Golden Retriever growth chart
The AKC standard gives 29.5 to 34 kg for males and 24.9 to 29.5 kg for females, and 58.4 to 61 cm at the shoulder for males and 54.6 to 57.1 cm for females. That places the Golden Retriever in the large size category, so its growth follows that curve, scaled to this breed’s own published weight rather than to a category average.
What the breed standard says
| Measure | Metric | As the source states it |
|---|---|---|
| Weight, male | 29.5 to 34 kg | 65-75 pounds (male), 55-65 pounds (female) |
| Weight, female | 24.9 to 29.5 kg | 65-75 pounds (male), 55-65 pounds (female) |
| Height, male | 58.4 to 61 cm | 23-24 inches (male), 21.5-22.5 inches (female) |
| Height, female | 54.6 to 57.1 cm | 23-24 inches (male), 21.5-22.5 inches (female) |
| Life expectancy | 10 to 12 years | 10-12 years |
| AKC popularity | Ranks 3 of 210 | AKC breed registration statistics |
Figures are from the AKC breed standard for the Golden Retriever. Its pounds and inches are converted to metric above. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the AKC.
Golden Retriever weight by age
Percentages are the large category curve. Weights are those percentages applied to this breed’s published adult range, so the middle column is a Golden Retriever at the centre of its standard.
| Age | Percent grown | Expected weight | Range across the standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 weeks (2.8 months) | 31% | 9.9 kg (22 lb) | 9.2 to 10.6 kg |
| 16 weeks (3.7 months) | 41% | 13.1 kg (29 lb) | 12.2 to 14 kg |
| 20 weeks (4.6 months) | 53% | 16.8 kg (37 lb) | 15.6 to 18 kg |
| 26 weeks (6.0 months) | 69% | 22 kg (49 lb) | 20.4 to 23.6 kg |
| 34 weeks (7.8 months) | 84% | 26.7 kg (59 lb) | 24.8 to 28.6 kg |
| 43 weeks (9.9 months) | 91% | 28.8 kg (64 lb) | 26.8 to 30.9 kg |
| 52 weeks (12.0 months) | 93% | 29.5 kg (65 lb) | 27.4 to 31.6 kg |
| 78 weeks (1.5 years) | 98% | 31.1 kg (69 lb) | 28.9 to 33.3 kg |
| 104 weeks (2.0 years) | 100% | 31.8 kg (70 lb) | 29.5 to 34 kg |
| Age | Percent grown | Expected weight | Range across the standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 weeks | 33% | 9.1 kg (20 lb) | 8.3 to 9.8 kg |
| 16 weeks | 43% | 11.8 kg (26 lb) | 10.8 to 12.8 kg |
| 20 weeks | 55% | 15.1 kg (33 lb) | 13.8 to 16.3 kg |
| 26 weeks | 71% | 19.2 kg (42 lb) | 17.6 to 20.8 kg |
| 34 weeks | 84% | 22.8 kg (50 lb) | 20.9 to 24.7 kg |
| 43 weeks | 91% | 24.8 kg (55 lb) | 22.7 to 26.9 kg |
| 52 weeks | 93% | 25.4 kg (56 lb) | 23.3 to 27.5 kg |
| 78 weeks | 97% | 26.4 kg (58 lb) | 24.2 to 28.7 kg |
| 104 weeks | 100% | 27.2 kg (60 lb) | 24.9 to 29.5 kg |
When a Golden Retriever finishes growing
- Half adult weight at around 5 months.
- 90% of adult weight at around 10 months.
- Essentially finished by around 24 months.
- Senior from about 7 years, following AAHA life stage guidance, which sets senior status by proportion of expected lifespan rather than a fixed birthday.
Height finishes before weight. A Golden Retriever that has stopped getting taller will still be filling out through the chest and shoulders for months afterwards, which is why an apparently full-grown dog can carry on gaining.
Feeding a Golden Retriever puppy
At six months a male at the middle of the standard weighs about 22 kg and needs roughly 1,422 kcal a day. A grown one at 31.8 kg needs about 1,873 kcal. Both come from Merck’s resting energy formula with the growth multiplier applied.
