How Expensive is It to Own A Goldendoodle?

Looking for a large dog that’s smart, active, friendly and hypoallergenic? The Goldendoodle may be just the right pup for you! This hybrid comes from breeding a standard Poodle with a Golden Retriever to produce a dog who is easy to train, sweet and loyal, energetic for active families and offers a lower shedding coat that helps reduce reactions for allergy sufferers.

While the first Goldendoodle was bred in the 1990s, this breed has experienced a huge surge in popularity over the last two decades, possibly due to their pawdorable teddy-bear like looks and hypoallergenic coat. And when bred to a toy or miniature Poodle, these dogs can come in even smaller and cuter packages!

So, how much will adding a Goldendoodle to the family cost you? Since this breed is in high demand, buying one can be quite a bit pricier than many other breeds. We’ve calculated a year of expenses for a standard, large-sized Goldendoodle to help you decide if this breed is a good fit for your household. Prices are estimates and can vary based on location. Let’s take a look!

A Goldendoodle is a big, fluffy ball of fun and love, but there are also expenses that come with raising and owning a dog. While food, toys, and health care are often expected, you should also factor in supplies, grooming, and even obedience training. To give you an idea what to expect, we've gathered together a year's worth of costs for owning a Goldendoodle. 

• Buying or adopting a Goldendoodle puppy: $100 - $8,000
• Vet care (routine/preventative care only): $670 - $2,000
• Supplies: $185 - $1,150
• Grooming: $400 - $500
• Training: $300 - $600
• Food: $390 - $800
• Grand total: $2,045 - $13,050

When looking to purchase your Goldendoodle, you’ll have some decisions to make. Crossing any two breeds often creates several varieties of traits in each litter, and/or dog, and these traits can also change the cost. In general, the smaller the dog, the more expensive, but in this guide, we’ll just be looking at the large size variety.

These pups can have wavy, curly or straight hair, with the wavy and curly varieties carrying higher price tags since these are the hypoallergenic coats. Goldendoodles can also vary by color, coming in golden, cream, apricot, red, grey or black. Some pups can even be bicolor or tricolor which can also raise the price. And sometimes, the purity of the parentage of the litter can also have an affect on the price.

On average, Goldendoodle puppies can cost between $500 and $8,000, with the average being about $2,500. Bigger city breeders will have the highest prices, while costs are generally lower in more rural locations of the country. Many breeders offer a wait list since the demand is so high which often carry deposits of $200 to $500.

You can still bring a Goldendoodle into your life without breaking the bank by adopting one! Costs are considerably lower from several rescue groups across the country, many of whom have saved puppies from puppy mills or who’ve been surrendered by their owners and desperately need a loving home. Prices for adoptable dogs can range from $99 to $500, and often include vaccinations, microchips and spay/neuter procedures, as well as gift cards towards vet exams or other extras.

Since Goldendoodles are a hybrid mix, they can often bypass the serious health conditions that both of its parent breeds are known for. While overall, they are a healthy breed, they can sometimes inherit the genetics for one of those conditions.

Common health conditions

• Patellar luxation: $1,500 - $5,000
• Elbow dysplasia: $200 - $3,000
• Hip dysplasia: $1,500 - $5,000
• Ear infections: $200 - $3,500
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA): $1,500 - $3,000

Preventative care costs

• Annual vaccines: $120
• Heartworm prevention: $240
• Flea and tick prevention: $240
• Wormer: $68

Source: Dr. Linda Simon, MRCVS, MVB

Preventative care for pets can be expensive, and pet insurance plans usually don't cover these costs. Wellness packages can reimburse up to 100% of the cost of routine exams and diagnostic tests within 24 hours. To find the right option for your pet and budget, check out our wellness plans.

Your Goldendoodle needs everything any dog needs, including beds, a collar, harness and leash for walks, and grooming supplies to keep looking their best. You may also want to invest in a crate during the training period, and plenty of toys to keep these chewers busy! Check out this estimate of how much basic supplies in a year may cost you.

• Toys: $30 - $100
• Walking supplies: $20 - $80
• Grooming supplies: $30 - $500
• Food/water bowls: $20 - $40
• Bedding: $35 - $130
• Crate: $50 - $300

Owning a Goldendoodle means consistent grooming, as these dogs require regular brushings, shampoos and trims to stay tidy and healthy. If your Doodle has a curly or wavy coat, they won’t shed as much, though the straight-haired Doodles will shed a lot like their Golden Retriever parent. All Goldendoodle coats come as a double coat which will need to be brushed a few times each week to prevent matting.

You’ll also need to keep your Goldendoodle’s mouth clean and prevent dental disease by brushing their teeth them a few times a week, and keep their nails trimmed.

Goldendoodles also should go to the groomer every two months for regular trims. Groomers also check and clean their ears and trim their nails, as well as provide shampoos and baths. Professional groomers charge an average of $10 for nail trims, teeth brushing, or an ear cleaning, $15 for a trim, and $75 for a full-service visit that includes a shampoo.  

