The cost for a multigenerational Australian Labradoodle from DragonRam Doodles is $2,500 (Canadian). The cost of shipping, if required, is extra.

Why so much?

This may seem like a very high price, but as a reputable breeder who follows high standards of parental health testing and puppy care, our costs are high.

Direct expenses

• The first factor is the cost of conception. We do not own a stud dog, so we need to pay to use someone else’s stud. This involves paying a stud fee plus either travel for a natural breeding or shipping and vet costs for an artificial insemination. The standard stud fee is $2,500. Travel costs for a natural breeding can run $500-$800, while shipping and vet costs for artificial insemination can reach $1200. In addition, one or two progesterone tests are needed to determine the optimal breeding date, and a brucellosis test to ensure this disease is not passed from stud to dam or vice versa. That is an additional $300. So conception costs will be between $3000 and $4000. If there is a large litter the cost per puppy is not as high, but for a small litter of 4 puppies, $750 to $1000 of what you are paying goes just to pay for the puppy’s conception.
• Puppy care is a second factor. Weaning and feeding the puppies until you take them home, puppy pee pads for beginning house-training, the vet check-up, deworming, microchipping and first vaccinations will add about  $150 per puppy. Neutering adds a further $400 per puppy to our expenses.
• Supplies: We provide each puppy with its own blanket that will go with it to its new home. We also purchase toys for the puppies to play with while with us, and a couple of toys to send home with it as well. Some of the toys that stay here may last for two or three litters, but some will be chewed to bits and must be replaced. These costs, while not major, are none-the-less expenses that the price you pay is intended to help cover.

Indirect expenses

Indirect expenses are those that are not directly related to the cost of the puppies themselves but are necessary to run a breeding business.

• Care of dams and sires. Foremost among these are the basic costs of owning a dog, including food, vaccinations, general health care, and training.
• Health screening of the parents for breeding purposes is another major contributing factor. Some of the tests, such as genetic screening and hip and elbow assessment, are done just once so these costs can be spread over all the puppies a dam will have in her breeding career. Others, such as eyes and thyroid tests, must be done annually, so these costs will factor into the price of the puppies a dam bears in any one year.
• Running a business has its own costs. These include annual breeder membership fees with the ALAA and the Premium Doodle Breeders, cost of website hosting, advertising costs, and the like.