When trying to find out the cost of a Lab puppy, there are a few things you should consider. First, asking how much is a lab puppy is only asking half of the question. Imagine going onto a car lot and asking how much are your cars without first knowing what level of quality the cars were? Is it a Ferrari or is it a Prius? The price of a Labrador puppy and the breeding program are the two largest considerations. . Not all cars are the same. And not a;; lab puppies have the same standards even if they come from registered purebred Labrador breeders.
How Far Should I Drive for my Lab Puppy?
A second thing to consider is the distance to get your new puppy. Simply put, if you sacrifice the quality of breeder just so you don’t have to drive too far, you may have 15 years of issues to deal with. We see this often where people are busy and want to make the shortest trip to get their puppy. We don’t like driving either, but sacrificing the quality of dog you will have for 15 years is not the best idea to save a few hours of travel. See how far others have travelled to us. One person has driven 2x from Newfoundland. We have a dog in Switzerland, Brazil and all across Canada and the USA. See people’s posts on the first post on our Facebook page.
Below is a list of qualities of a good breeding program that you need to consider when comparing prices of dogs. I am sure nobody wants a dog prone to a genetic disease, or a puppy from parents with untested hips just to save money on their purchase. After all, the cheapest Lab pup may be the one that will cost you the most in health expenses over the 15 year lifetime.
Quality Lab Puppy Comparison
| Lucky Labs Breeding Program | Backyard Breeder or Poor Quality Registered CKC breeding program |
| Our dogs are not Inbred. This can be proven through pedigree registered at the Canadian Kennel Club | Don’t check pedigree and don’t know if the parents are related 1, 2, or 3 generations back. Some purebred breeders inbreed or line breed, it is not against the CKC rules. |
| Purebred dogs come with registration papers. It’s name, address, phone # and not difficult to do. | Discourage giving you papers and say it’s only a paper when it proves your dog’s pedigree and that they are not inbred. CKC breeders must provide registration for your puppy and papers. |
| Test hips of their adult dogs so you are getting the best chance at having a puppy with healthy hips. | Dogs are not tested and these people simply say “we haven’t had any problems.” But why risk it? |
| We test for the most common 8 genetic diseases and have a money back guarantee for the life of your dog that they won’t be affected by them. | It’s a crap shoot, maybe your puppy will have one of these diseases, maybe not. Parents were not genetically tested so who knows? Again, why risk this? |
| We provide a written guarantee which outlines the health guarantee of your dog. We stand behind our puppies. | No written guarantee you’re on your own with this live animal. If they say “we’ve never had a problem” run. Even if that is the truth, it doesn’t mean there won’t ever be a problem and if they are willing to say this they should be willing to put it in writing. |
| Since 2006 we have been choosing the healthiest, smartest and most even tempered dogs to breed. This has resulted in constant improvement of our bloodline in terms of healthy, easily trainable, even tempered dogs. | Typically don’t breed to improve the bloodline. When asked why two adults were chosen the answer rarely shows breeding to improve the bloodline. “I just love my dog” is one we hear often. |
| How long have we been breeding? Since 2006 we have learned how to select puppies to breed, what qualities make for a great service, hunting dog or companions. Over time we have gotten much better at this. | Breeders in the first few years are still learning, if they are interested at all, in how to select dogs and develop their bloodline. |
| We take back our dogs for life and rehome them for any reason. | Won’t take back their dogs and are the reason for unwanted dogs in shelters. |
| We offer 2 week and 4 week training programs for your puppy. You can see past puppies with training here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyMPWJ7dfJe3MAPflwZ5Rhg | Ask if they offer training, and if they don’t ask why not? Often they are strictly breeding for money only and don’t know how to train. |
| We donate between 6-10 puppies each year to be trained as service dogs for Veterans and first responders with PTSD. Our dogs can be trained to follow over 200 different commands and learn quickly. | Backyard breeders tend to lack community involvement as their focus is mostly monetary. |
Conclusion
So as you are considering cost, also consider the piece of mind. You are buying a well bred dog with breeder support for life. You wouldn’t buy a junky car because it is cheap, use that same idea on the fur ball you find! The average lifespan of a Labrador retriever puppy is between 10 and 12 years. We have had many live to 15 and a few to even 17 years old. Think of the cost of your dog over that span of time and not just the initial payment. We receive applications all the time from people who didn’t want to spend much upfront. Or they didn’t want to drive that far for their dog. They then discover major health or behavioral issues causing them to surrender their dog.
With their health bills from not placing importance on a quality puppy, they had already spent more money then they wanted . For reading through this we would like to offer you our special training discount here . Our dogs vary in price based on color and training requested (if any). Please send us an application at the bottom of this page (hover your mouse over the blank space) and we will be happy to give you the breakdown of the different prices so you can determine the best price for your lab puppy. Don’t just ask how much is a Lab puppy? Ask for quality.
