Golden Retriever vs Labrador Retriever

Photo: Johan Spaedtke

Photo: SixtyWeb

Side by side

Golden Retriever

Labrador Retriever

Adult weight

Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)1

Males 29–36 kg (65–80 lb); females 25–32 kg (55–70 lb) (breed club figure)2

Height

Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm3

No sourced figure

Lifespan

Median 13.2 years4

Median 13.1 years4

Fully grown

12 months, both sexes5

Group

Retrievers & water dogs3

Retrievers & water dogs6

Coat

Coat with feathering3

Short coat6

Shedding

Moults most as the seasons change

Grooming

Brushing a few times a week

A brush once a week

Exercise

Plenty

Health

Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)7,8

Elbow joint disease (much more likely); Outward-drooping eyelid (much more likely)9,10

Class

Family

Which suits you

Grooming

The Golden Retriever needs more grooming, brushing a few times a week, where the Labrador Retriever needs a brush once a week.

Temperament

They differ most on intelligence (Golden Retriever: needs daily brain work; Labrador Retriever: learns readily, likes games) and on sensitivity (Golden Retriever: average; Labrador Retriever: hardy, takes a busy home in its stride).

Alike

They are much the same size as adults, about 29 kg (65 lb) for the Golden Retriever and 31 kg (68 lb) for the Labrador 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

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.

Labrador Retriever

Retrievers & water dogs · Large

The breed is friendly, outgoing and keen to work alongside people. Its steady nature has made it a common choice as a guide dog for blind people.

The Golden Retriever page →The Labrador Retriever page →

Breed traits

Day to day

Golden Retriever

Labrador Retriever

Activity

Needs lots of exercise

Intelligence

Differs

Needs daily brain work

Learns readily, likes games

Handler demand

Suits a first-time owner

With people

Golden Retriever

Labrador Retriever

Affection

A lap or leaning dog

Loyalty

Friendly with everyone

Independence

Keen to work with you

Around the home

Golden Retriever

Labrador Retriever

Sensitivity

Differs

Average

Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride

Voice

Barks to alert, then settles

Prey drive

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

Summary

Detail

Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 30 kg.

Golden Retriever

Labrador Retriever

More comparisons

Compare the Golden Retriever with

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Sources

1
American Kennel Club. Golden Retriever breed standard. ↑
images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/GoldenRetriever.pdf
2
American Kennel Club. Labrador Retriever breed page. ↑
3
FCI. Breed standard no. 111. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/111g08-en.pdf
4
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
5
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
6
FCI. Breed standard no. 122. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/122g08-en.pdf
7
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
8
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
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., 2025. Conformational eyelid disorders in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK - Epidemiology and clinical management. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326526
11
Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0639
12
Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/getting-dog/choosing-dog/finding-a-breeder
13
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/
14
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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