09/06/2025
*Pro talk about STARTED DOGS*
•Person- “How much is a started dog?”
•Me- “Any where between $4800-6000 depending on the trainer, puppy, and level of training.”
•Person- “Geez I was looking for something around $2500-3000.”
I get these messages all the time from people. Let’s really think about what goes into a started dog. A well bred puppy is $1000 on the low end. Then we have to raise that puppy. Monthly medications have to be given and the puppy has to be fed. Once it is around 5-6 months old we can start formal training. Months of time and training go into the puppy. Some pups train fast and some train slow. Most of my started dogs are 1 to 1 1/2 when they are ready to go. So that’s a year to a year and a half I’ve raised, taken care of, and molded this pup into a nice dog. The average cost of a good trainer now days is $750-800, and thats probably on the low end. Let’s do some math… a puppy is $1000… 6 months of training at $750 a month is $4500(on the low end). That’s $5500 right there and that’s not including all the extra stuff. On top of that you’re seeing exactly what kind of hunting dog you’re getting. I understand it’s expensive but nice things aren’t cheap. Just some food for thought.