Large breed growth formula, and no calcium supplement. Puppies absorb calcium passively until around six months and cannot down-regulate when intake is high. AAFCO caps large breed growth formulas at about 4.5 g per 1,000 kcal, with concerns reported above roughly 3.6. Feed a complete large breed puppy food and leave the calcium alone.
Across a whole first year that adds up to a real number, and the puppy budget calculator works it out month by month for this size of dog.
Work out actual portions with the feeding calculator above, or the daily figure alone with the puppy calorie calculator. Both need the energy density from your bag, because two foods of the same weight can differ by hundreds of calories.
How much to trust this chart
- The curve is the size category, not the breed. Salt et al. grouped dogs by adult bodyweight because that is what predicts growth. There is no Golden Retriever dimension in the source data, and any page claiming a breed-specific curve from it is claiming more than it has.
- The weights are the breed, though. They are the category percentages applied to the AKC published range, so the table ends where this breed actually ends. Our guide to what a puppy weight calculator by breed can honestly tell you works through what that does and does not buy you.
- A breed standard is a target, not a census. Plenty of healthy dogs sit outside it. Steady progress along one line beats hitting any particular number.
- Mixes are a different question. If your puppy is part Golden Retriever, the mixed breed puppy growth calculator will do better than this page.
Frequently asked questions
How big will my Golden Retriever get?
The AKC standard gives 29.5 to 34 kg for males and 24.9 to 29.5 kg for females. The source states it as 65-75 pounds (male), 55-65 pounds (female).
Height runs 58.4 to 61 cm at the shoulder for males and 54.6 to 57.1 cm for females.
Those are the breed standard, not a prediction for your dog. A Golden Retriever at the top of the range and one at the bottom are both entirely normal, and the how big will my puppy get calculator will narrow it down from your puppy's current weight.
When does a Golden Retriever stop growing?
Around 24 months for practical purposes, with the curve passing 90% of adult weight at about 10 months.
That is the large category curve rather than a measurement on this breed specifically. Bigger dogs finish later: filling out in the chest and shoulders carries on for months after height has stopped, so a dog that looks finished may still be gaining.
What should a Golden Retriever puppy weigh at 6 months?
About 22 kg (49 lb) for a male at the middle of the breed standard, and about 19.2 kg (42 lb) for a female. That is 69% of adult weight.
The full table above gives the rest of the first two years. Treat the figures as the centre of a range, not a target: a puppy tracking steadily along its own line matters far more than hitting a number on a given week.
How much should a Golden Retriever eat?
At six months, roughly 1,422 kcal a day, using the Merck resting energy formula with the growth multiplier. A grown one at 31.8 kg needs about 1,873 kcal.
Turn that into portions with the puppy feeding calculator, which needs the energy density printed on your bag, because two foods at the same weight can differ by hundreds of calories.
Does a Golden Retriever puppy need large breed food?
It needs food formulated for large breed growth, yes, and the reason is calcium rather than protein. Puppies absorb calcium passively until around six months and cannot down-regulate when intake is high, so excess goes somewhere.
AAFCO caps large breed growth formulas at about 4.5 g of calcium per 1,000 kcal, with concerns reported above roughly 3.6. The practical rule is simple: feed a complete large breed puppy food and do not supplement it with calcium.
Is this chart specific to the Golden Retriever?
Half of it is, and it is worth knowing which half. The percentages come from the large size category in Salt et al. 2017, which has no breed dimension in it at all. Any breed in this category shares that curve.
The weights are this breed's, scaled to the AKC published adult range. That is a more modest claim than a breed-specific curve, and it is the one the data actually supports.
Related calculators
References
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. Full details, including what each source is used for, are on our sources page.
- American Kennel Club. Official Breed Standards.
- Salt C, Morris PJ, German AJ, Wilson D, Lund EM, Cole TJ, Butterwick RF. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLOS ONE. 2017;12(9):e0182064. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182064
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Management and Nutrition.
- American Animal Hospital Association. AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines.