Wanting to know “how much a Golden retriever will weigh” is a common question from visitors to our site. While a lot of owners think about their dog’s growth in terms of weight, there are also reasons you’d want to think about the height of your Golden Retriever as well.
A big one is obviously a dog’s crate size: it’s tough to tell how big the crate for your dog should be without knowing how tall your Golden is likely to grow to.
Thinking about puppy-proofing your home (particularly if you have a large male Golden and counter surfing is a possible issue) is another key concern when you’re thinking about bringing home a Golden Retriever (or if you have one already and are planning for the future).
To help with that, in conjunction with our veterinary advisor, Dr. Jennifer Coates, we created a puppy weight calculator and a series of growth charts (including a Golden Retriever growth chart). In this post we’ll use that data to help you understand how tall Golden Retrievers get so you can plan accordingly.
How Tall Do Golden Retrievers Get?
A fully grown male Golden Retriever will be 23-24 inches tall, and a fully grown female Golden will grow to be 21.5 – 22.5 inches tall.
Share This Golden Retriever Growth Chart on Your Site
Text Transcript of the Golden Retriever Growth Chart
| Golden Retriever – Age | Weight |
|---|---|
| 2 months 3 months 4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months 9 months One year |
5 – 17 lbs 16 – 34 lbs 22 – 55 lbs 25 – 67 lbs 27 – 75 lbs 31 – 75 lbs 40 – 77 lbs 44 – 77 lbs 55 – 77 lbs |
| Golden Retriever – Gender | Adult Weights | Adult Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Males Females |
65 – 77 lbs 55 – 65 lbs |
23 – 24 inches 21.5 – 22.5 inches |
What Are the Growth Stages of a Golden Retriever?
The Golden Retriever is one of six different types of retrievers, sporting smarts, good looks, and a fun personality. Retrievers are considered medium- to large-size dogs, and among the retrievers, Goldens are about the average size.1 But what is the growth rate of a Golden Retriever? Are there different stages to be aware of as your puppy grows up?
In the first four weeks, Golden Retriever puppies rely on their mother to care for them. They’re just starting to use their senses, and by the end of the first month, they begin walking. The average Golden Retriever puppy weighs less than 5 pounds during this beginning stage and will soon be ready to start socializing with the world.2 During the next four weeks, Golden puppies wean off of but continue learning from their mother. They start to explore their surroundings and engage in play. Eight weeks old is typically the age puppies are adopted out to their new home.
When do Golden Retrievers have growth spurts? A 2 month old Golden Retriever puppy is rapidly growing and developing towards adulthood. Golden puppies grow the most between 2 and 6 months of age, reaching more than half their full size by 6 months old. Though puppies grow at different rates, by the time Golden puppies are about 9 months old, they’re roughly 75 percent of their adult size.3
Consult with your veterinarian to keep track of your puppy’s growth and overall health (learn more on that vet-to-puppy relationship in our bringing home a puppy checklist). Most vets use the body condition score to determine how your puppy is doing. A score of 5 out of 9 on the body condition scale indicates an ideal dog weight. Factors such as an abdominal tuck, observable waist, and palpable ribs are what the veterinarian is looking for in a healthy pup.4 Your veterinarian may also speak with you about possible health concerns for your growing Golden Retriever puppy.5 Goldens are prone to:
- Elbow dysplasia
- Hip dysplasia
- Hypothyroidism
- Heart disease
- Cataracts
- Skin disorders
- Cancer
- Ear infections
- Allergies
How to Measure a Golden Retriever’s Height
Your Golden Retriever puppy is growing and putting on an appropriate amount of weight, but how do you measure her height? How big will she get? What is the average height of a golden retriever? Height is not often measured by veterinarians, therefore there exists insufficient data to determine the stages of height as a Golden puppy advances to adulthood. But each dog breed has an average height and weight recorded at full size, and the American Kennel Club, or AKC, has set breed standards in connection with those measurements.6
The height of a Golden Retriever is largely determined by how her skeletal structure develops.7 Proper nutrition, exercise, and upbringing directly influence the puppy’s growing bones. The average height for a fully grown Golden Retriever is about 22 to 24 inches. Females are generally shorter than males. How is this measurement taken? Officials measure the height of a dog at the withers – the highest part of a dog’s back. In other words, the dog’s shoulder blades. Use a tape measure and measure from level ground up to the top of your Golden’s shoulders. This gives you the current height of your pooch.
Golden Retriever Height FAQs
A Golden Retriever will stand rough 32″ tall.
A six month old male Golden Retriever will be 19-22 inches tall, and a six month old female Golden will grow to be 15-24 inches tall.
A fully grown male Golden Retriever will be 23-24 inches tall
A fully grown female Golden will grow to be 21.5 – 22.5 inches tall.
Golden Retrievers have been recorded as tall as 30 inches at the shoulder.
Article Sources
Pet News Daily uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
- Paddock A. How Many Types of Retrievers Are There? Get to Know All Six Breeds. Akc.org. Published April 21, 2021. Accessed December 19, 2021.
- Reisen J. A Puppy Growth Timeline: Transitions in Puppyhood. Akc.org. Published March 30, 2021. Accessed December 19, 2021.
- Paretts S. Puppy Growth Chart: When Does My Puppy Finish Growing? Akc.org. Published August 10, 2021. Accessed December 20, 2021.
- Body Condition Score. Wsava.org. Published 2013. Accessed December 19, 2021.
- M H. Facts About Golden Retrievers. Aspcapetinsurance.com. Accessed December 20, 2021.
- Official Standard for the Golden Retriever. Akc.org. Reformatted August 18, 1990. Accessed December 20, 2021.
- Paretts S. Puppy Growth Chart: When Does My Puppy Finish Growing? Published August 10, 2021. Accessed December 20, 2021.
Tom is a managing partner with Pet News Daily. He has been writing and researching on the web for over 10 years. He owns 3 dogs, 3 cats, and is a huge animal lover. His current obsession is working on training his (currently very good but very poorly behaved) 87 pound, 1 year old Bernedoodle named Pinecone.
