A Complete Price Guide for the Chesapeake Bay Retriever
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The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is one of the rarest retrievers in the United States. It all started when two puppies were rescued from a shipwreck off of the coast of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, in 1807. It would be another 71 years before the American Kennel Club would recognize the breed, as the puppies that were rescued were Newfoundlands. Over the years, these dogs were bred with other retrievers and hounds in order to get what is today the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Since there are relatively few individuals that are genuinely interested in having one of these dogs, they’re not as widely bred as other dogs such as German Shepherds or Collies. That means that you might have to work harder to find a reputable breeder if you’re interested in having one of these dogs for yourself.
Understanding the Breed
If you’re interested in owning a dog like this, you obviously want to know as much as you can about it before you get one from any reputable breeder. One of the things that most people worry about is how much it’s going to cost for them to get a dog like this. The thing is, you can’t just focus on the cost of the purchase price. That definitely has to be included, but the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of other costs that must be considered as well. How much is it going to cost you to feed the dog and provide veterinary care for it each and every year? How much should you expect to spend on training? Are there any specific health conditions that might be present as the dog ages that will end up costing you a significant amount of money? All of these things must be taken into consideration when you are deciding whether or not this is the right dog for you. As a matter of fact, these factors are just as important as temperament. If you really want to know how much it’s going to cost you to own one of these dogs, it’s imperative that you read through this article in its entirety because it will give you a clear idea of how much you can expect to spend.
How Much Does a Puppy Cost?
As is typically the case, there are a number of factors that come into play when you’re talking about how much you can expect to pay for one of these puppies. For instance, you always want to know about the quality of the breeder that you’re considering making a purchase from. Ideally, you want to research the breeders in your area and choose one that has an excellent reputation, as you don’t want to end up with a breeder that uses questionable breeding practices. Remember, it’s not just about price. More than anything, it’s about the health of your dog. Trying to save a few dollars by using a questionable breeder is likely to put the health of your dog at risk. In some cases, it could also mean that your dog isn’t as easy to train as others. In short, you could end up with a whole host of problems directly related to the fact that you used a breeder without doing proper research first. Therefore, you should expect to spend anywhere from $800 to $1,500 for one of these dogs if you’re making a purchase from a reputable breeder. It’s worth noting that the price can easily go past $1,500. The truth of the matter is that you can potentially end up spending as much as $2,500 or even more. If you get a dog from one of the best and most well-respected breeders in the country and you’re very specific about the gender and age of the puppies that you want to adopt, it’s going to cost you more than it would in some other cases. Remember, this is a relatively rare breed so you’re not going to be able to find one for only a little bit of money and if you do, then you should know immediately that something isn’t right.
The Cost of Training
This is a dog that was bred for a very specific purpose. As such, it’s happiest when it’s doing exactly what it was bred to be doing, jumping into ice cold waters and retrieving waterfowl. These dogs are unique in the sense that they don’t particularly enjoy warm water, nor are they very good at living in an apartment and being cooped up inside all the time. If you’re not actually going to use one of these dogs for retrieving waterfowl, then you have to be prepared to exercise them rigorously. It’s best to give them an opportunity to retrieve something from a large field, especially if it involves allowing them to jump in water. If you can’t provide that, you’re liable to end up with a dog that’s very unhappy. As you well know, unhappy dogs often end up acting out and tearing things apart as a means of trying to communicate their displeasure. It’s also worth noting that these dogs can be quite strong-willed. As a matter of fact, they’re typically considered one of the most strong-willed and protective individuals in the entire retriever group. That means that proper obedience training is going to be an absolute must and that costs money. Depending on where you live, you can typically expect a basic obedience class to cost you at least $200, maybe more. If you really want your retriever to be well-trained, you’ll go through advanced obedience training and then maybe even do some specific training that’s more particular to the interests of this breed. By the time you’re finished, you could easily spend anywhere from $600 to $1,000 on training. It’s something that must be factored into the cost of owning one of these dogs because a Chesapeake Bay Retriever that is untrained is often stubborn, moody and even destructive.
