Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a sporting breed from Scotland, United Kingdom, standing males 22–24 in · females 20–22 in at the withers, weighing males 65–75 lb · females 55–65 lb. Recorded lifespan is 10–12 yrs.
- Breed group
- Sporting
- Origin
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Height
- males 22–24 in · females 20–22 in
- Weight
- males 65–75 lb · females 55–65 lb
- Lifespan
- 10–12 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Golden Retriever is taller than 61% of the measured breeds, heavier than 74%, one of 32 in the Sporting group.
Living with the Golden Retriever
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Golden Retriever’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 5 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 5 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 5 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 3 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 5 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 2 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 5 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 3 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 1 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Golden Retriever on AKCGolden Retriever on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Golden Retriever
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Golden Retriever.
Height 0–38 in
- Golden Retriever22–24 in
- Aksaray Malaklisi29–32 in
- Bully Kutta30–34 in
- Treeing Tennessee Brindle18–24 in
- Pampas Deerhound19–23 in
- Can de Chira17–19 in
- Ariegeois20–23 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Golden Retriever65–75 lb
- Aksaray Malaklisi143–187 lb
- Bully Kutta154–198 lb
- Treeing Tennessee Brindle35–50 lb
- Pampas Deerhound44 lb
- Can de Chira35–44 lb
- Ariegeois62–66 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Golden Retriever10–12 yrs
- Aksaray Malaklisi12–16 yrs
- Bully Kutta6–12 yrs
- Treeing Tennessee Brindle10–12 yrs
- Pampas Deerhound~12 yrs
- Can de Chirano recorded figure
- Ariegeois10–12 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Golden Retriever
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.