How Big Will My Golden Retriever Get?

The Golden Retrievers generally fall under the medium to large size dog breed. Well, they are actually adorable because of their lustrous and golden coat. Yet, in terms of the size, how big will my Golden Retriever get? Although they are active breeds, do their activities compensate for the amount of food they eat?

In this blog post, we will share with you the growth information of the Goldens. We will touch the normal size of both this dog breed puppies and the adult ones. But, before that, let us have an overview of this dog breed and have a quick glance at the life stages of the Goldens.

Overview of the Golden Retriever Breed

Generally, the Goldens are dogs with medium to large body built. They are being characterized by their friendly attitude and amazing golden coat. The Goldens are being loved for their cheerfulness and devoted temperament. It is also not surprising why the Goldens are the top-favored family pet because of their high intelligence and trainability.

Based on history, the first generations of this dog breed were tasked as gun dogs accompanying hunters and gamekeepers. This dog breed became easily well-known for that and quickly increase its popularity as working dogs and companion dogs.

However, potential dog owners of this breed, expect to encounter sufficient shedding amount due to their lustrous coat. This will basically demand regular brushing as part of their grooming and shedding. Aside from that, when opt for bringing home a Goldens, also anticipate the monthly Golden Retriever cost.

The Growth Stages of the Goldens Puppy

Before taking into the numbers and getting exact or estimate the size of the Golden Retriever puppy as they grow older, let us have a quick glance at the Goldens puppy life stages.

Goldens’ Neonatal Stage

From the first day they were born up to their three weeks, the Golden Retriever puppy is said to be adapting on their neonatal stage. They are totally helpless and are fully dependent on their mother. Their mother should feed them and keep them warm.

In terms of size, the Golden Retriever puppy is usually small and has a weight of fewer than five pounds. However, during this period their size will significantly vary. Within the litter, there would be some that are generally smaller and they are called the runt. The runt hardly struggles at this stage of puppyhood so better to provide them with proper care.

Key Points of Development:

• Already opened eyes and ears

• Growth of the first baby teeth

• Crawling and walking learning stage

The Stage of Golden’s Socialization

The Golden Retriever puppy is trying to emerge itself into its surroundings which will generally last for 3 to 12 weeks. This is actually the stage of this dog breed’s life that is very essential for their growth. Although getting in touch with their mother is still important for the pups, the requirement to begin consuming some solid foods is also a must.

The socialization of the puppy is also crucial here. The Goldens puppy should learn to socialize with people and other pets. This way, it will be easier for them to mingle with everyone around them as he grows older. It is also at this stage in which you should start introducing the car rides and some household menaces like the vacuum cleaner.

Key Points of Development:

• Introduction of solid foods

• Starting to play

• Bark and growl

• Learn to control the bladder and bowel movements

• First vaccinations

The Goldens’ Juvenile Stage of Development

The period comes from 3 months to 6 months and the Goldens pup’s rapid growth starts to slow down. Nearly, their size is as close as that of the fully developed dog and they are smaller versions of the adult Goldens. At this stage, the Golden Retriever puppy will now be taken from the mother, and that you are already allowed to bring them home. This is also the stage in which you should start training them and subject them to neutering or spaying unless you are planning to breed them.

Key Points of Development:

• Coming out of the adult teeth

• Best time to take away from the mother

• Beginning of the serious training

• Importance of spaying and neutering

The Goldens’ Sexual Maturity

At this stage, this dog starts to grow to its full size. From 6 months up to 12 months, the Goldens will be on its sexual maturity and begin to enter the heat cycles. It is also during this stage that the Goldens will show mating behavior. Yet, this will actually happen if they have not been neutered.

Moreover, it is also at this period of the Golden Retriever’s life stages in which they can comprehend their tasks within their pack. With that, they will begin challenging other animals and even the people around them. Displaying territorial behavior can also be seen on the Golden Retrievers at this stage.

