What is The Average Golden Retriever Price? (in 2024)

Many people underestimate how much owning a dog costs. A dog isn’t a one-time investment – it requires regular vet check-ups, food, toys, harnesses, treats, and so much more.

A common mistake of inexperienced dog owners is buying a cheap puppy from a backyard breeder. Unfortunately, initial savings often lead to higher expenses in the future.

The emotions a golden retriever will bring you are priceless, but you should adequately evaluate your ability to take care of it.

Golden Retriever Cost in the U.S.

The price of purebred golden retriever puppies in the U.S. typically ranges from $1,000 to $2,000, although some puppies are available for as low as $500 and others for over $5,000.

According to surveys, nearly 40% of golden retriever owners in the U.S. spent between $1,000 and $2,000 on their dogs, 29% have spent under $1,000, and 24% between $2,000 and $3,000. Only 5.7% have spent $3,000-$4,000 and 2.5% over $4,000.

There’s no limit on the golden retriever puppy price. Some goldens cost over $25,000 because they comply with the highest breed standards and have champion bloodlines.

However, if you see a golden retriever puppy that costs significantly more than average, ask the breeder why. A high price isn’t always an indicator of high quality – some breeders are just talented salespeople.

The same applies to puppies that cost under $1,000. Maybe the breeder is simply inexperienced and doesn’t feel like asking for more, but there’s a chance they are trying to spare on documents and health checks.

Golden Retriever Cost in Other Countries

Golden retriever puppy prices outside of the U.S. tend to be slightly lower due to lower living costs in most countries. In Europe, golden retriever puppies typically cost from €1,200 to €2,000.

Some breeders, usually in Eastern Europe and Russia, offer golden retriever puppies for as little as €500. Golden retriever cost in Canada is the same as in the U.S.

Note that these prices don’t include transportation costs. Buying a golden retriever puppy abroad to save money may be tempting, but it doesn’t always end up cheaper than buying one in the U.S.

Airfares to Europe may cost over $500 one-way, and dogs typically need a separate ticket. Furthermore, you may have to make additional documents and health checks to comply with local regulations.

Price of a Rescue Golden Retriever

Adopting a dog is significantly cheaper than buying one from a reputable breeder, but it isn’t free. After all, the shelter must buy food, toys, and medications for the dogs and pay utility bills.

The cost of a rescue golden retriever usually ranges from $200 to $500, which isn’t that much compared with $2,000.

However, these savings may come at an extra cost. Dogs often end up in shelters and rescue organizations because they were abandoned or abused, which leaves a mark on their mental and physical health.

The owner may have to spend extra money on therapy and veterinary care in the long term. That’s not to say that adopting a golden retriever is bad.

If you’re willing to take the risk and invest the effort to make a dog happy, it’s a wonderful thing to do. But you shouldn’t adopt a dog solely because of the savings.

The Age

One of the factors affecting the golden retriever price is the dog’s age. Puppies are always in higher demand than adult dogs because they are easier to train and have a longer life ahead.

The higher demand, the lower the price, and vice versa – that’s the basic rule of economics. Consequently, adult dogs always cost less than puppies, especially in shelters and rescue organizations.

Sometimes, golden retriever breeders also sell adult dogs. Usually, they do this when they don’t need a particular dog in their breeding program anymore – this may seem cruel but is a common practice among breeders.

Occasionally, breeders get a golden retriever back for unfortunate reasons, like the new owner’s allergy, divorce, or death. The breeders have to set a lower price because people are rarely willing to spend $2,000 on an adult dog.

The price of an adult golden retriever from a breeder will usually be higher than from a shelter because it has likely participated in shows and sports competitions and has all the necessary documents.

Still, adult dogs usually cost between $200 and $1,000. Senior dogs may cost as little as $100, and some people give out their old dogs for free because they are unable to take care of them.

The Breed Standard Compliance

The breed standard compliance largely affects the golden retriever price. Of course, every puppy is cute and beautiful in its own way, but some puppies have higher odds of winning at a dog show than others.

