 bags of food TWICE a month for their giant breed dog) spends $45 per bag of food.
Puppy classes ages ago when I first started out way back as a 10 year old were betweeen $25 and $50 for 12 classes. I AM NOT KIDDING! Same equivalent classes are now $150 per 6 classes!
Switching gears back to active homes "doing stuff" with dogs.... entry fees for dog shows have gone up at least $10 that I've been keeping track. Majors are also very scarce for dog shows thanks to AKC not paying attention to participation levels going way down in what used to be huge shows. What that means is people seeking majors for their dogs are entering 5-10 shows per 6 months or so that will not make majors (meaning, they can't show their dogs who only need a major). That's literally the equivalent of taking money out of your pocket and ripping it up. Even MORE money if you make a trip for a dog show that HAD majors before you left home, but had them break the day of so you couldn't show your dog!!!
I'll add, I kinda buckled my lip and smirked when people I knew purchased an RV for dog shows. This meant upgrading their truck as well to haul that RV and it just seemed hugely expensive and who likes camping?!
Then I found out how much it costs to stay at a hotel with multiple dogs! Add to that the concern about staying at a hotel which has weight and # limits for dogs. <= Those get waived for dog shows because the hotels see the dollar signs dancing before their eyes.
Last dog show I did, I spent $150 on my hotel reservation for 3 days? That's not that bad, right? I spent almost $300 on pet fees for 3 dogs. I'm tight fisted when it comes to spending too much on hotels so that about killed me - and definitely has me and my sister cutting back on travel this year because I'm not leaving any dogs home along.....
Additionally - I'm not that happy about competition classes going from $60 per 6 classes.... to $110 per 6 classes. It means I went from doing 3-4 sessions per year to maybe doing 1 session all of last year.
Vet bills went from going to our vet for ANY REASON and if he saw us for less than 5 minutes, he didn't charge us or he charged $24 per standard visit... to us paying anywhere between $45 (standard vet exam/visit fee) to $95 (if we need a same day appointment and scheduled after 2PM). <= And I'm aware these prices are cheap compared to other areas around the country, but they are still steep rises in states like Michigan where costs have risen more sharply than income.
I could keep ranting forever... but long schpeel short, I both understand why breeders are raising puppy prices and cringing because I see a point where somebody like me could not possibly afford a golden retriever. I already see other people dropping out of the breed because of the combination of the cost of a puppy and the increased health issues of the breed.
Not just for people who are seriously "doing stuff" with their dogs, but also people who want to provide a decide good life to their dogs with good food, regular supply of chews, etc...
The kibble I feed my guys is about $60-70 per bag per month (for 3 dogs). Go back 10+ years ago, I used to spend $28 per 18# bag of holistic (ie expensive) food with the 30# equivalent just $10 more!!!!!!! Compare that to $60-70.
Even my sister who is buying economy quality food (and I'm shutting my mouth because she and her hub can't afford $60-70 bags of food TWICE a month for their giant breed dog) spends $45 per bag of food.
Puppy classes ages ago when I first started out way back as a 10 year old were betweeen $25 and $50 for 12 classes. I AM NOT KIDDING! Same equivalent classes are now $150 per 6 classes!
Switching gears back to active homes "doing stuff" with dogs.... entry fees for dog shows have gone up at least $10 that I've been keeping track. Majors are also very scarce for dog shows thanks to AKC not paying attention to participation levels going way down in what used to be huge shows. What that means is people seeking majors for their dogs are entering 5-10 shows per 6 months or so that will not make majors (meaning, they can't show their dogs who only need a major). That's literally the equivalent of taking money out of your pocket and ripping it up. Even MORE money if you make a trip for a dog show that HAD majors before you left home, but had them break the day of so you couldn't show your dog!!
!I'll add, I kinda buckled my lip and smirked when people I knew purchased an RV for dog shows. This meant upgrading their truck as well to haul that RV and it just seemed hugely expensive and who likes camping?!