Life Span and Potential Medical Concerns
Another thing that you have to consider when thinking about purchasing one of these dogs is their potential lifespan and how much you’re likely to be expected to spend on healthcare throughout their lifetime. Keep in mind, this is something that can get quite expensive, especially if you have a dog that ends up with some of the more common health problems that are associated with the breed. In most cases, you can be expected to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $2,000 the first year that you own the dog. This does include the cost of purchasing a puppy. After that, you’re still going to end up spending anywhere from $150 to a little more than $200 per month in order to provide basic care for your dog. Keep in mind, that price can always go up. As a matter of fact, a lot of people find that the cost of feeding a Chesapeake Bay Retriever alone costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 a month. That doesn’t include routine health screenings, teeth cleaning (which is critical for overall good health), shots, parasite control, and addressing any particular health concerns that your dog might have. As you can see, it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility for the $200 a month estimate to double in price without any real effort. If you’re already spending $200 a month on high-quality food, then you can expect to pay even more per month for flea and tick control as well as heartworm preventative. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers typically weigh somewhere between 55 to 80 pounds. Since all of these medications are based on the dog’s weight, you end up paying more money for the medication if your dog weighs more. If you’re already spending $200 a month on food, you can easily end up spending another $100 to $150 a month on these basic preventive medications. If you’re thinking that you won’t end up spending $200 a month on food, think again. Larger dogs tend to eat a lot more than smaller dogs and if you’re going to feed a quality food, you’re going to have to spend money on it. There’s absolutely no reason to get a dog if all you’re going to do is feed them the cheapest dog food out there because it has virtually no nutritional value whatsoever. When you get to dog food brands that are decent in quality, you’re talking about spending anywhere from $25 to $40 on a 20 pound bag. Sometimes, those bags are even smaller in size, closer to 15 pounds. If your Chesapeake Bay Retriever goes through a single bag in one week and you’re spending $40 on every bag, you’re already going to be at $160 a month just for that alone. If you choose something that is of the highest quality, that price can double before you can even blink your eyes. Therefore, a realistic estimate concerning the amount of money you should expect to spend on your dog each month is somewhere between $200 and $300 a month.
Additional Expenses Related to Healthcare
Keep in mind, the monthly estimate that’s listed above does not take into account those months where you will be spending extra money to get your dog his annual physical exam or to make sure that he’s current on all of his shots, as previously mentioned. All of that must be counted separately and then calculated into the yearly cost of owning one of these dogs. Again, it’s worth mentioning that if your dog has any specific health conditions, the cost of ownership will go up as you spend money on additional veterinarian appointments and treatments in order to manage the condition. These types of dogs are prone to certain issues such as joint problems, hip dysplasia and some cancers. That means that you could end up spending significantly more money on your dog as he ages in order to manage these types of problems. A Chesapeake Bay Retriever can live anywhere from 10 to 13 years, so you have to be prepared for these types of things. You also have to be prepared to stay in the game for the long haul.
Managing Costs
If you want one of these dogs but you’re not keen on the idea of paying almost $2,000 to purchase a puppy from a breeder, you can manage the initial cost of owning one by finding a puppy that’s up for adoption through a Chesapeake Bay Retriever Rescue or perhaps even your local animal shelter. If you’re able to find one from a rescue, you’re more likely to be able to prove that the dog is purebred through the existence of papers, so if that matters to you, that’s an avenue that you can use. Typically, these types of rescues charge about $300 per puppy as opposed to close to $2,000. It won’t reduce the annual cost that you’ll need to be spending in order to care for one of these dogs, but it definitely can reduce the amount of money that you have to spend right off the bat. At the end of the day, only you can decide if this particular breed is right for you and your family. Granted, there is a lot of money involved here but aside from the initial purchase price, the rest of it is similar to what can be expected with most large breeds. If the cost seems a bit daunting, don’t worry. Dogs are truly members of the family and it quickly becomes well worth the money that you’re spending on them to make sure that they are well cared for. Now that you know more about this breed and how much you can be expected to spend, it might be time to start looking for either a rescue or a breeder that can help you get your first puppy.
