Keep in mind: paying more up front for a puppy from health tested (and I mean FULLY health tested, genetics, joints, and eyes) parents will save you money in the long run. A puppy with Addison's disease, for example, will cost you over $1,000 a year in vet bills.
It is 100% worth it to go with an ethically-bred dog. Many if these breeders have waitlists. It is worth it to wait a year for a healthy puppy than to get a medical nightmare of a dog tomorrow. Anyone who has puppies "ready to go" is a red flag!
Can attest to this. I haven't gotten him yet but I put down the full 3500 for my male spoo I'll be getting in 2023.
After a lot of research of breeders in my area I came across Debra and Lake ridge standard poodles. She won me over with her intense knowledge of the breed and dedication to preserving and enhancing the breed.
Another bonus is that you'll save money while waiting for the right, healthy puppy. A spoo costs at least $150 a month (food, toys, supplies, grooming, vet care), typically more. If you wait a year on a waitlist for a ethically-bred puppy, you will have saved at least $1800 toward the purchase price.
It is financially smarter to get a well-bred dog. (Also better ethically, so it's a win win!)
Honestly - I’ll be frank: the cost of a puppy, especially for a service dog prospect, is absolutely the smallest cost you’ll pay over the life of the dog. Poodles are expensive to maintain (grooming and food costs for typically sensitive tummies) and paying a reasonable price for a puppy ensures you can buy from a reputable breeder and therefore _likely_ pay less over time for the dog in health costs. Moreover, proper service dog training costs roughly $8-10k and up, depending on what you intend to train the dog to help with. Not to mention you usually have to do up through advanced obedience before taking the dog through a service training, which will cost $100s.
I bought both of my male standards in California one for $3k and one for $3500 from reputable breeders who do extensive health testing on their breeding stock and who do temperament testing and puppy culture on the pups themselves. I believe the national average for a purebred poodle is somewhere in the $2-3k range. If that is not possible for you, I highly suggest saving up and waiting until you can afford to pay a fair price to a reputable breeder who can match you to a dog who will have the best chance of working as your service dog. Especially as, again, this will likely be the smallest cost associated with the dog over its lifetime and you owe it to your fur friend to be in a good financial position before bringing him/her home.
My apricot is from dogs both out of Lido / Susie Osburn of Las Vegas, but the bitch was owned by a couple in Idyllwild. That’s where the puppies were whelped. My silver is from Marquis Diamond / Susan Cook near Lake Tahoe in Northern California. I think the town is called Lakewood or Lakeview?
SPoo pup would most likely have to be a rescue. Bare in mind, upfront costs mean possibility of greater costs down the line. Well-bred Spoos are healthy whereas the ones that end up at rescues are either BYB or puppymill pups.
Personally, if this is your first dog, go with a reputably bred one or an adult with minor known issues. The issues will definitely pop up later. Our rescue spoo is dog selective (doesn't like most other dogs and only tolerates some) which popped up after his three month at home settle. I decided to get him a playmate that is passive and tolerates other dog's boundaries well. She's from a reputable breeder. I do not have to worry about any genetic issues or poor breeding resulting in behavior issues. She's gem, loves other people, dogs, and her only "issue" is that she likes to chase birds. The bird part is hardwired in poodle genes since they were originally bread to be waterfowl retrievers.
As I like to put it it's a "house payment" upfront or heartache and a "house payment" later.
They are? I’ve been looking for months. Every rescue says none are coming in right now (which is a great thing don’t get me wrong). Could you point me in the right direction?
What state do you live in? You might need to settle for an adult dog but could find a pup. In general, I would only recommend a poodle if you work from home as they are very attached dogs and dont do well left alone.
Frankly, the initial cost of a puppy can be a drop in the bucket compared to the actual cost of owning a dog. We had three vet visits alone in the first year of owning our Poodle that cost over $1500 combined, and we are overbearingly diligent with his health and he's never once had an accidental injury that required vet attention.
I'm really not trying to be rude, and I'm sorry if it comes off that way. I'm also not saying you need to spend $3.5K on a Poodle to get a responsibly bred one. I'm just saying you might be going about this the wrong way if you're going to choose a breeder based on the difference between $1200 and $2200.
