Do you prefer an obedient working dog that has minimal coat shedding? Goldendoodles were bred to fit exactly those criteria.
A designer dog created by crossbreeding the loyal, diligent Golden Retriever and the intelligent, non-shedding Poodle, Goldendoodles are ideal household companions for families both big and small.
Goldendoodles, also sometimes called Groodles for short, have been used as therapy dogs, guide dogs, and sniffer dogs, thanks to their Golden Retriever parent.
Because they have the gentleness of the Poodle(priced $2000) and friendliness of the Golden Retriever(costs around $3500), Groodles rarely growl or bark to friends and strangers alike, making them terrible watchdogs.
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What’s the Price?
Despite being a mixed breed dog, Goldendoodles can be very desirable and can come at quite a hefty cost. New Goldendoodle owners should be prepared to pay around a thousand for a puppy, especially when buying from a breeder.
This will cost at least $600 and as much as $6,000, depending on the breeder’s reputation and quality. Certified AKC and ACA purebred dogs that have the potential to compete in dog shows are going to cost a lot more.
The price of the dog is always dependent on how well it meets the breed’s standards for desired physical and personality traits, good genetics, and overall health. On the other hand, adopting a Goldendoodle is a lot less costly; the average cost being $300 from a shelter, but may cost more from breed-specific rescue groups.
What Exactly Determines the Price?
As mentioned, the price varies depending on several factors and those include the following:
Physical Attributes – Goldendoodles come in different sizes, just like Poodles: toy, miniature, and standard.
Toy Groodles can stand up to 20 inches in height and can weigh up to 35 pounds. Miniature Goldendoodles are at most 20 inches in height as well but can weigh as much as 50 pounds. Finally, the large Standard Groodle can go up to 25 inches in height and 90 pounds in weight.
As for the coat, Goldendoodles can either have wavy or curly hair. Of course, the more beautiful the coat, the pricier it gets since it could only come from a champion bloodline.
Goldendoodles come in a variety of colors: black, gray, white, cream, apricot, golden or red. Groodles can either be a solid black, a bicolor, or a tricolor. The more colors they have, the more expensive they are since it is difficult to breed and produce such color patterns.
Breeder Reputation – Just like any other brand, you are essentially paying for the quality and experience of the breeder you plan to get your puppy from.
For example, Sherry Rupke, an experienced Goldendoodle breeder and the pioneer of Bernedoodle breeding, has said that her prices reflect her investment, knowledge, skills, credentials, and track record as a reputable breeder.
While getting a puppy from a new breeder is not necessarily a bad idea, buying from a reputable one can guarantee that your Goldendoodle is given the best care and maintenance it can get.
Generation Type – Mixed breeds are a bit trickier to understand than pure breeds. The percentage of each purebred parent must be known in order to know which qualities may have been passed on to the Goldendoodle.
Groodles are divided into three generation types:
- F1 generation Groodles are bred from a purebred Golden Retriever and a purebred Poodle. They have a 50% chance of becoming either non-shedding or moderately shedding.
- F1B generation Groodles are bred from an F1 Goldendoodle and a Poodle of any size, making them 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. Because the former is more dominant, F1B Groodles have a non-shedding coat which is more friendly to allergy sufferers.
- F2 generation Groodles can either come from a mix of two F1 Goldendoodles or an F1 and F1B Goldendoodles. These are relatively cheaper than the two previous ones despite the fact that very few breeders make them.
What’s Included? – Goldendoodle price may also depend on what it comes with.
At My Red Goldendoodles in Idaho, a Goldendoodle price starts at $1,400 and it already includes a registration certificate from the Continental Kennel Club, initial veterinary care (vaccination shots and deworming treatment), health warranty, bill of sale, a small package of food the pup is used to eating, and a blanket with the mother’s scent on it.
Other One-time Expenses
- Shelter
Goldendoodles prefer to be indoors with their human family rather than being tied up outside or left alone in the yard. To prevent them from destroying your furniture, make sure to give them crate training.
The size of the crate depends on the size of your Groodle. The rule of thumb when choosing a dog crate is that it must not be so small that your dog could not stand or move around inside, nor so big that your dog can pace around.
For mini Groodles, crate prices start at $25. They can go higher depending on the materials used. For larger Goldendoodles, a crate with a reasonable size can go as low as $60. Prices can go higher as the size of the crate increases.
- Registration
Mixed breeds are a bit more complicated to register since famous clubs like the American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club do not accept designer dogs.
