How Much Does a Poodle Cost?

Poodles are an adorable breed and it is very easy to fall in love with one. When you first consider buying or adopting a Poodle pup or a sweet Poodle adult, it is easy to only think with your heart. Most people forget to think about the cost of ownership of this cuddly dog breed.

Of course, your poodle won’t need designer clothes and it won’t ever ask you to spend on video games. You also won’t have to finance its expensive college education (although you might have to finance its obedience training!) But you certainly won’t have to take out a loan to finance its big fat wedding!

However, it is still very important to think of the finances related to Poodle ownership, because they can quickly add up. Think about what a Poodle can cost over its lifetime, which, in the case of a toy poodle is 13 to 17 years and for a standard Poodle, it is about 14 years.

In the following sections, we will cover various costs of Poodle ownership. Mainly we will cover how much it costs to buy a standard or a miniature/toy Poodle puppy, its first-year expenses, and also its monthly, annual, and lifetime costs.

Are poodles expensive to own?

How Much Does a Poodle Puppy Cost? What Factors Affect this Price?

The cost of a Miniature Poodle puppy is between $1000 and $3000 with an average price of $1500. Standard Poodles cost between $800 and $4000 and some pups from show champion dogs can cost even more.

Many factors can affect a Poodle’s price:

Size and Variety

Poodles are available in three sizes: standard, miniature, and toy. A Standard measures 15-inches at the shoulders, a Miniature is at 15 inches or less but at least 10-inches, whereas a toy stands at less than 10-inches at the shoulders.

Toy and Miniature Poodles generally cost more because of smaller litter sizes and higher demand. Whelping these varieties also cost a lot more to the breeders who have to use techniques like artificial insemination and C-sections to bring the pups into the world. These can considerably increase the puppy’s price. You can read more about the cost of a Toy Poodle here.

Color

Poodles are available in a variety of colors including blue, gray, apricot, sable, cream, silver, white, and a variety of browns. The apricot color is the rarest and also in great demand. Therefore, the cost of apricot-colored Poodles is usually higher.

Breeder

There are many Poodle Clubs across the USA so it is quite easy to find a reputed Poodle breeder in the country. You can visit the official website of the Poodle Club of America where they have a convenient downloadable breeder referral list. 

Different breeders charge differently for their pups depending on the size of the litter and the bloodlines. The litters from champion studs usually cost more. Also, if you’re located in another state from that of the breeder, then you may have to factor in the shipping costs as well.

Here is a table showing Poodle puppy prices:

Adopt Don’t Shop!

You can save a great deal of money by opting to adopt a Poodle instead of buying one. The cost of adoption is a lot less than the purchase price charged by reputed Poodle breeders and you’d also be saving a life. Many rescue Poodles end up being euthanized when the shelter can no longer afford to take care of them. To find a reliable rescue shelter specializing in Poodles, please visit this link.

Basic Supplies for Your Poodles and Their Costs

To make your Poodle feel more comfortable in its first few days in your home, you need to buy some basic supplies. Use the basic guidelines below to help budget for the everyday costs for your Poodle:

Food and water bowls

There are cheap plastic dog bowls available in the market but we recommend using sturdy, tip-resistant, and anti-skid bowls only. These are typically made of ceramic or stainless steel and cost around $30.

Leashes and collars

Once you start training your Poodle and take it out for walks, it is important to use sturdy training collars with ID tags and a leash to prevent your dog from pulling. These should not cost more than $30.

Grooming tools

Most Poodles will need professional grooming every few months to maintain that special ‘poodle cut’. However, you’d also need to set aside time for some basic daily grooming. This includes brushing its coat, bathing it once a month, trimming its nails, cleaning out its ears, and brushing its teeth daily. The cost of the basic supplies needed for these grooming activities will be about $75.

Crate and bed

A crate made of sturdy wire or plastic will not only provide your pet with a place to sleep in but also help you potty train it. Crate training and house training should be done side-by-side since dogs won’t usually defecate in their sleeping areas. The cost of a small crate for a mini Poodle is about $30 and for a standard Poodle is around $75. Don’t forget to add sturdy and comfortable crate pads or a soft bed inside the crate. This should not cost more than $50.

Toys

A bored Poodle is a destructive Poodle. A bored Poodle is also likely to bark more. You can prevent these behavioral issues with firm training and also provide your pet with toys. Kong toys, treat dispenser toys, rope and chew toys, balls, and frisbees will keep your dog active and out of trouble. These should cost around $40-$60.