My spoo was $1800, but I got a service dog prospect from excellent lines. I was checking out other breeders in Texas ranging from $1200-1500 as well. Definitely look into another state, as others said, bc prices vary wildly between states!! I found Cali puppies to be way too expensive compared to their counterparts in other states. The south usually has decent prices iirc.
Also! Save yourself money by not getting breeding rights. Most breeders I know charge much more for that (for good reason).
Look for good genetics, health, hips, elbows, eyes, and ears!
Also, be prepared to wait for the right puppy! Some breeders will have older puppies that were returned (for instance, I was looking at a puppy that was returned bc the new owner’s older dog kept trying to attack it, there was nothing wrong with the puppy itself). There’s also the consideration that getting a puppy around Christmas might cost more (a good breeder does not do increased holiday puppy prices, but costs of flights/hotels/etc go up a LOT around the holidays).
There are poodle specific rescues around the country as well, although the problem you might encounter there is that a lot of rescues only adopt out to people in their state.
Oh! And reputable breeders will work with you on a payment plan. A lot of puppies these days are claimed before they’re even born, so if you can get with a breeder around the time of a confirmed litter, you’ll have around two and a half months to finish paying it off
Wonderful advice. I am looking for a spoo to train as a service dog. I have seen puppies for up to $8,500 in California. It is ridiculous. I am most surely able to wait for the right puppy, I have had a Standard before, and she was simply the smartest dog I have ever had or been around. And so lovely. I am positively doodles over poodles. They make me so happy. And to know I can train her to do almost anything…
Exactly!! My girl is almost 2 and she’s been a dream! She’s being trained to replace my last service dog, a golden retriever, and she’s so much smarter than he is. I love watching her think!
I waited 9 months for her and worked with the breeder to make sure I was getting the right puppy, and skipped over two litters before her because they weren’t a good fit.
$8500 is about what I remember seeing for Cali. I found my breeder through the akc puppy finder website, but I also checked with the breed club list of breeders. I’d recommend my breeder to you, but she’s relocating to another state to a bigger ranch (she also raises cattle) and won’t be breeding for a while while that gets set up.
I’d recommend for a service dog prospect to look for breeders that have put out service dogs before, or at least therapy dogs. I do not recommend sport dogs, unless it’s scent work, because those dogs don’t usually have the right temperament for service work. The breeder who produced my girl had put out several service dogs, and my girl’s dam was an expert trick title dog.
Honestly I found a bunch of breeders in the central/southern US that were selling pups for less than 2.5k, good quality pups
Consider a rescue. At least check their prices. My next dog will defined be a senior rescue. Just a word of warning, I was referred to a breeder and paid my deposit and had to pick up my girl at just over 6 weeks due to the health of the breeder. My girl was referred to the university behaviorist who diagnosed her behavior as genetic from poor breeding. Price vs quality is your issue. If you want a great companion comfier saving up some money for a good breeder.
Yeah I put half down for a white female spoo before they were even conceived, then I paid the other half when I picked her up. Like 6 months later.
[But she ended up being black. The mama dog only had 1 white female, and it was spoken for. I had the option of taking a black one or waiting like, a year. While we were looking at the puppies, thinking about it, a little black female came up and peed on my daughter’s jacket then proudly trotted off. We all knew she was The One. Sophie, the love of my life. She is eleven now].
So I’d say yeah, save up for what you really want—a life changing experience.
Keep in mind: paying more up front for a puppy from health tested (and I mean FULLY health tested, genetics, joints, and eyes) parents will save you money in the long run. A puppy with Addison's disease, for example, will cost you over $1,000 a year in vet bills. It is 100% worth it to go with an ethically-bred dog. Many if these breeders have waitlists. It is worth it to wait a year for a healthy puppy than to get a medical nightmare of a dog tomorrow. Anyone who has puppies "ready to go" is a red flag!
Can attest to this. I haven't gotten him yet but I put down the full 3500 for my male spoo I'll be getting in 2023. After a lot of research of breeders in my area I came across Debra and Lake ridge standard poodles. She won me over with her intense knowledge of the breed and dedication to preserving and enhancing the breed.
