Golden retriever puppies are in demand, hence the high cost of paying a breeder for one. You’ll be excited to bring them home and introduce the pup to the rest of the family. You’re eager to give them obedience training and have fun with these wonderful and smart companions.
But as the months pass you may be concerned that they don’t seem to be growing as fast as your friend’s pups. Can this be normal? If it’s not, can you do anything about it? You want only the best for your golden retriever puppy, so he or she may need a trip to the veterinarian clinic for a full check-up.
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Common Sizes for Golden Retrievers
It’s funny that humans are so obsessed over height and weight. Dogs really don’t care what anyone looks like, including themselves. But if you’re curious, these are the most common sizes for golden retrievers as adults. The golden retriever dog as an adult can be from a medium-sized to large-sized dog.
They can get quite heavy, particularly if they don’t get enough exercise and over-eat. But a normal-sized golden retriever adult dog can vary from slightly below average, and up to slightly above average and still be in the normal sized golden retriever healthy dog range.
Male dogs can be sized from 23 to 24 inches tall, and can weigh from 65 to 75 pounds. Female dogs are slightly smaller at a height of 21 to 22 inches tall, and a weight of 55 to 65 pounds. You should also note that with a search of the internet, people can contest the above measurements. But the normal size ranges are usually within 5-10 pounds of each other.
There may be certain sizing recommendations for your dog to participate in a dog show. But you should go more based on your dog’s health. So, what you need to know is if it’s actually a health condition stunting your dogs growth, or is it simply natural?
Common Reasons for Stunted Growth in Dogs
Having a dog that is too large is easily cured through a better diet and exercise. But if you have a puppy who doesn’t seem to be growing too fast, you may need to figure out why.
Some reasons are simple and easily fixable. For example, you may not be feeding your dog a balanced diet of crunchies and wet food. Or, they may not like the food they’re eating, so you’ll need to change it to something more nutritious.
Do you know the size of your dog’s parents? If they were naturally small, your dog may have these traits too. Another reason can be if your dog isn’t getting enough outdoor exercise. These types of dogs need plenty of room to run around outside. This helps to grow strong muscles.
Sizing Based On Golden Retriever Type
Just like humans can vary in size, golden retrievers can vary in size too. There are actually three types of golden retriever dogs that are recognized by kennel clubs. They are based on region with some slight differences. There is the American Golden Retriever, the British Golden Retriever, and the Canadian Golden Retriever.
There is even a fourth variety called the Miniature Golden Retriever, just to toss in some additional confusion for you too. The miniature golden retriever is not a recognized breed. Of the above four types, they can vary by size, colour, height, and weight, but the miniature version can be much smaller.
Is Your Dog too Small?
Puppies grow at different paces. It’s important that your pup have regular trips for veterinary checkups. The only way to determine if your dog is going to be too small is when they are a fully grown adult. Until then, you just don’t know. Your puppy can seem like they’re quickly growing from their first days to the first six months.
From here, it can seem like forever for them to reach full adulthood. It can take up to 24 months (two years) before your golden retriever reaches full adult maturity. So it may just be your worrying that something is wrong, when in fact, your puppy’s small body may be normal at their current age.
Tapeworm Infection or Other Parasites
One of the major concerns for you is whether your pup may have worms, or worse, tapeworms, that could be gobbling up all their vital nutrients and causing the dog to be thin and light. Since dogs love the outdoors, they may also have picked up some other types of parasites that could be causing weight loss too.
Think about when the last deworming treatment was for your dog. It may be time for a trip to the clinic to have your dog’s feces tested, and for special de-worming medication.
Hyperthyroidism & Other Health Conditions
There are also other health conditions that can cause your dog to lose weight. Hyperthyroidism is caused by an over-active thyroid that releases too much thyroid hormone into the blood. This can result in weight loss. There are also other health conditions that can affect your pup.
The only way to truly diagnose these conditions is with a trip to the vet clinic where they can order some blood and urine tests. There are also other serious conditions that may require an ultrasound. It can be hard dealing with this information when you just got a puppy, but on the other hand, early diagnosis can help to save their life too, so they live a long and happy life with you.
If your golden retriever is happy and healthy, don’t worry about their height or weight. That is a human hang-up and your dog is certainly not concerned about that at all. But if they are suffering from one of the above health conditions, they need a trip to the veterinary clinic for proper diagnosis and treatment of their health condition. Your puppy will soon grow up to be happy and unique, so you can stop worrying and enjoy their company!