Here is a table showing you these basic costs:

Poodle Training Costs

Many Poodle parents balk at paying the high costs of professional dog training. Resultantly, they end up with a spoilt Poodle that barks excessively or chews up the furniture, or soils indoors.

Poodles are rather smart dogs and they learn very quickly. However, the downside to this is that they often learn how to get their owners to do what they want. That is why dog training is very important for this breed.

If you have prior experience with Poodles or dogs in general, you could opt to train your Poodle at home. Watch some useful videos on YouTube and soon you can train your dog without spending a dime!

However, professional dog training can go a long way in helping you get the companion pet you’ve always dreamed of – one that obeys you and even impresses your guests with neat little tricks. 

The cost of dog training can vary from city to city. The average price for private sessions is between $130 and $200. In the case of group dog training, the costs are estimated to be between $30 and $80 with $50/per week being the national median. 

Some Poodle parents sign up their pets for dog boot camps or even board their dog for a few weeks with the trainer. These classes cost around $1250 per week. 

If you want your Poodle to be a service or therapy dog, then be prepared to spend upward of $10000 over the next 2 years for certified therapy dog training.

Poodle Food Costs

In the beginning, it is advisable to feed the same food to your Poodle puppy that the breeder was feeding it. This way, there is less stress on its digestion. Many good breeders are courteous enough to give their customers a few weeks of puppy food. 

As your Poodle grows, you must feed it the food and amount as prescribed by your vet. This will mainly depend on your Poodle’s size, activity, age, and overall health. Here are some basic guidelines for feeding Poodles.

• A standard poodle weighing around 50lb. will need around 2 cups of dry dog food per day.
• Feed your Miniature Poodle 3/4th cup to 1 cup of dry dog food per day.
• A Toy poodle will need around ¼ to ½ cup of food per day. 

The following table shows the monthly quantity of food and approximate costs for feeding Poodles:

Poodle Dog Food Comparison

There are many great food brands available in the market for Poodles. The food made for small, large, and medium breeds is usually the same but just made in different kibble sizes.

Puppies, senior Poodles, and lactating Poodles will need different foods for receiving all of the nourishment they need. In any case, always feed the best dog food to your Poodle. Premium food will eliminate the need to feed supplements to your pet. 

From the very beginning, learn to read food labels. Look for foods containing at least 21% of protein for Poodles with normal activity and at least 26% protein for highly active poodles. Also, select food with meat as the first ingredient. This could be chicken, beef, fish, or lamb. Some poodles are allergic to common proteins found in commercial dog foods, so you can go in for foods with novel proteins like emu, kangaroo, rabbit, etc. As far as possible, avoid foods with by-products, fillers, and artificial ingredients.

The following table shows the best foods for poodles with prices:

Best Dog Food for Poodles Comparison

Poodle Medical Costs

The reality is that owning a dog breed like Poodle requires money. The Humane Society estimates that most dog owners spend an average of $200 per year only on veterinary care. Puppies are even more expensive as they need a variety of vaccinations in the first year. Most vaccines cost between $50 and $100 the first year followed by $35 to $75 on the boosters in the subsequent years.

Your Poodle will also need flea and tick prevention treatments from time to time. These deadly external parasites can be devastating as they breed rapidly. A single flea or tick can lay hundreds of eggs and soon the infestation can spiral out of control. That is why you must not overlook flea/tick prevention. The cure for these will end up being a lot more expensive than the preventive treatments. The cost of most flea-tick preventive medicines is up to $50 for 3 months.

In addition to flea-tick prevention, you also need to deworm your Poodle based on the schedule your vet gives you. Most deworming treatments cost between $10-$40 for 3 months. 

The following tables will show you the costs of various preventive/emergency medical treatments for dogs:

Core vaccines

Non-core vaccine costs

Other medical costs dog owners incur

Emergency costs

Inherited Diseases in Poodles

Vaccines can help prevent contagious diseases in Poodles but, as a Poodle owner, it also pays to know the signs and symptoms of common genetic or inherited diseases in the breed. This will help you take the necessary steps to catch them early and slow down their progression. Here are some genetic diseases that are seen in Poodles:

Eye disorders

Poodles are highly susceptible to genetic eye issues and the most common among them is cataracts. Cataract causes an opaque spot on the eye and can lead to total blindness over time. The cost of treatment (surgery) is between $3000 and $5000 for both eyes including tests, medicines, etc.