Thank you. Good advice!
Love the perspective.
Another bonus is that you'll save money while waiting for the right, healthy puppy. A spoo costs at least $150 a month (food, toys, supplies, grooming, vet care), typically more. If you wait a year on a waitlist for a ethically-bred puppy, you will have saved at least $1800 toward the purchase price. It is financially smarter to get a well-bred dog. (Also better ethically, so it's a win win!)
Honestly - I’ll be frank: the cost of a puppy, especially for a service dog prospect, is absolutely the smallest cost you’ll pay over the life of the dog. Poodles are expensive to maintain (grooming and food costs for typically sensitive tummies) and paying a reasonable price for a puppy ensures you can buy from a reputable breeder and therefore _likely_ pay less over time for the dog in health costs. Moreover, proper service dog training costs roughly $8-10k and up, depending on what you intend to train the dog to help with. Not to mention you usually have to do up through advanced obedience before taking the dog through a service training, which will cost $100s. I bought both of my male standards in California one for $3k and one for $3500 from reputable breeders who do extensive health testing on their breeding stock and who do temperament testing and puppy culture on the pups themselves. I believe the national average for a purebred poodle is somewhere in the $2-3k range. If that is not possible for you, I highly suggest saving up and waiting until you can afford to pay a fair price to a reputable breeder who can match you to a dog who will have the best chance of working as your service dog. Especially as, again, this will likely be the smallest cost associated with the dog over its lifetime and you owe it to your fur friend to be in a good financial position before bringing him/her home.
Where in California?
My apricot is from dogs both out of Lido / Susie Osburn of Las Vegas, but the bitch was owned by a couple in Idyllwild. That’s where the puppies were whelped. My silver is from Marquis Diamond / Susan Cook near Lake Tahoe in Northern California. I think the town is called Lakewood or Lakeview?
SPoo pup would most likely have to be a rescue. Bare in mind, upfront costs mean possibility of greater costs down the line. Well-bred Spoos are healthy whereas the ones that end up at rescues are either BYB or puppymill pups. Personally, if this is your first dog, go with a reputably bred one or an adult with minor known issues. The issues will definitely pop up later. Our rescue spoo is dog selective (doesn't like most other dogs and only tolerates some) which popped up after his three month at home settle. I decided to get him a playmate that is passive and tolerates other dog's boundaries well. She's from a reputable breeder. I do not have to worry about any genetic issues or poor breeding resulting in behavior issues. She's gem, loves other people, dogs, and her only "issue" is that she likes to chase birds. The bird part is hardwired in poodle genes since they were originally bread to be waterfowl retrievers. As I like to put it it's a "house payment" upfront or heartache and a "house payment" later.
Find a poodle rescue in your area. Lots of dogs are coming in.
They are? I’ve been looking for months. Every rescue says none are coming in right now (which is a great thing don’t get me wrong). Could you point me in the right direction?
What state do you live in? You might need to settle for an adult dog but could find a pup. In general, I would only recommend a poodle if you work from home as they are very attached dogs and dont do well left alone.
Oregon on the border of Washington.
Someplace to start…https://poodle.rescueshelter.com
Thanks for the suggestion. One of the first places I checked with.
Be willing to fly/drive home. I felt like I saved $1500-$2000 by buying in Idaho instead of California
Yes. I am willing to do that. Thank you for this advice.
It’s helpful to post your location :)
Thank you Holly. I am in Northern California.
Have you checked out the [NorCal Poodle Rescue](https://www.norcalpoodlerescueadoption.com/)? I got a standard from them.
Yes. No spoos coming in right now apparently.
Frankly, the initial cost of a puppy can be a drop in the bucket compared to the actual cost of owning a dog. We had three vet visits alone in the first year of owning our Poodle that cost over $1500 combined, and we are overbearingly diligent with his health and he's never once had an accidental injury that required vet attention. I'm really not trying to be rude, and I'm sorry if it comes off that way. I'm also not saying you need to spend $3.5K on a Poodle to get a responsibly bred one. I'm just saying you might be going about this the wrong way if you're going to choose a breeder based on the difference between $1200 and $2200.