Then I found out how much it costs to stay at a hotel with multiple dogs! Add to that the concern about staying at a hotel which has weight and # limits for dogs. <= Those get waived for dog shows because the hotels see the dollar signs dancing before their eyes.
Last dog show I did, I spent $150 on my hotel reservation for 3 days? That's not that bad, right? I spent almost $300 on pet fees for 3 dogs. I'm tight fisted when it comes to spending too much on hotels so that about killed me - and definitely has me and my sister cutting back on travel this year because I'm not leaving any dogs home along.....
Additionally - I'm not that happy about competition classes going from $60 per 6 classes.... to $110 per 6 classes. It means I went from doing 3-4 sessions per year to maybe doing 1 session all of last year.
Vet bills went from going to our vet for ANY REASON and if he saw us for less than 5 minutes, he didn't charge us or he charged $24 per standard visit... to us paying anywhere between $45 (standard vet exam/visit fee) to $95 (if we need a same day appointment and scheduled after 2PM). <= And I'm aware these prices are cheap compared to other areas around the country, but they are still steep rises in states like Michigan where costs have risen more sharply than income.
I could keep ranting forever... but long schpeel short, I both understand why breeders are raising puppy prices and cringing because I see a point where somebody like me could not possibly afford a golden retriever.
I already see other people dropping out of the breed because of the combination of the cost of a puppy and the increased health issues of the breed.
I'm in SoCal. I charged $3000 per puppy for my last litter. We had a litter of 10 and I still lost money. Of course, we had some unanticipated veterinary bills and that didn't help. But I cannot see any way that I could breed as carefully as I do and sell puppies for under $2000. I think the OP might have to up the price expectation, or lower the quality expectation.
Let's say your pup's life expectancy is 10 years, although we know in most cases, it's often longer. Assuming a mid-range price of $2500, isn't that a bargain for what that dog will give back to you over its lifetime compared to a "cheap" dog with no health clearances?
HD is a major issue when breeding clear parents. It happens when we screen to minimize how often it occurs. Just imagine all of the issues that are never screened in advance to sell cheap puppies. It is a no-brainer that it's worth the extra $1000-1500 and if it means saving up the difference, that's what I'd do while searching for a good local breeder. You won't luck into a puppy immediately as it is because good breeders have waiting lists.
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HD is a major issue when breeding clear parents. It happens when we screen to minimize how often it occurs. Just imagine all of the issues that are never screened in advance to sell cheap puppies. It is a no-brainer that it's worth the extra $1000-1500 and if it means saving up the difference, that's what I'd do while searching for a good local breeder. You won't luck into a puppy immediately as it is because good breeders have waiting lists.
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The truth is adjusted for inflation, quality puppies cost roughly the same as they did in 1967. The price the consumer pays for products has increased by a factor of 10. A loaf of bread was 24 cents, now the same loaf is $2.40. A gallon of gas was 24 cents, now its $2.45. A new car was $2,000. If you could still manufacture a similar car (gov regulations won't allow it) it would sell for about $20,000.
The same economic factors apply to purebred dogs. A nice pup sold for about $200 in 1967. Today a well bred pup with the same care would sell for around $2,000. Add in some upgrades that the market demands today (additional health clearances, genetic screening, etc), and the price jumps a little higher to the $2,500 to $3,000 range.
If you're in a state that is anti-breeder, the price will jump even more.
The same economic factors apply to purebred dogs. A nice pup sold for about $200 in 1967. Today a well bred pup with the same care would sell for around $2,000. Add in some upgrades that the market demands today (additional health clearances, genetic screening, etc), and the price jumps a little higher to the $2,500 to $3,000 range.
If you're in a state that is anti-breeder, the price will jump even more.
