Golden Retrievers are medium to large dogs known for being perfect home companions. But how big do Golden Retrievers actually get in terms of height and weight? Will they continue to fit inside apartments as adults?
These are some of the questions that potential owners may have before deciding to take a Golden Retriever puppy home.
With the right knowledge of the Golden Retriever growth and weight chart, current owners of Golden Retriever puppies and adults may have a sound assessment of their pets’ health and nutrition status.
This article should provide a better understanding of the growth and development of a healthy Golden Retriever from puppyhood to adulthood.
Golden Retriever Weight Chart by Age
Golden Retrievers generally sport a large structure with heavy bones and big paws. This development can be seen even at a much earlier stage and at a faster rate in Golden Retriever puppies as they grow month on month.
Nonetheless, do not worry if your Golden Retriever puppy displays a slight variance from the weight range shown in the Golden Retriever growth chart.
Take note that each Golden Retriever puppy’s growth, and even those of adults, may differ based on factors such as bloodlines, health status, gender, and how much food they consume.
Hence, Golden Retrievers may reach their adult weight at different rates. At the earlier stages, though, most Golden Retrievers experience a weight gain of about 5% to 10% weekly.
Below is the Golden Retriever growth chart for male and female puppies and once they are fully grown:
| Age | Male Weight | Female Weight |
| 2 months old | 10–15 lbs (4.5–7 kg) | 5–10 lbs (2–4.5 kg) |
| 3 months old | 20–25 lbs (9–11.5 kg) | 15–20 lbs (7–9 kg) |
| 4 months old | 25–30 lbs (11.5–13.5 kg) | 20–25 lbs (9–11.5 kg) |
| 5 months old | 35–40 lbs (16–18 kg) | 25–30 lbs (11.5–13.5 kg) |
| 6 months old | 35–45 lbs (16–20 kg) | 30–35 lbs (13.5–16 kg) |
| 7 months old | 40–50 lbs (18–22.5 kg) | 30–40 lbs (14–18 kg) |
| 8 months old | 45–55 lbs (20–25 kg) | 35–45 lbs (16–20 kg) |
| 9 months old | 50–60 lbs (22.5–27 kg) | 40–50 lbs (18–22.5 kg) |
| 10 months old | 55–65 lbs (25–29.5 kg) | 45–55 lbs (20–25 kg) |
| 11 months old | 60–70 lbs (27–31.5 kg) | 50–55 lbs (22.5–25 kg) |
| 12 months old | 60–70 lbs (27–31.5 kg) | 50–60 lbs (22.5–27 kg) |
| Fully grown | 65–75 lbs (29.5–34 kg) | 55–65 lbs (25–29.5 kg) |
As you can see from the Golden Retriever growth chart table, male Golden Retrievers are generally heavier than female Golden Retrievers.
However, female Golden Retriever puppies reach physical maturity earlier than males.
In case your Golden Retriever pup gains weight very slowly or too fast than what is indicated in the Golden Retriever growth chart, have your vet check why your dog’s weight does not fall within its ideal weight range.
However, take note that these weight averages are those for a standard Golden Retriever and not for its other size types, such as the miniature Golden Retriever.
Golden Retriever Size Chart by Age
Although the American Kennel Club (AKC) considers the Golden Retriever as a medium dog breed, Golden Retrievers grow to a height similar to that of larger dogs.
Similar to monitoring Golden Retriever puppy growth in terms of weight, dog owners should also observe a puppy growth chart for height.
This is critical to check whether your Golden puppy follows a healthy and steady growth curve.
Pet parents of this purebred dog breed also have to be aware that multiple factors influence their Golden’s growth, such as proper nutrition, genetic health disorders, gender, sleep, and exercise.
Each Golden Retriever puppy grows differently, and some may reach their full-grown height faster than others of the same age and gender.
Below is a Golden Retriever puppy’s growth chart that shows their month-on-month average height, all the way to their adult height:
| Age | Male Height | Female Height |
| 2 months old | 10–17.5 in (25.5–44.5 cm) | 11–18.5 in (28–47 cm) |
| 3 months old | 10–20 in (25.5–51 cm) | 11–19 in (28–48 cm) |
| 4 months old | 12–24 in (30.5–61 cm) | 12–22 in (30.5–56 cm) |
| 5 months old | 13.5–24 in (34–61 cm) | 13–24 in (33–61 cm) |
| 6 months old | 19–24.5 in (48–62 cm) | 15–24 in (38–61 cm) |
| 7 months old | 19–26 in (48–66 cm) | 16–25 in (40.5–63.5 cm) |
| 8 months old | 21–26 in (53.5–66 cm) | 18–25 in (45.5–63.5 cm) |
| 9 months old | 22–26 in (56–66 cm) | 20–25 in (51–63.5 cm) |
| 10 months old | 22–26 in (56–66 cm) | 20–25 in (51–63.5 cm) |
| 11 months old | 22–26 in (56–66 cm) | 20–25 in (51–63.5 cm) |
| 12 months old | 22–26 in (56–66 cm) | 20–26 in (51–66 cm) |
| Fully grown | 22–26 in (56–66 cm) | 20–26 in (51–66 cm) |
With regard to gender, a male Golden Retriever puppy stands a bit higher compared to a female puppy. However, like with the Golden puppy’s weight, the female puppy’s bones mature earlier than that of males.
