Dog breeds / Large breeds

What a Aussiedoodle really costs

An Aussiedoodle is a herding dog with a Poodle coat, and the hidden cost is its energy: owners who cannot provide one to two hours of hard exercise a day often end up paying for daycare, dog walkers or training to fix boredom behaviors. On top of that comes a professional groom every 6-8 weeks and the knee injuries that very active mid-size dogs are prone to.

Size: Large, 40–70 lb
Life expectancy: 10–15 years
Grooming: High
Insurance risk: Average
Puppy price: $1,500–$3,500
Food a day: About 1,380 calories

Where the money goes each year

A typical adult year for a Aussiedoodle with mainstream food, a groomer, no insurance, in an average-cost area. That's $640 more than the median breed.

Illness and injury (average)$763
Food$717
Grooming$714
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention$451
Checkups, vaccines and tests$330
Toys, beds and everyday supplies$280
Dental cleanings$213
Treats and chews$143
License$20
Typical year$3,630

Most years land between $2,240 (budget food, home grooming, lower-cost area) and $5,100 (premium food, groomer, insurance, big city). Dogs over about 6 add about $180 a year for senior checkups.

The first year

Buying a puppy front-loads the bill: the price, gear, puppy shots and spay or neuter.

Bringing a puppy home

Breeder price$2,500
Crate, bed, leash, bowls and gear$700
Spay or neuter$620
Microchip$50
Puppy or basic obedience class$149
Upfront$4,020

Running costs in year one

Food$717
Treats and chews$143
Puppy vaccines and checkups$738
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention$451
Grooming$714
License$20
Illness and injury (average)$763
Year-one running costs$3,550

First-year total: $7,560. Adopting instead brings it to about $4,160.

Health costs to plan for

No Aussiedoodle premium data was found; both parents have moderate orthopedic and eye risk and the Australian Shepherd has lower hip dysplasia rates than many breeds, so it is rated average.

Condition	How it affects Aussiedoodles	Typical treatment	Cost
Cranial cruciate ligament tear	Lemonade says active breeds like the Aussiedoodle are at real risk of tearing the CCL; no cross-specific rate was found. Source	Knee stabilization surgery, from extracapsular suture to TPLO, per knee	$1,500–$10,000
Hip dysplasia	OFA reports 6.3% of 50,435 Australian Shepherd and 11.6% of Poodle hip evaluations as dysplastic. Source	Surgical treatment, from femoral head ostectomy up to hip replacement	$1,500–$7,000
Epilepsy	AKC says Australian Shepherd breeders test for epilepsy and lists idiopathic epilepsy in Poodles; Lemonade lists it as seen in Aussiedoodles with some frequency. Source	Diagnostics and lifelong anti-epileptic medication	$500–$6,000
Cataracts and inherited eye disease	AKC lists cataracts among Australian Shepherd breed screening, and Lemonade adds collie eye anomaly as an inherited Aussiedoodle eye risk. Source	Cataract surgery by a veterinary ophthalmologist, per eye	$2,500–$4,000

The yearly estimate already includes an average allowance of $763 for illness and injury. A single surgery can cost several times that, which is the case for an emergency fund or insurance.

What drives the cost of a Aussiedoodle

Budget for daycare or a walker if you work long hours; a bored Aussiedoodle chews furniture, and replacing it costs more than the walks.
Lemonade estimates $400-$800 a year for clips every 6-8 weeks; merle coats are no cheaper to maintain.
Food for a 40-70 lb active dog runs about $600-$1,100 a year (Lemonade).
Ask the breeder for an MDR1 DNA result: in OFA data, 21% of 290 tested Australian Shepherds were carriers and 3.1% affected, and an affected dog may need alternative, sometimes pricier, medications.
Knee and hip surgery are the big orthopedic bills; insure before any lameness shows up.

Breeder or rescue

Reputable breeder: $1,500–$3,500
Rescue or shelter: $50–$300
Lifetime, from a breeder: $52,200
Lifetime, adopted: $48,800

Good Dog's buyer guide shows $1,500-$2,500 (average about $2,100), Lemonade cites $1,500-$3,500 and Embrace $1,000-$3,000. Merle coats, blue eyes and mini sizes push prices up; merle-to-merle breeding should be avoided because of deafness and eye-defect risk.

Adopting vs buying: the full cost comparison

Similar-size breeds by yearly cost

Alaskan Malamute$3,580 a year
Flat-Coated Retriever$3,590 a year
Labradoodle$3,600 a year
Chinese Shar-Pei$3,610 a year
German Shepherd Dog$3,630 a year
Golden Retriever$3,660 a year
Compare all breeds

Common questions

How much does a Aussiedoodle puppy cost?

A Aussiedoodle puppy from a reputable US breeder typically costs $1,500–$3,500. Adopting one through a rescue usually costs $50–$300.

How much does a Aussiedoodle cost per year?

After the first year, a Aussiedoodle costs about $3,630 a year, or $303 a month, for food, vet care, preventives, grooming, supplies and average illness costs. Depending on food, grooming, insurance and where you live, a typical year ranges from about $2,240 to $5,100.

How much does a Aussiedoodle cost over its lifetime?

About $52,200 over a 13-year life when bought from a breeder, or $48,800 if adopted, in 2026 dollars.

Sources

Prices are averages from the sources above and the cost baselines on our methodology page, in 2026 US dollars. Your vet, groomer and city will differ. Updated October 14, 2026.