Golden Retriever

Retrievers & water dogs

Large

Median 13.2 y

FCI group 8 · Retrievers, Flushing Dogs and Water Dogs · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (29.5 kg)

Median survival across 15,758 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 10–15 y

The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium-large size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is a working dog, and registration is subject to successful completion of a working trial.

Friendly

Intelligent

Devoted

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

29.5–34 kg

Female

24.9–29.5 kg

The breed standard (the American Kennel Club)

Two types. The AKC and the KC/FCI standards describe a different-sized Golden Retriever, so Kintail bands your dog against the one your region follows — set it in Settings. KC/FCI type: males 56–61 cm, females 51–56 cm. AKC type: males 58.4–61 cm, females 54.6–57.2 cm.

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (15–30 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 29.5–34 kg and females 24.9–29.5 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 15 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (15–30 kg band).

No Golden Retriever cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 13.2 y. Median survival across 15,758 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 10–15 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.