Flat-Coated Retriever vs Golden Retriever

A Flat-Coated Retriever
Photo: Fesoj-wr
A Golden Retriever
Photo: Johan Spaedtke

Side by side

Flat-Coated Retriever
Golden Retriever
Adult weight
Males 27–36 kg (60–79 lb); females 25–32 kg (55–71 lb)1
Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)2
Height
No sourced figure
Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm3
Lifespan
Median 11.7 years4
Median 13.2 years4
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes5
Group
Retrievers & water dogs6
Retrievers & water dogs3
Coat
Coat with feathering6
Coat with feathering3
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
Blood-vessel cancer (much more likely); Toe melanoma (much more likely)7,8
Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)9,10
Class
Family
Family

Which suits you

Lifespan
In UK vet records the Golden Retriever lives longer: a median of 13.2 years, against 11.7 for the Flat-Coated Retriever.
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the Flat-Coated Retriever sheds through the year, the Golden Retriever moults most as the seasons change.
Temperament
They differ most on intelligence (Flat-Coated Retriever: learns readily, likes games; Golden Retriever: needs daily brain work) and on handler demand (Flat-Coated Retriever: needs steady training; Golden Retriever: suits a first-time owner).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 30 kg (66 lb) for the Flat-Coated Retriever and 29 kg (65 lb) for the Golden Retriever.
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

Flat-Coated Retriever
Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

In temperament it is cheerful, outgoing and friendly with strangers, and its enthusiastic tail action is noted in the breed standard.

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 Flat-Coated Retriever page →The Golden Retriever page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Flat-Coated Retriever
Golden Retriever
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Differs
Learns readily, likes games
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Suits a first-time owner
With people
Flat-Coated Retriever
Golden Retriever
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Friendly with everyone
Friendly with everyone
Independence
Keen to work with you
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Flat-Coated Retriever
Golden Retriever
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
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 behaviour11. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home12,13.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 30 kg.
Flat-Coated Retriever
Golden Retriever
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More comparisons

Compare the Flat-Coated Retriever with
Golden Retriever vs Labrador RetrieverEnglish Cocker Spaniel vs Golden RetrieverGolden Retriever vs HovawartGolden Retriever vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverGolden Retriever vs Great PyreneesBernese Mountain Dog vs Golden RetrieverAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·