How much does a Labrador Retriever puppy cost?

A Labrador Retriever puppy costs what its breeder asks, and two prices only compare well once you know the health testing and paperwork behind each one. Labrador Retriever puppies listed on Puppy Connection right now are priced at $1,800.

Does color change what a Lab should cost?

The AKC breed standard names three colors, black, yellow and chocolate, and it disqualifies any other color or combination of colors. Yellow can range from fox red to light cream and chocolate from light to dark, so a fox red Lab and a pale cream Lab are both yellow Labs under the standard. A small white spot on the chest is permitted but not desirable, and a black or chocolate Lab with brindle or tan markings is disqualified.

Silver, charcoal and champagne are not among the three colors the standard names, and AKC's color list for the breed shows only black, chocolate and yellow. If a listing asks more for one of those colors, the standard offers no reason for the difference, so ask the breeder what color each parent is registered as.

What health testing should a Lab breeder have done?

For breeding Labs, the national club's list on AKC asks for three evaluations and four DNA tests. The evaluations cover hips, elbows and eyes, the eye exam done by a veterinary ophthalmologist. The DNA tests cover exercise-induced collapse, centronuclear myopathy, the prcd form of progressive retinal atrophy, and the D locus that AKC's list labels dilute.

AKC says exercise-induced collapse can occur in some young adult Labs, and that the DNA test lets breeders identify carriers and plan breedings so they do not produce the disease. Hip and elbow results take time, because OFA offers preliminary evaluations from 4 months of age but certifies a dog only at 24 months or older. A parent under two years old can have preliminary results only, so ask which kind you are looking at.

Does registration change the price?

AKC registers a Lab litter only when the mother and father are both AKC-registered Labrador Retrievers. A puppy can also be sold on limited registration. The puppy is then registered, but AKC will not register any litter it produces, and the change to full registration is the litter owner's alone to make. Ask which kind the price includes.

What comes home with the puppy?

All 2 listings here come with a vet exam, a microchip and a written health guarantee. Each listing says what that puppy goes home with.

Set what a listing includes beside its price, and ask the breeder for any health guarantee in writing, along with how long it lasts.

How do deposits work?

Breeders who take a deposit ask $600 to hold a puppy. Before paying a deposit on a Lab, ask the breeder to write down what it holds and whether it can ever be returned.

The FTC warns that only scammers say you must pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer service, and it points to a credit card, if you have one, as the payment with the most protection. A seller who refuses a visit, a video chat or even a phone call is one to walk away from, the FTC adds.

What should you ask a Lab breeder?

Ask for both parents' hip, elbow and eye results and their four DNA results. Ask how tall each parent stands, what each weighs and what color each is registered as. Ask what the puppy goes home with and how the deposit is handled.

See Labrador Retriever puppies

Any Labrador Retriever listed on Puppy Connection shows the price its breeder has set. The listing carries the puppy's details and a way to message that breeder.