I was sticker shocked back in September on 2017. I got my last dog from a breeder in Michigan in 2005 and paid $1300 then. In 2017 I paid $2800 from the same breeder. I was like holy #%@! After looking around to see what was what and what $1500, $1800 and $2200 got me, I was right back on the phone to my breeder and had Maggie in December. Also, I live in Maryland 35 min south of Philadelphia. So not close to me breeder (10 hour drive there and 13 hours back)
This was 2.5 years ago. I would expect my breeder to be $3000 now. I think today, you really should expect a minimum of $2000-$2300 for well breed, well socialized, temperament tested, DNA tested pups with titles.
This was 2.5 years ago. I would expect my breeder to be $3000 now. I think today, you really should expect a minimum of $2000-$2300 for well breed, well socialized, temperament tested, DNA tested pups with titles.
I think our first two Goldens about 20 years ago were $800 each.
When Pebbles had her puppies 4 years ago last month we lost money. That was ok with us as our goal was to breed her to an awesome dog and to end up with a nice puppy which we got with Sandy. Now Sandy is due in a couple weeks. She too was bred to a really nice dog (our Mr. B's brother) - our plan was to use Mr. B but I messed up and didn't get his latest eye clearance in time (Sandy was ready) and I wasn't about to use him without the clearance in hand. That would not have been right. Our goal with this litter is to keep a boy.
Anyway we are not charging like the prices stated above and I know we will likely lose money. Considering all the costs involved from travelling around to get clearances done, stud fee, vet bills, blah blah blah, it costs a lot of money to have a litter of puppies when done right. Like we did with Pebbles we are working with 3 other breeders to make sure we are doing the right things. Thanks to these other breeders helping us, all of Sandy's puppies are spoken for.
Costs can sky rocket too if there are any issues. It's a dangerous and scary time for the bitch.
What do other well bred dogs cost? I really have no idea. Are they in the same price range? In other words, is the cost of a well bred Golden much different from another breed?
Lastly, the OP stated "obviously the healthiest pups are the most expensive ". I don't think that is necessarily true.
When Pebbles had her puppies 4 years ago last month we lost money. That was ok with us as our goal was to breed her to an awesome dog and to end up with a nice puppy which we got with Sandy. Now Sandy is due in a couple weeks. She too was bred to a really nice dog (our Mr. B's brother) - our plan was to use Mr. B but I messed up and didn't get his latest eye clearance in time (Sandy was ready) and I wasn't about to use him without the clearance in hand. That would not have been right. Our goal with this litter is to keep a boy.
Anyway we are not charging like the prices stated above and I know we will likely lose money. Considering all the costs involved from travelling around to get clearances done, stud fee, vet bills, blah blah blah, it costs a lot of money to have a litter of puppies when done right. Like we did with Pebbles we are working with 3 other breeders to make sure we are doing the right things. Thanks to these other breeders helping us, all of Sandy's puppies are spoken for.
Costs can sky rocket too if there are any issues. It's a dangerous and scary time for the bitch.
What do other well bred dogs cost? I really have no idea. Are they in the same price range? In other words, is the cost of a well bred Golden much different from another breed?
Lastly, the OP stated "obviously the healthiest pups are the most expensive ". I don't think that is necessarily true.
Just to give you an idea of one of the many stupid ordinances getting passed in cities and townships all around the country - all under the false premise that it's about putting puppy mills out of business! STUPID. Meaning the people who live in these places! They must gloss over things getting passed and since they aren't breeders they assume it doesn't affect them - especially since they may be buying all their mixed breeds from breeders who are spreading the dogs out to hide the size of their business.
All those cats in kill shelters? I guarantee nobody paid anything for their parents, much less considered offering or requesting a stud service. Most of those cats came from owners who left their cats intact while keeping multiple sex cats or letting them wander outside. Never mind the fact that it's super cheap to spay/neuter a cat. How ridiculous stupid!
And limiting a stud dog to one service per year?! While I do think some studs are used way too much and it exposes them to negative things + leads to prospect where everyone in your local area has the same dogs 1-2 generations behind them! BUT. Limiting a stud dog to 1 service per year? Bogus.
Limiting breeders to one litter per year? STUPID.
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