For this reason, puppies in the same litter may have different prices. For example, one puppy may be nearly perfect – such dogs are called “show class” – and cost $3,500.

Meanwhile, its brother may have the wrong ear setting or a slightly elongated nose and cost $1,700. Frankly, the breed standard compliance doesn’t matter if you don’t intend to breed or show your dog at competitions.

You can get great deals on puppies destined for couch snuggles. On the other hand, if you want a winner pup, be ready to pay a lot, and note that even a high price isn’t a guarantee of excellent show results.

Some puppies may have genetic defects that disqualify them from showing, such as black spots or white markings. The price usually reflects such defects and may be significantly below average.

Puppies with champion bloodlines always cost more because their parents have proven to be noteworthy examples of the breed.

The Health State

Every responsible breeder must perform health check-ups for all puppies in a litter to ensure they don’t have inherited conditions. The price of check-ups is included in the puppy cost.

A puppy with health issues will always cost less than a puppy with a perfect health state; that’s logical. However, veterinary care costs may outweigh the initial savings in the long term.

The Pedigree, Contract, & Other Documents

Puppies with a pedigree, passport, and contract always cost more than those without. One may think that saving several hundreds of dollars on a puppy by ditching documents is a great idea.

However, a lack of documents usually indicates a deeper issue. The truth is that dog document prices aren’t that high – a passport may cost about $40, and pedigree cost usually doesn’t exceed $35.

Furthermore, breeders can get discounts when registering an entire litter. In other words, most breeders don’t refrain from documenting their puppies because of the costs but for different reasons, such as health issues, mixed bloodline, or unregistered kennel.

Why Are Golden Retrievers So Expensive?

The price of purebred puppies often astonishes people, making them wonder why golden retrievers are so expensive. The reason is simple – they need a lot of investment from the breeder.

After you calculate how much a breeder must spend to raise one puppy, the golden retriever cost won’t seem as unreasonable. Before breeding two dogs, the breeder must make genetic health tests that may cost anywhere between $250 and $700.

If the breeder doesn’t have their own male dogs, they must pay for a stud service that can cost from $500 to well over $2,000. Then, the breeder must buy birthing supplies that typically cost about $120.

If something goes wrong during birth and the dog needs a C-section, the breeder may have to spend several thousands of dollars, which sometimes exceeds the profit from the puppy sale.

Then, add vaccinations, de-worming, American Kennel Club registration, microchipping, passport, pedigree, food, toys, destroyed furniture… Breeding doesn’t seem like a great business anymore, does it?

Price of Food, Toys, & Other Essentials

Expenses don’t end after you buy a dog. Like any dog, golden retrievers need regular investments. First, you will need to purchase essential puppy items like a harness, leash, collar, food and water bowls, and several toys – expect to pay at least $100.

Then, you will need training supplies, such as a clicker, treats, and a long leash – they won’t cost much, around $30. A dog bed usually costs $25-$50, depending on how fancy it is.

Don’t forget about the grooming tools – decent nail clippers usually cost $10-$15, a bush around $15, and shampoo $5-$9. Perhaps, you will also need pet poop bags, a car harness, and other miscellaneous items.

Such seemingly small expenses quickly add up to several hundred dollars. And since golden retrievers are chewy dogs who destroy toys quickly, you will need to regularly buy replacements. Most owners spend $240-$360 annually on dog toys and $1,200-$1,500 on food.

Golden Retriever Veterinary Expenses

Even if a golden retriever is perfectly healthy, owners must spend money on annual health check-ups to avoid bigger expenses in the long term. Golden retriever health check-up costs $50 on average.

Vaccines don’t cost much, usually about $15-$28, but some must be renewed annually. Fecal exams cost $25-$45, allergy testing – $190-$300, and heartworm testing – $45-$50.

So, assuming your dog is healthy, you can still expect to spend at least $100 annually on vet visits. And if something is wrong, treatment may cost thousands.

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