Golden Retriever

Also known as: Goldie, Russian tracker, Russian Retriever, English cream retriever

The Golden Retriever traces to Scotland, where in the mid-19th century Lord Tweedmouth crossed a yellow retriever with a water spaniel to produce a dog that worked well on both land and water hunting waterfowl. The double, water-resistant coat with feathering on the legs and tail can be straight or wavy, and males weigh up to 34 kilograms. The breed was built to carry shot game in a soft mouth without damaging it, and that gentle-carry instinct shows up even in dogs that have never seen a hunt. The coat sheds heavily twice a year, on top of a steady shed the rest of the time. Food motivation runs high, which usually makes training easy but also makes overfeeding easy. Temperament is friendly to a fault, often making it a poor guard dog. Life expectancy runs 10 to 12 years.

Browse dog food sized right for this breed

Golden Retriever: how old in human years?

51–61 cmHeight
25–34 kgWeight
10–12 yrsLife expectancy

English Cocker Spaniel

FCI group: Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs
FCI section: Section 1: Retrievers
FCI: 111
Country of origin: United Kingdom

Energy level

4/5
Trainability

5/5
Family friendly

5/5
Grooming need

4/5

At a glance

Height

Males 56–61 cm

Females 51–56 cm

Weight

Males 29–34 kg

Females 25–32 kg

Life expectancy

10–12 yrs

Coat

dense, water-repellent double coat, straight or wavy with feathering (long)

Temperament & Family Life

Golden Retriever's average temperament and family-life score for this breed is high.

Family friendly 5/5
Good with children 5/5
Good with other dogs 4/5
Friendly with strangers 4/5
Intelligence 5/5
Trainability 5/5

Exercise, Energy & Space

Golden Retriever's energy and exercise needs are moderate.

Energy level 4/5
Exercise need 4/5
Apartment friendly 2/5
Prey drive 2/5
Hunting instinct 3/5

Guarding & Alertness

Golden Retriever's guarding and alertness traits are low.

Guarding instinct 1/5
Watchfulness 2/5
Barking level 2/5

Grooming & Care

Golden Retriever's grooming needs are moderate.

Shedding 5/5
Drooling 2/5
Grooming need 4/5

Living with the Golden Retriever

You come home to find not a barking dog but a whole-body tail wag and a present held proudly in the mouth: a slipper, a sock, a soft toy that has seen better days. Golden Retrievers were bred in Britain to bring back game for hunters, and the urge to carry something to you never left. They are clever and eager to please, happy to work for praise and a treat, which makes training a genuine pleasure; just remember that a young Golden has more bounce than patience, so short, cheerful sessions beat long drills.

A typical day means a long morning walk, a game of fetch or a swim if there is water anywhere nearby, and another proper outing in the evening. Without exercise and something to think about, a Golden will find its own projects, and your sofa may not enjoy them. A flat is not the ideal home for a dog this size; it is far happier with more room and a garden to race around in.

This is a family dog through and through: patient with children, friendly with other dogs, and more inclined to hug visitors than guard against them, so do not count on it as a watchdog. It does not like long hours alone and is happiest wherever life is happening, in the kitchen while dinner is cooked, at your feet while you work, or on the doormat when everyone is getting ready to leave.

Grooming and coat

A Golden wears a double coat: water-resistant outer hair over a soft undercoat that, when it moults, comes out in such quantities that you will find golden hairs in places the dog has never been. Brush right down to the skin a few times a week, and daily during the moult, with a brush and a wide-toothed comb, paying special attention to the spots behind the ears, the feathering on the legs and under the tail, where tangles like to form. Use brushing time as a skin check too: a red, damp or oddly smelly patch hides easily under all that hair, and the comb is what finds it.

After every swim (and a Golden treats any water as an open invitation) towel the dog down to the undercoat, not just the top layer. Those drop ears are worth a look once a week and after swimming: inside they should be clean, pale and free of any unpleasant smell, and head shaking or scratching at an ear is a reason for the vet to take a look. Wipe the corners of the eyes with a soft damp cloth when needed; red or weepy eyes are another reason for a vet visit.

How to do it:

By age:

Health and possible conditions

Golden Retrievers are generally sturdy, cheerful dogs with a life expectancy of around ten to twelve years, so think of this as a heads-up rather than a warning. Their skin and metabolism deserve the most attention: that thick coat is very good at hiding what goes on underneath, so it pays to look a little deeper than the surface now and then. If something seems off, your vet is the one to decide what happens next.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.

Hot spots

A hot spot is a patch of skin that turns moist, red and sore almost overnight, and the dog makes it worse by licking and scratching at it. You might notice your Golden going back to the same spot again and again, with the fur there matted or gone when it looked fine yesterday. A Golden's dense undercoat can stay damp long after a swim and hold moisture against the skin, so let your vet take a look and decide what the patch needs.
Atopic dermatitis (atopy)

Atopic dermatitis is an allergic skin condition, in which the skin overreacts to things in the environment such as pollen or house dust mites. It tends to show in small habits: long sessions of paw licking, a face rubbed along the carpet, scratching at the armpits and belly, sometimes red ears as well. Under all that golden fur the redness is easiest to spot where the hair is thin, and working out the cause is a job for your vet.
Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism means the thyroid gland makes too little hormone, so the whole body shifts into a slower gear. You may see weight creeping on without any extra food, a dog who tires early on walks or seeks out the warmest spot in the house, and a coat that thins or loses its shine. In a breed that already loves dinner and a good nap, these changes are easy to put down to laziness or age, so when your dog doesn't seem like itself, leave the diagnosis to your vet.

Food for large breeds — cheapest per kg

This list is chosen by the breed's weight (34 kg) rather than the breed itself: shops label food by dog size, so every breed of the same size gets the same list. Prices are updated daily.

≈ 380 g of dry food a day, from €20,73 a month For a neutered, normally active 30 kg dog. Calculate for your dog