This dog breed usually grows really fast during the sexual maturity stage. Because of that, their bones become vulnerable to injury. This is also the time that excessive pressure may be put on their joints like the big jumps.

Key Points of Development:

• Showcase mating behavior if not yet neutered

• Beginning of territorial and challenging behavior

• Some parts of the body grow disproportionately faster compared to other parts – these are the ears, nose, and legs

• Bones tend to be fragile because of the rapid growth

The Goldens’ Adults Stage

At the age of 16 months, the adult stage of the Golden Retriever begins even if there are still other aspects of their lives that still need growing. There are other Goldens that become fully grown once they reach the age of two years old.

Key Points of Development:

• Already reach the full body size

• Well-developed character traits

The Maximum Size of the Golden Retriever Puppies

Since all dogs are different and so do all the puppies that they may have. If you are one of those asking how big will my Golden Retriever get, remember that the Goldens pups can either be higher or lower than their average size. Yet, they are still under the healthy range.

But, once the puppy falls just a little lower than the small end of the usual size limit, the pup would automatically be considered as the runt. Well, there are still numbers of dog lovers who may fall in love with the runt.

However, it is important to understand that the small size of the runt entails some health concerns. These may include the fatal condition in puppies popularly called fading puppy syndrome.

Normal Size of the Golden Retriever Puppy

How big will my Golden Retriever get when he is still a puppy? Actually, the newborn puppy of the Golden Retriever has a weight of about 14 to 16 ounces. Once he is already reaching the age of 8 weeks, it is only then that you could bring him into your home. At this point in the Golden Retriever’s life, the Goldens pup will already be 10 pounds.

The weight of 30 pounds indicates that the puppy is already in its 4 months. Moreover, having a weight of 50 pounds and higher means that the Golden Retriever is now in its adolescent stage. This time, he is already eight months old.

The female Golden Retriever puppies generally have a faster rate of growth. Meaning, they usually get bigger within the first months of their life stages compared to their male counterpart. However, the male Goldens may able to catch up eventually and then reach a greater overall weight.

At 6 months, how big will my Golden Retriever get?

The Golden Retriever puppy will generally weigh around 35 to 45 pounds and 30 to 35 pounds for the male and female Goldens respectively. When it comes to their height, it will still take another 3 to 6 months before they reach their height as an adult Golden Retriever. Yet, during this stage, the Goldens pup will be some few inches away from their expected adult height. Basically, they will range from 21.5 to 24 inches tall with the male Goldens falls under the taller end.

The Growth of the Golden Retriever

In determining how big will my Golden Retriever get, it is important to learn the rate of growth of this dog breed. Well, unlike those small dog breeds or toy breeds, the Goldens will not remain as a little fuzzball. Generally, the growth rate of the Golden Retriever puppies is actually fast. In fact, every single week, these pups will grow around 5 to 10% larger.

With that, are you starting to visualize how big will my Golden Retriever get? However, also take note that the growth rate of the Golden Retriever puppy can be affected by a number of things. These include their sex, genetic factors, and the age when they had been spayed or neutered.

How big will my Golden Retriever puppy get?

Well, if you really want to determine the maximum body size of the Golden Retriever that they can get, it is important to check it once they are still a puppy. Here are some ways in which you can roughly estimate how big the Golden Retriever will get.

1-Check on the age of the Golden Retriever puppy

Keep in mind that a Golden Retriever below one year of age still needs ample time in order to reach their full size as an adult. In general, lots of Goldens take around two years to finally fill out completely. But, you will notice that their weight on their one year of age is already close to the weight of the adult Goldens.

2-Check on the breeder of your Golden Retriever puppy

If it is possible, try to reach for the breeder of your Golden Retriever puppy. The breeder will have the ability to tell you the accurate estimation of the adult size of the Goldens pups. This is actually based on the parent dogs and the previous litters of their parents. Moreover, keep in mind that a puppy is rarely bigger compared to their parent dog. That way you will already have an idea of the Golden Retriever puppy’s maximum weight.

