Labrador Retriever puppies are adorable. There’s no other way to describe them, is there? You see one in the pet store, or at a breeder’s kennel, and you fall in love. You aren’t naïve enough to believe the puppy will be free. You know it will cost you. But do you know how much Labrador care will cost?
Initial Costs of Labrador Care
The initial costs involved in Labrador care seem steep to some. If you purchase a pedigreed AKC Labrador Retriever from pet store or breeder, you can expect to pay upward of $300 for your puppy. Add the cost of neutering and vaccinations. Throw in a dog bed, collar, leash, and crate. You are well over $500 in initial costs. In fact, you may be close to $1000 in capital expenses for Labrador care.
But wait. In the U.S., Labrador care need not cost that much. Most Labrador puppies are obtained from family members or acquaintances. In fact, statistics show that only fifteen to twenty percent of all dogs in the U.S. are purchased from breeders. Between two and ten percent of all dogs are purchased from pet shops. Another ten to twenty percent are adopted from shelters or rescue organizations.
That means that the initial costs of Labrador care need not be so high. Ask family members and friends, and you may find a Labrador puppy at a low price. Visit your local animal shelter, and you may adopt one for a low price.
Remember, though, that even if you get a puppy free, you will have initial Labrador care expenses of neutering, vaccinations, bed, collar, leash, and crate. Be prepared.
Ongoing Costs of Labrador Care
We all know that dogs need food. How expensive can that be? There is more to Labrador care than just food, however.
The average Labrador care cost is about $620 annually, depending on where you live. That figure includes basic food, veterinary care, toys, and a dog license.
Hidden Costs of Labrador Care
Once you have your puppy, you will find hidden costs that must be added to those already considered.
- Grooming: Labrador care involves occasional grooming. You will need to buy brushes, combs, and toenail clippers. Or you will need to take it to a professional groomer.
- Training: You may be a knowledgeable dog trainer, and will not incur expenses for this part of Labrador care. Otherwise, you will pay for books or classes, or the services of a trainer. Puppies need training if they are to be well-adjusted, obedient companions.
- Accidents: We all hope puppies will not get hurt, but they do. One of our family dogs broke its leg jumping a fence. Another swallowed a computer memory “thumb”. Small and large accidents can add up in veterinary bills.
Conclusion
Labrador care costs are too seldom considered before purchase. If you are thinking of buying a Labrador puppy, turn away from the kisses and sparkling little eyes long enough to check your income. Be sure you are prepared to give the puppy the care it will need.
I Have my Labrador for about a week now, and since he is only 6 weeks right now but he’s a hand full.lol his name is smokeey and he is a great company.he gets along with my baby cousin and friends. Comparing to him being really young he sleeps alot during the day and wakes me up ag night. Most young Labrador would bite alot when they are young and to young kids they are painful so i advice you to buya small play bone for them.:)
Thuy N.12
I definitly agree that saving a dog from a shelter is one of the best things you can do BUT don’t feel guilty for choosing a purebread dog either! After all, a dog is a dog. The purebread pup is just as important as the pup from the shelter. The bottom line is this: don’t adopt a dog unless you are able to care for it. After all, that’s the main reason it ends up in a shelter anyway. I love all dogs! 🙂
i have a Labrador her name is princess she is 6 years old and had cost me a lot but she is worth it she saved my life once when she was 4years and thus i love my princess very much
I’m expecting a black Labrador Retriever puppy, it’s from my finance’s friend who’s kind enough to share the blessing :). I also agree that it’ll be expensive, but I can’t resist it. I saw 2 Labrador Retriever when me and my friends went to the beach, they were playful and nice like angels. I want to have one just like those. I’ll try to minimize the cost by anyway possible.
Thanks for the advice, it helped me a lot, now I know what to expect.
Dogs have evolved for 10,000 years to be great companions to humans. Every dog is a potentially great companion and shelters are full of them. My partner and I just adopted a pit bull/lab mix. She seems to have the best qualities of both breeds, and based on statistics, she will likely outlive a pure lab by two to three years. She is an AMAZING animal. People who want purebred dogs are status seekers not animal lovers. If you love dogs, you will skip the breeders and the pet stores. You will go to a shelter, save a life and get a friend that will love you for all its days.
I have two labs and I would not know what to do with out them I got sadie my yellow lab from my granny for a birthday present and one just wanst going to do lol so i got coco my chocolate lab from a nice breeder in brewton alabama and they are so sweet and I just love labs I take mine out when I go bird huntin and they are good and retrivin the birds after they hit the ground and druing to summer I take them hiking and camping and the will nock you over trying to get in the creek or lake.but i would highley recomend a lad for any family they are loyol sweet love kids and the never meet a stanger well atleast mine dont but i love labs and cant get over how funny the are and ofcouse how sweet they are
Jersey came to us at 3 years of age. She belonged to my daughter who moved from a house with a fenced in back yard to an apt. and could not keep her. We agreed to keep her for a couple of weeks until she decided what she wanted to do. She hated the idea of giving her away as used to run 5-10km. a day with her and was very attached. In the meantime we had a miniature daschund of 13 years. During the 2 weeks our little dog had to be put down from kidney failure. So my husband and I decide to keep her as we live on a 183 acre farm where Jersey loves to run. Its been a month now and she came into our lives just as we unknowingly were to loose our little dog. God must have known how much we would miss our own dog, because Jersey fit right in and she is the best dog, we could have hoped for. In fact we probably wouldn’t have gotten another dog for quite awhile. We didn’t have to go through the puppy stage, or the training, she came fully trained.
Kind of awesome how one door shuts, another one opens, when you least expect it.
I have my dear Rufus, he came to us as a gift from God because some one we did not even know came and knock on our door and gaves us him, he is only 3 months old and it is the cutest little thing my daughter she is 6 she adores him. he has being with us for a week now.
My Coco is 12.2 years old. She has cost me plenty. She has had 2 TPLO operations, on top of the regular and normal costs of raising a 73 lb. dog. But, she is worth every penny she has cost me. I am very lucky that I’ve been able to afford her care. She is getting up in age and I know out time together is growing shorter. After a scare with bad dog food, I have been cooking her meals for her. My family claims I cook more for her than I do for them….it’s true! I hope she’ll let me know when it’s time to stop investing in her…lol!