Further, if you observe a huge difference between your dog’s body and the data on the puppy growth chart, it would be best to have your vet check what is affecting your dog’s growth.
At What Age Are Golden Retrievers Fully Grown?
Golden Retrievers stop growing by the time they reach two years old. However, they will be as close to their adult weight as they reach a year old and their adult height when they are nine months old.
Usually, Golden Retrievers are considered adults around 16 months old. Still, as mentioned, they may continue showing physical changes, such as wider chests, until they reach their second year of life.
A Golden Retriever puppy will also grow really fast during its first year of life. Hence, it should be supported with the best puppy food and veterinary checkups to ensure it reaches its optimum adult weight and height.
How Big Do Full-Grown Golden Retrievers Get?
The weight range of a full-grown Golden Retriever is 65 to 75 pounds for males and 55 to 65 pounds for females.
Male Golden Retrievers also stand at 22 to 26 inches, while female Goldens are between 20 and 26 inches tall.
On the other hand, the average body length of both a female and male Golden Retriever is around 37 to 42 inches.
Since a Golden Retriever reaches its full adult weight, height, and length only by its 2nd year, it is important to keep monitoring its height and weight gain as a puppy until it becomes an adult dog.
Proper weight monitoring and management should keep your Golden Retriever from being an underweight or overweight dog.
This should also help them avoid disorders that they can obtain from putting on too much weight, like hip dysplasia and obesity, or from lack of nutrition, such as stunted growth and poor coat quality.
Regular exercise and high-quality dog food are essential to maintaining a healthy weight for Golden Retrievers.
Further, including pet insurance in your Golden Retriever’s budget should be a good way to maximize health benefits and keep your dog healthy throughout its life stages.
How Do I Know How Big My Golden Retriever Will Get?
Aside from knowing that Golden Retrievers reach their full-grown status by their second year, it is very difficult to accurately predict how big adult Golden Retrievers will get based on the current puppies’ age.
However, here are some observations that may be used to estimate the potential optimal height and weight of your Golden Retriever:
- By four months, Golden Retriever pups would’ve reached half of their adult height.
- When they reach six months, Golden pups will be about two-thirds of their adult weight.
- Once they are nine months, Golden Retrievers have possibly reached their adult height, with just a small room for additional growth after.
- At one year, they are already very close to their maximum adult weight.
Some pet lovers use a puppy weight calculator to compute their puppy’s full-grown weight, but it will only provide estimates.
Further, other pet parents estimate how big their dog will get by looking at the size of the paws. You may also ask your breeder about the lineage of your Golden pup, whether it is American, English, or Canadian.
If you have an English Golden Retriever, expect it to grow much stockier than its other counterparts. You may also ask the breeder to see your pup’s parents, as their sizes will be a reflection of how big your puppy will get.
Golden Retriever Growth and Development by Age (With Pictures)
The Golden Retriever breed takes longer to mature compared to other dog breeds. Hence, it is a good opportunity to capture their milestones through their different growth stages.
This timeline identifies the unique stages of your Golden Retriever puppy, which you can use to check the overall health of your pet.
8-Week-Old Golden Retriever
Most reputable breeders rehome their Golden Retriever puppies at this stage. Coincidentally, this is also the best period for housebreaking and socialization training.
As expected of their age, they will behave playfully like puppies and start nipping and play biting. Hence, positive reinforcement must be applied to prevent these unwanted behaviors from developing further.
By this time, they can already be separated completely from their mother. This means that they should’ve already completely weaned off their mother’s milk and are already suited for solid foods.
12-Week-Old Golden Retriever
Aside from the training already given at two months old, it is now time to start leash training them as well. It is also the stage when you need to display patience as they start to be very playful and bite and gnaw a lot.
Further, from this point up until 6 months, they start developing lifelong habits, so it is important to continue instilling discipline. However, it may not be that easy due to their short attention span.
Be prepared to groom your puppy as well and get them accustomed to regular brushing, tooth brushing, and nail trimming.
During this period, you may also introduce larger meals by increasing the amount of dog food given to them.
16-Week-Old Golden Retriever
You will start to observe physical changes as they already start losing their puppy features at this stage. However, they continue to be puppies at heart.