3-Check on their paws

Another way to identify how big the Golden Retriever will get is by looking at the puppy’s paws. In case the paws tend to look big or oversized compared to the dog’s body and legs, it means that they are still trying to fill out. This also shows that they are some growth left to be expected.

The Average Size of the Adult Goldens

How big will my Golden Retriever get as an adult dog? Well, regardless of gender, the size of the Goldens can be highly affected by genetics. Moreover, the sex differences also vary as the male Goldens can become 1 to 2 inches taller and 10 pounds heavier compared to the female ones.

Sexual size dimorphism is a term used to describe the sex difference of animals according to their size. One best example of this is the size comparison of large dog breeds versus small dog breeds.

For Golden Retrievers here is their average size measurement which is an important determinant in knowing how big will my Golden Retriever get.

The Height of the Golden Retriever

The American Kennel Club (AKC) set up a standard breed size for dogs, And for Golden Retrievers, here are their healthy standard height:

Golden Retriever	Standard Height
Male	23 to 24 inches
Female	21 1/2 to 22 1/2 inches

The Weight of the Golden Retriever

Here is the standard weight of the Golden Retriever as set by the American Kennel Club breed standard:

Golden Retriever	Standard Weight
Male	65 to 75 pounds
Female	55 to 65 pounds

Important Things to Remember about the Growth of the Golden Retriever

There are lots of factors that can have a great impact on the growth of the Goldens. Diet, environment, gender, genetics, and sterilization are some of those factors. That’s why it is very important to monitor the growth of your Golden Retriever as it may be of big help in identifying any underlying medical conditions.

Some medical conditions that may highly affect the growth of the Golden Retriever puppies

Generally, the presence of hookworms or ringworms might hinder the growth of the Golden Retriever. Reaching the full body size and weight of the Golden Retriever may be prevented when these organisms live inside the dog’s body. This may also lead to damaging the bones, skin, immune system, and digestive health of the Goldens. Aside from that, the Goldens pup may also have stunted growth because of malnutrition.

The Negative Effect of Stunted or Accelerated Growth of the Goldens

There are dog owners who opt to raise bigger Goldens and some tend to pet a small Golden Retriever. Well, in order to achieve this, the Golden Retriever might either be under or over-feed. But, always remember that neither of the two is an ideal feeding habit.

Accelerated Golden Retriever growth may generally result to dysplasia of the hip or elbow. Aside from that, bone disease and arthritis might also be experienced by the Goldens if there is accelerated growth.

On the other hand, the stunted Goldens tend to be weaker and are highly susceptible to acquiring sickness. This may be due to illness or under-feeding of the dog.

Identifying an Overweight Golden Retriever:

Well, the best way to know if your Golden Retriever is overweight, make use of both your eyes and hands. There are actually instances that you can able to see the dog’s ribs. That’s an indication that the Goldens is too skinny. Meanwhile, through using your hands and you aren’t able to feel the ribs of the dog, and then it means that he is too fat.

Most pet owners find it cuter and more adorable if the Golden Retriever is too fat. However, always keep in mind that overweight dogs generally have a shorter lifespan. If your Goldens is too chubby, expect to have a two years reduction on his life years plus added health issues.

Final Words

If you are trying to figure out the full size of the Golden Retriever may get, you may generally see that there is a wide range of size for this dog breed. Thus, always remember that every Goldens have unique characteristic and traits including their size and growth rate. The key here is a steady growth, not too quick and not too slow. Moreover, a healthy and appropriate diet together with an active lifestyle will make a happy and healthy Goldens.

Furthermore, the final size of the Golden Retriever highly varies from one Goldens to another. It just depends on the variation and pedigree. But, at the end of it all, most Golden lovers out there may proudly say that the size of this dog breed is the perfect one for every human hug.