Goldendoodles are very smart dogs and are known to be easy to train like their two parent breeds. However, every dog needs a little help to be their best.

Obedience training is fun and rewarding with a Goldendoodle, who will take to positive reinforcement quickly and learn basic commands easily. These are happy and active dogs who need lots of activity, and are great candidates for learning agility, and sports like frisbee, soccer and flyball. They also make excellent service dogs.

While you’ll have fun training a Doodle at home, finding a dog trainer or facility can be very beneficial. On average, professional trainers can charge about $200 to $600 per week, with classes ranging from $30 to $80. For a more personal touch that can work one on one with you and your dog, check out in-home and digital dog training with Wag! that averages around $60 per session.

Goldendoodles are active, large dogs, so keeping them well fed is important. While you want to make sure the food you are feeding is formulated for your pup’s life stage, whether that is a puppy, adult or senior, it should always be a high-quality food with plenty of real meat protein. This can be dry kibble, wet food or homemade food.

On average, young Goldendoodle puppies will need between 2/3 cups and 3 cups per day, split into three to four meals. As they pass the 6-month mark, that number raises to 3 to 4 cups per day, split into two meals. By the time they are fully grown adults, they’ll generally be eating 4 – 5 cups daily in two meals. If you have a mini or small Doodle, this number will be decreased significantly.

Healthy dog food brands that are pawfect for Goldendoodles include:

• Ollie Fresh Dog Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food
• Origen Dry Dog Food

A 30-lb bag of dog food contains 120 cups, which means your large Goldendoodle will go through about 13 30-lb bags of food per year. Various brands can cost anywhere from $30 to $50 per bag, which makes a yearly total of $390 to $715. Don’t furget about high-quality treats too!

There are lots of other costs involved in owning a Goldendoodle, but many are optional and based on your dog’s particular needs and your location. Dog walking is a great solution to keeping this highly active breed moving and preventing bad behavior due to boredom. And if you travel, you may need to look into overnight care for your furball.

If you work long hours, a dog walker or daycare may be beneficial to curb your Goldendoodle's separation anxiety and give them some low impact activity. Or if you plan to travel, you may need to find overnight care for your pooch.

Some average yearly costs for these optional expenses include:

• Doggy daycare (1 full day per month): $240 – $720
• Dog sitting (1 week per year): $275–$425
• Dog boarding (1 week per year): $335–$475
• Dog walking (once a week): $520 – $3,120

For on demand and planned pet care services, download the Wag! app to find on demand and pre-scheduled pet care services. Whether your dog needs a dog boarder, dog sitter or walker, you can find just the right pet caregiver for all your Doodle’s needs.

Sharing your life with a Goldendoodle can be pricey! But we’ve got some tips to help curb those expenses and get you back to having fun with your furbulous Doodle!

#1. Be creative with toys. For puppies, it can be a bit heartbreaking to watch them tear up stuffed toys you give them so quickly. Search local thrift stores for gently used or cheaper stuffed toys that you won’t mind being destroyed. As your Doodle grows, make your own treat and puzzle toys that engages their mind and destroys boredom for a well-behaved furry furiend.

#2. Groom your Goldendoodle at home. Curb those grooming costs by investing in a good pair of nail trimmers, hair trimmers, several brushes and combs, an ear cleaner and dog shampoo. Schedule routine “spa” days for your dog where you bathe, trim and clean your pup. Nails should be trimmed every two weeks, and a good brushing to get rid of dirt and mats should be done daily to a few times weekly.  

#3. Invest in pet insurance. Your Goldendoodle can suffer from various genetic conditions inherited from either one of their parents. Finding a good pet insurance can help curb those expensive vet bills and keep you able to spend more money on toys and activities for your pooch.

#4. Find a good wellness plan. Most pet insurance plans don’t cover routine annual check-ups, vaccines, spay/neuters or parasite prevention. But these services are a must to keep your dog healthy year-round. Comparing wellness plans can help you find one that covers all your dog’s preventative care, whether they are a puppy, an adult or a senior.

#5. Adopt your Goldendoodle. Goldendoodles may be pawfect in many ways, but they sure are pricey! By adopting your Doodle, you can bypass that high price tag. Many rescue groups around the country connect puppies and adult Goldendoodles to the loving furever homes they are dreaming of and ask for just a fraction of what breeders will charge for these pawdorable pooches. Save money while saving a life- it doesn’t get any better than that!

Bringing a Goldendoodle into your home is a rewarding experience. These dogs are made for families, are active and playful, and absolutely lovable in every way. Be prepared to spend some money on this dog, however, as they live large, eat large and are one of the most pupular dogs in the country!

If you are still on the fence about whether this gorgeous breed is for you, chat with a vet professional today to find all the answers to your Goldendoodle questions, and more!