Golden Retriever vs Hovawart

A Golden Retriever
Photo: Johan Spaedtke
A Hovawart
Photo: Wojciech Pędzich

Side by side

Golden Retriever
Hovawart
Adult weight
Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)1
Males 30–40 kg (66–88 lb); females 25–35 kg (55–77 lb)2
Height
Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm3
Males 63–70 cm; females 58–65 cm4
Lifespan
Median 13.2 years5
No sourced figure
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes6
Group
Retrievers & water dogs3
Pinschers & molossoids4
Coat
Coat with feathering3
Long coat4
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Sheds through the year
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
Daily brushing
Exercise
Plenty
A moderate amount
Health
Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)7,8
No sourced figure
Class
Family
Watchdog

Which suits you

Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the Golden Retriever moults most as the seasons change, the Hovawart sheds through the year.
Grooming
The Hovawart needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Golden Retriever needs brushing a few times a week.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the Golden Retriever, and a moderate amount with the Hovawart.
Temperament
They differ most on loyalty (Golden Retriever: friendly with everyone; Hovawart: sticks close to its people) and on handler demand (Golden Retriever: suits a first-time owner; Hovawart: needs an experienced owner).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 29 kg (65 lb) for the Golden Retriever and 33 kg (72 lb) for the Hovawart.
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

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.

Hovawart
Pinschers & molossoids · Large

In temperament it is devoted to its family, watchful and reserved with strangers. It guards its territory readily but should not be aggressive without cause.

The Golden Retriever page →The Hovawart page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Golden Retriever
Hovawart
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Golden Retriever
Hovawart
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Friendly with everyone
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Golden Retriever
Hovawart
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Usually fine with small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour9. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home10,11.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 31 kg.
Golden Retriever
Hovawart
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More comparisons

Compare the Golden Retriever with
Golden Retriever vs Labrador RetrieverEnglish Cocker Spaniel vs Golden RetrieverFlat-Coated Retriever vs Golden RetrieverGolden 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 ·