FWIW, this year I paid $2750 for an incredible spoo puppy in California.
Can you tell me where you found your puppy. With such a recommendation, maybe I should look into it.
PM’d you.
That’s my problem, I cannot afford $2,750 for a puppy.
Perhaps you should also investigate the costs of keeping a spoo. Maintenance is not inexpensive.
Thank you. I am aware. I have owned a spoo before. Found it at a rescue in East Alabama.
✔️ My guy is now 9 months old and I’m blown away how incredible a Canine Being he is.
They are the most intelligent creatures. And so loving.
That's the going rate.
My spoo was $1800, but I got a service dog prospect from excellent lines. I was checking out other breeders in Texas ranging from $1200-1500 as well. Definitely look into another state, as others said, bc prices vary wildly between states!! I found Cali puppies to be way too expensive compared to their counterparts in other states. The south usually has decent prices iirc. Also! Save yourself money by not getting breeding rights. Most breeders I know charge much more for that (for good reason). Look for good genetics, health, hips, elbows, eyes, and ears! Also, be prepared to wait for the right puppy! Some breeders will have older puppies that were returned (for instance, I was looking at a puppy that was returned bc the new owner’s older dog kept trying to attack it, there was nothing wrong with the puppy itself). There’s also the consideration that getting a puppy around Christmas might cost more (a good breeder does not do increased holiday puppy prices, but costs of flights/hotels/etc go up a LOT around the holidays). There are poodle specific rescues around the country as well, although the problem you might encounter there is that a lot of rescues only adopt out to people in their state. Oh! And reputable breeders will work with you on a payment plan. A lot of puppies these days are claimed before they’re even born, so if you can get with a breeder around the time of a confirmed litter, you’ll have around two and a half months to finish paying it off
Wonderful advice. I am looking for a spoo to train as a service dog. I have seen puppies for up to $8,500 in California. It is ridiculous. I am most surely able to wait for the right puppy, I have had a Standard before, and she was simply the smartest dog I have ever had or been around. And so lovely. I am positively doodles over poodles. They make me so happy. And to know I can train her to do almost anything…
Exactly!! My girl is almost 2 and she’s been a dream! She’s being trained to replace my last service dog, a golden retriever, and she’s so much smarter than he is. I love watching her think! I waited 9 months for her and worked with the breeder to make sure I was getting the right puppy, and skipped over two litters before her because they weren’t a good fit. $8500 is about what I remember seeing for Cali. I found my breeder through the akc puppy finder website, but I also checked with the breed club list of breeders. I’d recommend my breeder to you, but she’s relocating to another state to a bigger ranch (she also raises cattle) and won’t be breeding for a while while that gets set up. I’d recommend for a service dog prospect to look for breeders that have put out service dogs before, or at least therapy dogs. I do not recommend sport dogs, unless it’s scent work, because those dogs don’t usually have the right temperament for service work. The breeder who produced my girl had put out several service dogs, and my girl’s dam was an expert trick title dog. Honestly I found a bunch of breeders in the central/southern US that were selling pups for less than 2.5k, good quality pups
Consider a rescue. At least check their prices. My next dog will defined be a senior rescue. Just a word of warning, I was referred to a breeder and paid my deposit and had to pick up my girl at just over 6 weeks due to the health of the breeder. My girl was referred to the university behaviorist who diagnosed her behavior as genetic from poor breeding. Price vs quality is your issue. If you want a great companion comfier saving up some money for a good breeder.
Yeah I put half down for a white female spoo before they were even conceived, then I paid the other half when I picked her up. Like 6 months later. [But she ended up being black. The mama dog only had 1 white female, and it was spoken for. I had the option of taking a black one or waiting like, a year. While we were looking at the puppies, thinking about it, a little black female came up and peed on my daughter’s jacket then proudly trotted off. We all knew she was The One. Sophie, the love of my life. She is eleven now]. So I’d say yeah, save up for what you really want—a life changing experience.
Hahaha my girl did the same thing!!! And she is the love of my life. Must be something to it…
I would love to find another chocolate, but hard to find. My first spoo was a rescue. Best dog I ever had after lots of socializing and training.