English Springer Spaniel vs Golden Retriever

Photo: Kruming

Photo: Johan Spaedtke

Side by side

English Springer Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Adult weight

Males 22–25 kg (49–55 lb); females 18–22 kg (40–49 lb) (breed club figure)1

Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)2

Height

Males 48.3–53.3 cm; females 45.7–50.8 cm3

Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm4

Lifespan

Median 13.5 years5

Median 13.2 years5

Fully grown

10 months, both sexes6

12 months, both sexes6

Group

Retrievers & water dogs7

Retrievers & water dogs4

Coat

Coat with feathering7

Coat with feathering4

Shedding

Sheds through the year

Moults most as the seasons change

Grooming

Brushing a few times a week

Exercise

Plenty

Health

Insulin-secreting pancreatic tumour (more likely); Elbow joint disease (more likely)8,9

Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)10,11

Class

Field

Family

Which suits you

Size

The Golden Retriever is larger on average: about 29 kg (65 lb) as an adult, against 22 kg (48 lb) for the English Springer Spaniel.

Shedding

Their coats shed differently: the English Springer Spaniel sheds through the year, the Golden Retriever moults most as the seasons change.

Temperament

They differ most on loyalty (English Springer Spaniel: bonded to its family; Golden Retriever: friendly with everyone) and on handler demand (English Springer Spaniel: needs steady training; Golden Retriever: suits a first-time owner).

Alike

Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.

Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.

Take the breed matcher

What they're like

English Springer Spaniel

Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

In temperament it is friendly, eager to please and busy, and it thrives when it has work to do.

Golden Retriever

Retrievers & water dogs · Large

The Golden Retriever's temperament is friendly, intelligent and devoted. It is eager to please, gentle, keen to work alongside people and seldom a good guard dog.

The English Springer Spaniel page →The Golden Retriever page →

Breed traits

Day to day

English Springer Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Activity

Needs lots of exercise

Intelligence

Needs daily brain work

Handler demand

Differs

Needs steady training

Suits a first-time owner

With people

English Springer Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Affection

A lap or leaning dog

Loyalty

Differs

Bonded to its family

Friendly with everyone

Independence

Keen to work with you

Around the home

English Springer Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Sensitivity

Average

Voice

Barks to alert, then settles

Prey drive

Differs

Chases; needs managing

Usually fine with small pets

Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour12. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home13,14.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes

Summary

Detail

The Golden Retriever grows to the heavier adult, about 29 kg against the English Springer Spaniel's 22 kg.

English Springer Spaniel

Golden Retriever

More comparisons

Compare the English Springer Spaniel with

Golden Retriever vs Labrador Retriever English Cocker Spaniel vs English Springer Spaniel Brittany vs English Springer Spaniel Boykin Spaniel vs English Springer Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel vs Golden Retriever Flat-Coated Retriever vs Golden Retriever All breed comparisons →

Sources

1
American Kennel Club. English Springer Spaniel breed page. ↑
2
American Kennel Club. Golden Retriever breed standard. ↑
images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/GoldenRetriever.pdf
3
American Kennel Club. English Springer Spaniel breed standard. ↑
4
FCI. Breed standard no. 111. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/111g08-en.pdf
5
McMillan et al., 2024. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531 (VetCompass). CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
6
Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.8.2027S
7
FCI. Breed standard no. 125. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/125g08-en.pdf
8
Kraai et al., 2025. Incidence and risk factors for insulinoma diagnosed in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86782-6
9
O'Neill et al., 2020. Epidemiology and clinical management of elbow joint disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1186/s40575-020-0080-5
10
O'Neill et al., 2021. Reporting the epidemiology of aural haematoma in dogs and proposing a novel aetiopathogenetic pathway. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00352-0
11
O'Neill et al., 2022. Frequency, breed predispositions and other demographic risk factors for diagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1186/s40575-022-00123-8
12
Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0639
13
Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/getting-dog/choosing-dog/finding-a-breeder
14
American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/screening-puppy-buyers-how-top-breeders-find-the-best-homes/
15
Salt et al., 2017. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182064 (WALTHAM). CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182064

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