How Big Do Golden Retrievers Get?

Wondering how big your Goldy can get?

The Golden retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the entire World. The dog is friendly and tolerant towards people as well as children which makes him an excellent companion for families.

Golden Retriever puppies are cute as well as active.

These dogs are excellent at retrieving games such as sniffing, tracking, hunting, etc. and are natural athletes and excel at competitive obedience as well as agility.

In this blog post, we will answer the question, “How big do Golden retrievers get?” in as much detail as we possibly can to help you understand.

Let’s begin.

The Size: How Big Do Golden Retrievers Get?

How Long Does It Take For a Golden Retriever To Reach its Full Size?

Keeping Your Golden Retriever Fit: The Exercise Needs

Obesity and Golden Retrievers

Final Words: How Big Do Golden Retrievers Get?

The Size: How Big Do Golden Retrievers Get?

Let’s just jump right on to the question at hand, shall we?

Let’s take a look at how big healthy Golden Retrievers can get:

• A male Golden Retriever should ideally weigh between 65 to 75 pounds and should be 23 to 24 inches in height
• A female Golden Golden Retriever should ideally weigh between 55 to 65 pounds and should be 21.5 to 22.5 inches in height

As you may have already notice, female Golden Retrievers are a bit smaller in size than  males.

The breed’s size does vary depending on the particular litter, but generally Golden’s fall somewhere around these measurements.

When talking about the size, Golden Retrievers come under the big dog category. However, they aren’t as large as Saint Bernards or Great Danes in height which makes them manageable as family dogs---especially of you have kids.

The good thing about Golden Retrievers is that they are playful and gentle which means that when they are properly trained, there shouldn’t be any problems if your child wishes to hold the leash.

How Long Does It Take For a Golden Retriever To Reach its Full Size?

Everyone knows that Golden Retrievers maintain the personality as well as energy levels of a puppy throughout their lives so, in terms of temperament, this dog is a forever puppy.

However, when we take a look at things from the physical perspective, it takes a Golden Retriever around a year or two to physically mature fully.

So, what do we mean when we say fully physically mature?

This simply means that when your dog reaches this stage, his bones will be fully developed and he’ll have the physical exercise needs of an adult dog. For a Godly to be mentally mature, it takes about three years from them to be fully developed.

Keeping Your Golden Retriever Fit: The Exercise Needs

Goldies are large dog breeds which means that they need a lot of exercise to stay healthy and not develop any destructive behaviors.

By nature, Golden Retrievers are a healthy and energetic breed.

In fact, the breed was historically assisted humans during hunting to retrieve the game which explains why they enjoy the outdoors so much. This means that Golden Retrievers won’t be satisfied with just a walk around the block---they need more attention.

These dogs need a lot of vigorous physical exercise which includes interacting with other dogs, playing fetch, going on long walks, jogs, or run, etc. They need close attention in this area or they simply revert back to their puppy tendencies.

What are these puppy tendencies?

Well, they include barking frequently, digging up holes in the backyard, chewing up the furniture, etc.

If you don’t pay enough attention to your Golden Retriever’s physical exercise, your dog can quickly gain weight which may cause more serious health issues such as obesity, heart problems, etc.

Obesity and Golden Retrievers

In the above sections of the blog post, we went through the ideal weight of healthy male and female Golden Retrievers.

So, what happens if your dog gains a lot of weight?

In this section of the blog, we will go through what obesity can do to your precious little Goldy.

Let’s begin.

Golden Retrievers are categorized as large breed dogs which means that you need to be really careful when your dog begins to look chubby and fluffier than normal. The large size along with the added extra pounds causes a lot of pressure on your dog’s joints and may eventually lead to joint problems.

The extra pressure on the joints can cause calluses and sores to form which may even result in your dog losing mobility and you may notice him laying down more frequently than he did before.

The reduced mobility and the additional weight can cause your furry friend to have numerous problems such as diabetes, arthritis, kidney and liver disease, high blood pressure, etc.

These problems can take years off your dog’s life.

With the right care and attention, you can ensure that your dog is in a healthy weight range and has a diet that’s healthy and sustaining.

Final Words: How Big Do Golden Retrievers Get?

Following are the acceptable height and weight ranges of healthy purebred Golden Retrievers:

• A male Golden Retriever should ideally weigh between 65 to 75 pounds and should be 23 to 24 inches in height
• A female Golden Golden Retriever should ideally weigh between 55 to 65 pounds and should be 21.5 to 22.5 inches in height

This can change from litter to litter but, in general, the weight and height of all Golden Retrievers is similar.

A Golden Retriever is fully physically mature by the time he reaches the age of two. Mental maturity comes at age 3 but, this dog forever has the temperament of a puppy.

Do you have questions? If so, leave them in the comments, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.