How Much Does A Golden Retriever Cost Per Month

Average Costs By Dogs Size

Most sources calculate the cost of dog ownership by the size of the dog. According to an article in Money, the lifetime costs are as follows:

• Small dog: $15,051
• Medium dog: $15,782
• Large dog: $14,480

Forbes put the costs of dog ownership at quite a bit higher. Including all possible expenses, they estimate the lifetime cost of a dog to be anywhere from $17,650 a year to a staggering $93,520, depending on size, breed, and services required.

Costs When You Bring Home A Golden Retriever Puppy

This could be approximately Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 5000/- excluding puppy food. To begin with, other than the golden retriever price of puppy that you pay upfront, your initial start-up costs will include preparing for the arrival of your puppy. These include:

• Comfortable dog bed.
• Any medications, vitamins, or supplements your vet recommends.

With these dog supplies, make sure your puppy feels comfortable and cozy when it first arrives home. You need to buy these before the puppy arrives. Your puppys second, third, and fourth vaccination shots will be due and have to be factored in the costs.

Additionally, within a month, you will need to buy puppy shampoo, a small collar, and leash, peeing pads , nail clippers, hair combing brush, etc. By the end of 3 months, your golden retriever puppy will be teething and will start mouthing . This is normal but you will have to bear the pain as it will bite you every time you interact with it. Do not worry, this will stop over a couple of months. To keep the pooch engaged, buy a few chew toys that are puppy safe.

Dog Products, Food, Treats, Toys, Shampoo and more

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost

On average, the monthly premium for $47 for dog health insurance and $29 for cats, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association . Its important to note that there’s a wide range in pricing depending on your pet’s breed, age, location, as well as the deductible, reimbursement rate, and payout limits you choose.

For example:

• A Chihuahua puppy in Sacramento, California costs $22 to $31/mo to insure.
• An adult Golden Retriever in Newark, New Jersey costs $43 to $100/mo to insure.
• And a cat in Austin, Texas averages around $16 to $22/mo to insure.

Another example, here’s a look at Florida’s cost chart:

Ultimately, paying a small bill upfront makes it possible to afford treatment for your pet at any age, which is why, for many owners, pet insurance is well worth the cost:

PRO TIP: You can see how much pet insurance costs on average where you live with Pawlicy Advisor’s database. Find your state. Simply select you state from the dropdown menu and you’ll see a chart of average insurance costs across your state’s top three cities for a few variation of dog and cat ages and sizes.

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Medical Costs To Consider For A Golden

Licensed veterinarian Leslie Brooks, DVM, shared her knowledge and experience to establish the medical expenses related to raising a Golden Retriever. The following figures can obviously vary depending on many factors such as location but still give a reliable and trustworthy picture of what a Golden owner should expect.

Is 6 Months Too Late To Train A Golden Retriever

First things first, it all boils down to the kind of environment that your golden retriever will be living, the type of training in question, and your personal preferences. Most canine experts suggest 8 weeks as the best age to start training a golden retriever puppy. This is because puppies are believed to pick skills and knowledge faster in the first few months.

Still, 6 months is not late as there is a lot of evidence that proves that puppies at this age can still catch up on commands and skills just like their 8 weeks old counterparts. So, waiting to train your puppy once he hits 6 months of age or more wont necessarily derail your training goals.

The only issue is that you will have to deal with a clown-y puppy who doesnt understand basic commands like sit, stay, drop, etc. This shouldnt be a problem if your puppy spends most of your time in your home. But if you sometimes walk with them down town or to visit friends, you will definitely want to put them under control early enough. So while training your 6-month-old Golden puppy isnt too late, exposing him to early training is essential and comes with a lot of perks in the long term.

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Cost Of Golden Retriever Healthcare

The Golden Retriever is generally a healthy breed with few health problems down the line. However, there are still health issues associated with the breed.

For example, a study published in 2018 indicated that Golden Retrievers are at a higher risk of cancer than other breeds. In the study, the records of 655 Goldens showed that 22.64% of the dogs had died of hemangiosarcoma.

In addition, 18.40% had succumbed to lymphoma. Both conditions are common forms of cancers among Goldens. Plus, Goldens can be prone to eye and ear infections, elbow dysplasia, and heart disease.

Also mentioned in the study is the fact that your retrievers health may be determined by whether your dog is neutered or spayed. This is especially true for female dogs. So, its a good idea to get your Golden spayed/neutered if you dont intend to breed.

All this indicates that you could be incurring high costs for your Goldens veterinarian visits, procedures, medicine and more. As such, it is recommended that you buy your Golden pet-specific health insurance, and that is not cheap either.