Expect them to be still very playful, so you need to control their running and jumping to avoid applying stress on their joints. Instead, convert this energy by teaching them a few tricks.
Further, obedience training must be a focus at this stage to curb unwarranted behaviors in your puppy that they may possibly carry into adulthood.
Larger meals may already be transitioned from four to three meals a day, so expect your pup to gain weight accordingly as well.
6-Month-Old Golden Retriever
Your puppy may start losing their baby teeth at this stage, and they would look a bit awkward as they start developing adult bodies but maintain their puppy legs and tails.
Continue managing their activity and playtime at this stage since too much pressure on their joints may eventually lead to elbow or hip dysplasia.
If not spayed or neutered, they will start to mature sexually as well. Your pup will also start to look for a confident leader they will look up to and obey, so you need to be firm and consistent with training.
9-Month-Old Golden Retriever
At this stage, Golden Retriever puppies may start to act like teenagers. If left unfixed, they tend to be rowdy, aggressive, and destructive and have the inclination to roam.
They might continue to challenge your authority by trying to be rebellious and non-responsive. Giving them the exercise they need and mental stimulation activities should help in dealing with these behaviors.
Physically, they would already have reached their adult height as well during this time, or at least close to it.
12-Month-Old Golden Retriever (Fully Grown)
By your Golden Retriever’s first year, it will also reach sexual maturity, its peak height, and close to its full-grown weight. Further, it becomes a bit more mature and focused, so training becomes much easier.
However, as an owner of a few adult Golden Retrievers, I have personally experienced what many Golden Retriever enthusiasts mentioned as having huge puppies at home. This breed will continue to have that puppy mentality for the next two or three years.
They also sometimes do not realize how huge they are. One of my dark Golden Retrievers, named Juris, had a habit of jumping onto my lap on the couch for cuddling, even when he was already three years old.
They remain very playful, always carrying and disarranging things around the house. I observed that the rowdy side of these dogs usually decreases when they reach their 4th year.
In terms of looks, Golden Retrievers might still appear skinny due to their height. At the same time, their puppy coat becomes their undercoat to give way to their adult top coat.
Grooming becomes more critical to keep your dog from appearing fuzzy and managing its shedding.
These different life stages of Golden Retriever puppies may be considered checkpoints by their owners to assess how well they are being raised and are a chance to correct unwanted behaviors.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to what needs to be observed and what physical and behavioral traits are beyond normal for each stage and act on them immediately.
Further, it is also important that your puppy has regular vet visits and has vaccinations and deworming on time to protect it from parasites and critical illnesses throughout its entire lifetime.
In the meantime, enjoy this video of Golden retriever pups as they go through their different growth stages:
Frequently Asked Questions
How Big Should a 6-Month-Old Golden Retriever Be?
Depending on gender, a male Golden Retriever should be around 35 to 45 pounds and should stand between 19 and 24.5 inches. Meanwhile, a female Golden will weigh 30 to 35 pounds and stand at about 15 to 24 inches.
By this stage, it is estimated that they have already reached about two-thirds of their adult weight.
How Does Neutering/Spaying Affect My Golden Retriever’s Growth?
The sex hormones in dogs have a limiting effect on the Golden Retriever’s growth hormones. Hence, spaying or neutering your dog before its full-grown stage may give them a tendency to become even bigger.
However, expect that a Golden Retriever will continue to grow up until they are two years of age, regardless of whether they are fixed or not.
What Weight Is Overweight for a Golden Retriever?
A Golden Retriever that is 10% to 20% above its optimum weight is considered overweight, while those beyond 20% are already considered obese.
In the case of male and female Goldens, males would start to be overweight at around 71.5 to 82.5 pounds, while females would be obese as they reach 60.5 to 71.5 pounds.
You may also do a physical check by running your hands over the dog’s shoulders all the way to its tail.
If you are not able to feel your pet’s waist clearly, or in a standing position, its ribs, then they might already be overweight or obese.
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has indicated that more than 60% of Golden Retrievers are categorized as overweight and obese.
What Size Crate Does a Golden Retriever Need?
Based on the optimal ideal size of an adult Golden Retriever, their crate size should be about 42 inches in length. A crate with a 42 x 28 x 30 inches dimension should be ideal.
For female Golden Retrievers, a 36-inch dog crate may fit them well.
Final Thoughts
Golden Retrievers are considered by many dog lovers to be ideal companions at home. They bring so much love and affection within the household and keep every family member entertained.
That said, pet owners must consistently monitor their Golden Retrievers’ growth curves with the goal of reaching their pets’ optimal weight and height, which are indicators of healthy and well-nourished dogs.
It is also a relationship-building experience to support your Golden Retrievers, especially as they go through their milestones during the first year of their lives.
If you have additional information or have prior experience in using a Golden Retriever growth and weight chart, share it with us by dropping a comment below!
