Dog breeding - Costs?

First consider carefully why you want to breed her. There are hundreds of golden retrievers in rescue looking for homes.

Your !!!!! does not need to have a litter for her health or any other reason.


Costs? How long is a piece of string?

Stud dog fees will depend on what the stud dog owner charges. High profile dogs will cost more than lower profile dogs.

Before you get that far you need to investigate and carry out all the recommended medical tests. You can find out about these on the Kennel Club website. Vet costs for these will vary depending on the vet you use. Once you know the tests that need to be done you can ask your vet what the costs would be.

The stud dog owner should also have proof of these medical tests for their dog.

You also need to research pedigrees to ensure you choose a stud dog who is compatible with your !!!!!.

Consider that your !!!!! may need veterinary assistance to give birth. Again costs will vary from one vet to another.

if there are complications at birth the !!!!! may not be able to feed them. Or if she has a big litter she may need help in the form of supplementary feeding of the pups.

Your !!!!! will need good quality feeding while pregnant and then when feeding the pups. From weaning the pups will also require quality feeding.

What happens if you cannot sell all the pups? can you afford to keep them?

You should be prepared to give lifetime back up to your buyers , including taking back any pup that the buyer can no longer look after- that could be years afterwards,
A friend of mine took back a 10 year old !!!!! she had bred when the family no longer wanted her.They wanted a new puppy instead .

Lots to think about.

Ask advice from your !!!!! 's breeder.

Your question was about the costs of dog breeding - as someone who over 50 years has bred 8 litters - 6 labrador and 2 of one other breed. We only ever bred a litter when we - or another member of the family - wanted a puppy and we wished to keep the old lines going. We did this for over 50 years, and it was only last year that my last lab whose lines could go back to 1952 died. But I do not think that we ever, ever made any financial profit from them - despite breeding two lovely dogs who won their classes at Crufts.

First of all, before you even consider the costs of breeding your pet dog, ask yourself some questions:
(1) Are you - and your family - prepared for your dog to die giving birth? Sadly, it happens far too frequently, even now.
(2) Are you prepared for vet bills as high as £3,000 if she needs a ceasarian/post ceasarian spay?
(3) Are you and your family prepared to accept that you may well some - or all - of a litter? And if the litter does survive, are you prepared for the fact that mother will not clean the puppies up after they are weaned - and 6-8 puppies make an awful lot of pee and poo (and walk through it, and over their litter mates).

So, if this hasn't put you off, lets look at the facts :- the law is changing and you will have to register as a breeder even if you only intend to have one litter.

I suggest that you read this :- https://thegoldenretrieverclub.co.uk/health/


So before you even start to breed, you will have the expense of all the tests listed in the Golden Retriever Health & Breeding guide - these will cost somewhere around £300-£500, depending upon where you are in the country.

Then you have to chose with care a stud who will complement your girl's good points and improve any weak points. It goes without saying that his temperament has to be excellent. This stud may not live next door - we have travelled 150 miles for the right stud in the past - and you will have to leave your girl with the stud owners for a couple of days - and hope that you have a mating. A stud fee - which will be the equivalent of the price of a puppy - is paid 50% on the mating and the other 50% is paid when the registration papers are sent to the Kennel Club.

If it is confirmed that your girl is pregnant, then it is time to book 3 weeks leave from work - you cannot leave a new mother and puppies - especially a first time mum - and for the first week, it is essential that she is watched 24/7.

You will need a good whelping box (with rails to save puppies from being over-laid by mum) - this will cost in the region of £30-50 - it will have to be a big one for a golden retriever. You will also have the expense of the additional food - good food - that mum will need, plus extra worming products.

Puppies will have to be vet-checked before they go to their new homes (which should, of course) be checked out carefully. It is now a legal requirement that each puppy is microchipped and registerered before leaving its mother - and now it is recommended that puppies stay with their mothers for 8-9 weeks - so you have an awful lot of puppy poo to clean!

As the breeder, you have a moral responsibility for each and every puppy you bring into the world - for the whole of its life - and should be prepared to take back everyone.

There are easier ways to make money.

UKTigerlily wrote: »

I personally don't agree with bringing more dogs of any breed into this world while we have so so many in rescues that are perfectly healthy

and however wonderful your girl, I think that sums up the situation.

The only exception I would make to the no breeding rule is when dogs are being bred as assistance dogs for Guide Dogs or Dogs for Good (or any other assistance charities where temperament and aptitude are paramount.)

Just enjoy your dog and then ensure she is spayed.
One of my friends has just had to pay a huge bill because one of her girls 'slipped thro the net' and at quite an advanced age contracted pyometra and had to have a major op. (or be pts or die a painful death.)

One point that I failed to mention in my previous post is that HMRC is now looking very closely at adverts for puppies. Now that it is becoming a legal requirement that all puppies are microchipped to their breeder before being sold on makes it far easier for HMRC to find out those backyard breeders (not that I am suggesting that you are a backyard breeder, Super Saint) but they are also checking with the Kennel Club on the number of puppies registered in a litter, and I have heard of people who are on benefits who have been quizzed about litters. Any profit/income from a litter has to be declared.