Expensive
Golden Retrievers are not cheap to run!
Golden Retrievers expect the best of everything
In the first place consider the veterinary costs of keeping a Golden Retriever. Golden Retrievers are large dogs, like all large dogs they are particularly at risk of skeletal damage and repairing skeletal damage is very expensive, hips are a particular concern which is why all Golden Retrievers (male and female) should be hip scored with results at or below the breed average (i.e. 19 or less for the the TOTAL of both hips added together) before they are bred from. Goldens are also prone injuring themselves internally by swallowing inappropriate objects such as parts of tennis balls, golf balls, stones and cloth items (clothing or dish cloths are favourites) operations to remove these are costly (and sometimes unsuccessful). Cancer can be problem in some lines and although, thankfully, we have never experienced this, this terrible disease requires expensive and often prolonged treatment which may not always result in a recovery. As with all large dogs baldness and bursars can develop on pressure points such as the elbows and rear pasterns and whilst these seldom deteriorate into sores in well cared for dogs they may still require veterinary treatment. In short the Golden Retriever whilst usually a healthy and long lived breed is not a cheap option where vet's bills are concerned.
Secondly Golden Retrievers need a fairly large supply of very good food to be at their best. This either means feeding a natural diet which is expensive and time consuming to prepare or feeding a top quality dog complete food such as that supplied by Arden Grange, remember that what you "save" in feeding costs you will certainly pay for in vet's fees and your dog will pay for in the quality and length of her or his life. Having said that, most Golden Retrievers shown in the show ring and many living in pet homes are grossly over weight reflecting a an excessive (and often) poor, stodgy diet and and, most significantly, lack of exercise. Smaller quantities of high quality food are infinitely better than over feeding with cheaper foods.
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