Labradoodles are great dogs that are known to be fun, loyal, active, and loving. It is one of the top breeds you can get, but how much does obtaining a Labradoodle cost?
The price of a Labradoodle is $1,000 to $3,000 depending on where it is purchased. Adopting is much cheaper, averaging at around $100. The cost over time will raise with buying food, toys, bed, grooming, leash, and more. Owners may also pay monthly for insurance to help cover vet costs.
Assuming your Labradoodle will live 10 to 20 years, the cost over that lifetime will range from $10,200 to $40,800. So, making sure you are placing your money wisely, let's break down the other costs that make this cute dog so expensive over time.
Price from Breed vs. Rescue
From a breeder, you can find that a Labradoodle will cost about $1,000 to $3,000. Remember, this is simply for getting the dog. Before you make a purchase like this with a breeder, do your homework and figure out if the breeder is legitimate, if they price their dogs fairly, and make sure you are comfortable with the breeder and situation.
Getting a Labradoodle from a rescue is a lot cheaper. Now, not much can be guaranteed with getting a rescue like how things can be stated and guaranteed from a breeder, but the price point might be worth it. From a rescue, the average cost is around $100, which is a much lower cost than the cost of getting a Labradoodle from a breeder.
If you are getting a Labradoodle from a breeder, then there will be additional costs for the dog depending on where it needs to travel from. Crockett Doodles has a map with general costs of what traveling prices are from their location to other general regions and states. You will have the choice of delivery by car or plane, this can add $400 to $1,200 more to the cost of a Labradoodle, so you may want to try to find a local Labradoodle breeder first.
Are Labradoodles in High Demand?
In terms of rank, the best breeds are Labrador Retrievers at number one and Poodles at number five. The Labradoodle is not a purebred so it will not be recognized in the ranks, but looking at what breeds make up the Labradoodle, you can tell that this is a highly liked, highly popular, and high-demand dog. (Source)
The dog is not rare, but it is popular, so make sure you research who you are getting it from, where you are getting it from, and if you are rescuing it, ask about anything you need to know before adopting. (Source)
Average Annual Cost of a Labradoodle
The annual cost looks a lot larger than you think, but breaking it down helps us to understand why a Labradoodle is expensive. (Source)
- Food: $25/month, $300/year
- Grooming: $22/month, $264/year
- Insurance: $30/month, $360/year
- Toys: $8/month, $96/year
Adding all of these together, expect to spend $1,020 per year on your dog. This can vary a lot depending on if you get more expensive food, more expensive insurance, or if you have a high-end groomer you like to take your dog to.
If that is the yearly cost, let's double that and estimate that some people fall on the high end of that total. Now, we estimate that dog owners will spend about $1,020 to $2,040 per year on their Labradoodle. With those numbers, we can then estimate that if they live up to 10 years, you will be spending $10,200 to $20,400 over their lifetime.
Going a little further, if your Labradoodle lives to be 20 years old, you will be spending $20,400 to $40,800 across their lifetime.
Food is a bill that will fluctuate over time, and it will change depending on the dog. With a Labradoodle, you will have a dog that can be small or large, and it will potentially grow into a full-sized version of itself within a year or two. So, your budget for dog food may currently be $30 per month, but later it will need to increase as your dog's appetite grows as they grow. Prepare and understand what that cost will look like for you within the coming years.
Grooming Cost
Grooming costs $20 to $40 per trip and should be done every 4 to 8 weeks. Labradoodles don't shed very much, but they do need their hair trimmed and groomed regularly or it will become extremely matted.
To save money on your Labradoodle, you can groom it yourself, but it takes time to learn how to groom a dog and perfect various styles, and you may not have time to groom your dog regularly. A groomer really makes life easy. If you take your Labradoodle to be groomed every month, you will spend about $240 to $480 per year.
Insurance Costs
Insurance is extremely important when you are taking care of another living creature as special as a dog. It is always heartbreaking when your dog is sick, but you don't have the money to pay for treatment. Insurance can help with the cost, and it will only cost about $30 every month. This adds up to about $360 annually without the extra cost of doctor visits or unexpected medical procedures.
Toys
Toys are so hard to say no to. You see one at the store, and all you want to do is pick on up and surprise your favorite Labradoodle at home, especially if they recently tore the squeaker out of their favorite toy. You will likely spend between $8 to $25 per month on toys. This is roughly $96 to $300 per year.
Training
Training typically takes between 4 to 6 weeks, and training classes can be expensive, but this cost will likely be included in the cost of your Labradoodle if you get them from a breeder. Training classes go for anywhere between $30 to $100 per class. There are rates per week that can lower the cost, but overall, it is a pricey necessity that you should plan ahead for.
Cindy is a prolific writer and online researcher who can't imagine life without dogs. There is scarcely a dog topic she has not researched or written about. Her love for dogs and helping dog parents is evident by the thousands of dogtemperament.com visitors who read her articles monthly. Most of all, each topic Cindy writes on helps forge a stronger bond and understanding between her and her happy Catahoula Leopard Dog Jossie.
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