The Subtle Differences Between Male and Female Golden Retrievers That you Didn’t Know About!

In every species, there are slight markers that help us differentiate between males and females.

Some are quite obvious while others are not.

In dogs, for those that don’t know what to look for, it can be quite hard to differentiate between a male and a female---especially when the dogs are just puppies.

So, what are the differences between the male and female Golden Retrievers?

In this blog post, we will go through the subtle differences between male and female Golden Retrievers that you didn’t know about in detail.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Physical Differences Between Male and Female Golden Retrievers

Height and Weight

Genitalia

Estrus Cycle

Differences Between Male and Female Golden Retrievers in Temperament

Training Differences Between the Two Genders

Physical Differences Between Male and Female Golden Retrievers

There are some obvious and some not-so-obvious physical differences between the male and the female Golden Retriever. In this section of the blog post, we will go through them in detail.

Height and Weight

While male and female Golden Retrievers sure do look the same, you can see a subtle difference in their built in terms of height and weight. Take a look:

• 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.

Genitalia

This is one of the most distinctive and obvious difference between male and female Golden Retrievers.

• Male Golden Retrievers have male genital organs which include the penis and testicles that can be seen near the hind legs
• Female Golden Retrievers have female genital organs which include the vulva and vagina

Both male and female Golden Retrievers have nipples so, they are not distinctive features. Male Golden Retrievers have nipples because they are developed before the gender of the puppy is determined.

Estrus Cycle

Female Golden Retrievers go through the normal Estrus cycle once in every six months which is when she is in ‘heat’ and is receptive to males for mating. This is the time when the dog is fertile and can have puppies.

The Estrus cycle causes the female to attract males and the dog may even bleed during this time. This is why most people recommend that you desex your female dog if your don’t wish to mate her.

Differences Between Male and Female Golden Retrievers in Temperament

Both male and female Golden Retrievers are equally playful, active, loving, and loyal. Gender doesn’t have a role to play to play as such in that.

According to a zoological study, male Golden Retrievers worship their pack leaders. This is an ancestral survival trait can be seen in your dog’s concern for your feelings and mood.

Keep in mind that female Goldies are also affected by your mood and feelings. However, they aren’t devoted to you to the extent male dogs are.

According to zoologists, while females do love you, the male Golden Retrievers are in love with you.

Training Differences Between the Two Genders

A lot of studies conducted across the world have evidence that when it comes to difficulty of housebreaking, males are more notorious in the matter than females. However, it is found that generally, neither sex is easier to train or housebreak in general.

It is important that you spend as much time as you can with your dog while in the behavioral training phase to allow the two of you to have a positive and strong relationship which will last a lifetime.

This will have a good influence on your dog’s temperament.

Using positive training methods and have an upbeat and cheerful voice while teaching your golden retriever the basic sit, stay and down commands will help with training---no matter what gender your Golden Retriever is.