Thankfully, there are other clubs that do so, like the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR), the Designer Breed Registry, and the Goldendoodle Registry. The registration fee usually costs $25 to $30.
The Costs Pile Up
- Food
Food costs may vary depending on the activity level, age, brand, the feeding schedule, and amount of food you feed your Groodle per day. The more active your Goldendoodle is, the more food it needs for nourishment.
Goldendoodles are not picky eaters. They eat whatever you give them. However, remember to give them small meals instead of two large ones. Their parent, Golden Retrievers, are prone to gastric torsion or bloat, a condition where excess air builds up in the dog’s digestive tract.
These can cause problems in breathing and heart pumping and if left alone, can cause death. This medical condition can be passed on to Goldendoodles.
Goldendoodle owners should always budget for some quality food in their pet’s diet. A 30-pound bag of dog food costs about $40 on average and lasts about a few weeks for a full-size Goldendoodle, which adds up to about a few hundred dollars per year.
A recommended type of food for Goldendoodles since they are known to be sensitive to cereal grains is grain-free which costs about $50 per bag or more.
- Accessories
Goldendoodles are so easy to train that even the timidest of owners can teach them manners and walk them around the block with little difficulty. Bringing them outside and letting them socialize can further help them get used to people.
In this case, you must be able to give your Goldendoodle a proper and secure harness. The purpose of a dog harness is to remove the pressure from its neck and into its chest and shoulders as you pull the leash.
When looking for a harness, always ensure that it is the right fit. If you can, find one that is adjustable so that it can freely conform to the proportions of your dog. Prices for a good quality dog harness start at about $35.
Of course, your entertainment arsenal would not be complete if there are no dog toys. Toys keep your Goldendoodle entertained while you’re not home, allow it to get exercise, and stimulate your Goldendoodle’s mind.
And the good news is that you do not need to shell out a lot of money to satisfy your Groodle’s entertainment needs. You can buy a decent toy for anywhere from $1 to $45 a piece.
- Grooming Supplies
Because they have Poodle genes in them, chances are that they shed minimally or not at all. However, because most of them have wavy and curly coats, they are prone to matting and drying of hair.
The downside is that they require extra grooming. The less maintenance you do on your dog’s coat, the more it will cost you in the long run since the fur will become more matted over time.
Bigger Goldendoodles may cost more to groom than smaller ones, depending on the groomer.
Generally, grooming prices can add up and become very expensive which can cost around $30 to $100 on average at pet salons. A more budget-friendly alternative to consider is grooming the Goldendoodle yourself.
The most important thing for a Goldendoodle’s coat is to brush it out frequently. This would require buying a pet grooming brush, costing as little as $11.
A recommended shampoo for this breed is waterless shampoo which only costs about $7. This way, you don’t have to break your budget to keep your Goldendoodle’s coat looking good.
Goldendoodles must also be given special attention when it comes to ear health. Their ears are flappy, therefore, trapping moisture and bacteria inside. If left unclean, it can cause ear infections and skyrocketing medical fees.
To avoid this, check your Groodle’s ears every week for funny odors and redness. Clean the outer ear with a hypoallergenic ear cleaner with a cotton ball and make sure that it does not drip inside the ear.
A good dog ear cleaner can set you back about $10.
- Health Care
To prevent diseases from having a foothold on your Goldendoodle, you must arrange for regular visits with the veterinarian. That way, the vet can monitor your dog’s health and stop ailments before they get too serious.
A routine checkup can cost about $35 to $65 for a routine visit. This amount may depend on the types of test given, the reputation of the clinic, and the expertise of your vet.
Following up on vaccination shots is also essential to protect your Groodle from preventable diseases. If you bought your pooch from a reputable breeder, you should have an initial health certificate stating the shots that your dog has received under its care.
It is essential that your vet knows and receives a copy of this certificate as well so that it can be kept as part of your Groodle’s medical history. It also gives the vet an idea of what vaccines have been given, when they were given, and when it will be time for the next one.
Once the date of the next vaccination approaches, you should prepare to pay about $20 to $35 for each one or around $50 to $120 in total per year.
Goldendoodles are not susceptible to many serious medical conditions except for hip dysplasia – a condition causing the hip joints to dislocate partially or completely. In severe cases, the surgery for this can cost up to $4,500 on average, but can typically range between $2,000 and $6,000.
There are other treatment options that can be effective like massage therapy. A session with a massage therapist can cost $50 to $120 an hour and is usually done on a regular basis.