Typical Golden Retriever Price Range

Golden Retriever being one of the most popular breeds, obviously, come with a hefty price. Generally, the price can vary anywhere from $500 to $2000.

At the lower end of price range, you can get them from a home breeder but without AKC documentation. However, an AKC document is necessary to know a dogs lineage.

Thus, if youre looking for a healthy bloodline, a little more money will have to be spent.

Dogs with special characteristics or excellent bloodlines will cost around the $1000 to $2000 range. Even then, they come in a smaller size in between this price range.

While this cost may seem much, keep in mind that a higher price means a puppy with fewer health problems and vet bills in the future.

Although the price isnt always the bar, you should be cautious of the ones available at sale at less than $500.

Its very necessary to do your research before you go out to buy one. And we hope our guide will be really helpful for you in assisting your research.

You can request a breeder for an on-site visit and meet the parents of your dog so that you have all the information.

Also, the veterinarian could be requested to hand over the entire signed medical forms for your look through. This will be a lot helpful for you to decide the one to buy.

A reputable breeder will have no issue with such requests. However, if they dont adhere to your requests, you want to look for another.

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Do They Require A Lot Of Grooming

Golden Retrievers are a very active breed. A bath and a blowout are necessary to keep the shedding under control and maintain healthy skin and coat. Regular grooming should be done every 4 6 weeks. Make it a habit to spend some quality time brushing your dog to keep the coat separated and divided which, in turn, will allow the skin to breathe.

Who Spends The Most

Move over, Baby Boomers. Millennials have more pets than you do. In fact, 57 percent of millennial households own a pet and the generation is 77 percent more likely than other generations to get a pet before they marry or have children. Millennials even tie the purchase of a home to their pets. One-third of millennials, which is the largest group of home buyers, buy a new home to have more space or a better yard for their dog. This age group also spends more on their dogs, with purchases of pet care items, toys, treats, and vet visits.

From that expensive toy you couldnt resist to dog park licenses, a dog-sitter, limited-ingredient diets and all of the ordinary expenses, the cost of dog ownership adds up. Be prepared to forego a few treats for yourself, and sock some money away to cover any eventualities that come along with owning a dog. After all, you not only love and care for your canine BFF, youre also responsible for him every day of his life.

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Feeding A Golden Retriever With Good Quality Foods: Retriever Dog Food Ingredients To Look For Include:

1. Meat and/or meat meal provides protein for growth, and repair of body tissues and organs . It provides strength and flexibility in muscles and forms the essential components of the blood, hormone and immune systems. Good quality proteins are recommended to be the top or main ingredient in Retriever dog food.

2. A small selection of healthy grains brown rice, whole oats or barley. Carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient for dogs however, they can be useful in the diet as, when broken down during digestion, they become glucose and are used as energy.

3. Vitamins and minerals ensures complete nutrition.

4. Vegetables and fruit provide essential fiber for good digestion.

5. Healthy fats fat is a major source of energy producing twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates. It helps the body absorb and transport certain vitamins and is essential for reproduction and pregnancy. Fat provides insulation and maintains skin health. It protects and waterproofs the coat hairs via sebum secretion.

6. Natural preservatives many natural preservatives provide the fat soluble Vitamin E.

7. Prebiotics can be helpful when it comes to healthy digestion.

Read the package of Golden Retriever food the ingredients will be listed according to weight. The top ingredient will also be the main ingredient in the Retriever dog food.

You must provide plenty of fresh water to your Golden throughout the day.

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Pet Sitters Or Boarding

Most people will need to leave their dogs behind once or twice a year. Typically, this will cost about $100 to $300 a year. However, if you travel frequently, expect to spend much more. Boarding tends to cost less than hiring a pet sitter, but many dog owners prefer the individual attention a pet sitter can offer and think it is worth the extra expense. Alternatively, if you decide to travel with your dog, you can expect your travel fees to increase.

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Cost Of Food And Treats

A bag of dog food costs around $20 to $80, depending on the brand and the size of the bag. You should consult your vet so that you can choose The Best Food for your dog, and you can determine how much that will cost.

But do not stop there, as many dogs love dog treats. Whether you need to housetrain your Golden Retriever or get them to pay attention on a walk, a treat is the perfect tool. The Best Golden Retriever Treats cost $10 to $40 for a bag.

When choosing food and treats, make sure they have the nutrients your dog needs. As your dog grows, you can switch from puppy food to adult dog food, which costs around the same.

Expense #: The Surprises

Sure, youve set aside funds for Fidos new dog bed. But have you thought about your canine rainy day fund?

Picture this: youre in the running for a big promotion at workand final interviews are at a branch out of state. Suddenly, youre scrambling to find an affordable boarding kennel.

Or maybe Spots a little more headstrong than you thought. Now youre forking over $100+ for puppy kindergarten.