Neurological disorders

Neurological diseases in dogs are often difficult to treat. Many conditions cause epileptic seizures in these dogs and many of them are non-curable. However, you could manage them with diet, lifestyle changes, and medicines. 

Orthopedic issues

Poodles could also suffer from orthopedic conditions like patella luxation. This can cause varying degrees of pain and affected dogs could hop, limp, or skip on their hind legs. Often, milder cases can be handled with exercise, joint supplements, and pain-reducing medicine, although surgery may be the only option for some Poodles. Responsible breeders avoid breeding dogs having orthopedic issues.

Pet Insurance for Poodles – Is It Worth It?

Did you know that nearly 2.2 million American pets were insured in 2018 – which was a jump of almost 18% from the previous year?

With the rise in veterinary bills, more and more pet parents in the United States are either buying pet insurance coverage through monthly premiums or setting aside small monthly amounts and saving for a rainy day. 

Reputed pet insurance companies are known to cover nearly 90% of the top-of-the-line care for pets and these also include life-saving operations and emergency treatments. Good pet insurance plans also allow you to visit any vet of your choice. Some plans also cover expensive hospitalizations, accidents, and injuries, and many offer coverage for complementary and alternative therapies.

Naturally, you must choose your Poodle’s health insurance plan carefully. Some plans require you to submit the claims later – which means that you have to pay for them upfront. Others require you to pay a small copay amount during the treatment while they reimburse most of the cost directly to the vet/animal hospital.

Here are some great insurance plans and their approximate costs:

Additional Costs of Owning a Poodle

Grooming costs

A major expense you will incur while owning a Poddle is grooming. Dog grooming can cost between $45 and $100 depending upon the services included. Poodles need a special ‘Poodle-cut’ and that can be costly.

Microchipping, registration, license renewal costs

Many insurance companies cover microchipping which, together with registration, should not cost more than $45. You also need to renew your dog license every year for about $25. 

Dog-walking

If you’re too busy to walk your Poodle, you could hire a dog-walker. In most states, dog walkers charge between $20 and $40 for a 30-45 minute walk.

Travel/boarding costs

Owning a Poodle does not mean you must put your travel plans on hold. You can easily travel with your furry friend but be prepared to spend at least $125-$300 on one-way airfare. Alternatively, you can opt to board your Poodle with a pet-hostel facility. These charge on a per-night basis. In most cities, this is an amount between $45 and $75 per night.

If you’re worried that boarding your Poodle will stress it out, you could choose to hire a pet-sitter. Pet sitters come to walk and feed your pet and also do other tasks like watering your plants or picking up the mail, etc. Charges of pet sitters vary from city to city but the national average is $25 for a 30-minute visit and $75 for an overnight stay.

Key Takeaways – Summary of How Much Does a Poodle Cost?

Cost breakdown in the first-year

Purchase price 

This is the biggest cost you’ll incur in the first year. A Standard Poodle puppy is priced at $1000 on average. Mini and toy poodles are even costlier owing to the demand for small-sized dogs and also the small litter sizes. Expect to pay anywhere between $5000 and $8000 for Toy and Mini poodles.

Training 

Dog training can cost up to $30-$100 depending on the number of sessions and the type of training you sign up for.

Basic supplies

These include a crate, a bed, toys, grooming supplies, and collars and leashes. The cost of these varies on their quality and you can expect to pay anywhere between $100 to $500 on these basics.

Additional Medical costs

In addition to vaccines, which cost around $200 in the first year (with deworming and flea-tick prevention, you may also want to get your dog checked every 3-4 months. Routine visits can cost around $50 per visit. You might also pay nearly $100-$300 on spaying or neutering.

This brings the first-year costs to almost $2000 for a standard poodle and even higher for mini and toy poodles.

Annual Costs after the first-year

After the first year, expect the annual costs of Poodle ownership to drop down a bit. You’ll mostly only spend on food, grooming, medical costs, insurance, and basic services like dog-walking, etc. This can come to about $1000/year for a Standard poodle.

The lifetime cost of Poodle ownership

Based on all of the above, the lifetime cost of ownership of a Standard Poddle is nearly $10,000 to $15,000. Toys and miniature poodles live even longer – some up to 15 years, so the cost could come to nearly $15,000-$30,000.

We hope this guide helps you plan the financial budget for your Poodle’s best care.