Every owners surprise expenses will vary. Some of the most common include:

• Travel expenses: sitters, overnight boarding, airline or hotel pet fees, travel to and from your pups breeder or veterinarian
• Unplanned medical care, due to accidents or neglect
• Training and socialization: playdates, obedience classes, private training
• Apartment fees: pet deposits or fees, monthly pet rent

Miscellaneous expenses like these can eat away at your bank account, so its best to be prepared for them well in advance.

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Vet Cost For A Golden Retriever Puppy

According to Leslie Brooks, DVM, a Golden Retriever puppy will require at least three vet visits through their first year , with the first visit being at 8 weeks of age. This will include all the essential: physical exam, essential vaccines, fecal examination to make sure no deworming is needed as well as heartworm and flea prevention first three doses.

She would also advise purchasing heartworm and flea prevention medication for the rest of the year. They each cost around $10-$15 per month for a puppy.

Moreover, your pup may require some additional vaccines that depend largely on lifestyle and activity. If your Golden spends a lot of time camping or hiking and is generally exposed to wildlife and standing water, Leptospirosis vaccine can be recommended. If your dog is boarded or kept in a kennel for extended amounts of time, Influenza vaccines may be necessary . Additionally, if your dog goes camping, hiking or lives in a wooden area or on a farm, it will be more exposed to ticks, and Lyme shots are strongly recommended .

The yearly costs will therefore range from $425-$795.

A neuter or spay procedure on a Golden, generally cost $150 to $450. Depending on the location, it is possible to find low cost clinics that will charge as low as $50-$100.

Other Costs To Consider

There are a few more one-off costs that need to be considered when owning a pet for the first time. These include:

Vaccinations

Golden Retrievers need to be vaccinated against many illnesses when theyre a puppy.

These include vaccinations for hepatitis, parainfluenza and canine distemper. You could expect to pay around £100-£120 for their first jabs, followed by boosters on an annual basis at a rate of £50-60. Owners are likely to spend around £650-£780 on vaccinations across their Retrievers lifetime.

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Options For Covering The Costs Of Veterinary Care

• You could set aside enough savings to pay when the time comes
• You could borrow from friends and family
• You could launch a crowdfunding campaign
• You could apply for charitable grants
• You could acquire veterinary financing on credit, or
• You could purchase pet health insurance.

If you look online, you might find people touting the importance of financing your own pet care and setting aside money each month over a pets lifetime to pay for veterinary bills. However, this does not work if your pet needs an expensive surgery or test before you’ve accumulated enough savings…nor does it work if you have more than one incident.

1. When thinking about building a savings account, consider this scenario:

You put $50 a month into a savings account for your pet, totaling $600 per year. By the time your pet is ten years old, you have a nest egg of $6,000 to cover any age-related issues that could arise. However, this strategy is deeply flawed.

Dont get me wrong, there is tremendous value in building a rainy-day fund for your vet care and a possible medical emergency. It means there is a higher likelihood that Fidos health issues will be treated, and you wont have to opt for expensive financing options to make sure your dogs and cats stay in good health.

The problem is that your pet will not wait for a time that is convenient for you to become sick or get into trouble.

What if these expenses need to be addressed earlier in your pets lifespan, before youve saved enough to cover them?

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost For Golden Retrievers

Costs of pet insurance can vary based on when you buy coverage for your animal.

Premiums also differ from one insurer to another, and the type of policy you buy will also impact your costs. To help you estimate premiums, heres what Trupanion charges per month to insure a golden retriever, depending upon the dogs age when you purchase coverage and the deductible on your policy:

As you can see, premiums can go down dramatically with higher deductibles. But remember, you will have to pay this amount up front each year before the insurance kicks in and provides coverage for your pet. You may prefer to pay higher premiums to avoid having to come up with a lot of money at once.

Its also important to remember that insurers have different rules for deductibles and coverage limits. When comparing policy premiums, be sure to consider not just the monthly cost but also the total amount youd have to pay out of pocket and the maximum amount of care the policy would pay for. You can learn a lot about deductibles, coverage limits and other details by reading pet insurance reviews.

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Why Should You Get A Golden Retriever

Eager to please and easy to train, the Golden Retriever makes an excellent pet for any home. They are cheerful, loyal and well-tempered, so its no surprise that they are often selected to serve as a service dog.

The breed got its start as a hunting dog given its aptitude for retrieving. Today they are still used for hunting, but more often than not, they are simply family pets and thats more than OK.

And we cant forget about their adorable face and gorgeous long locks. Golden Retrievers are adorable dogs with a heart of gold. Who wouldnt want one in their life?

If you need more convincing, just check out the video below.