A Golden Retriever with a feathered golden coat sitting in a bright kitchen
Breed Encyclopedia

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a sunny, eager-to-please gundog from Scotland that loves to fetch, swim and hike, and often stays puppyishly silly well into adulthood. Goldens have big appetites, so homemade treats should be measured and kept small.

A Golden Retriever with a feathered golden coat sitting in a bright kitchen

  • SizeLarge
  • AKC groupSporting Group
  • HeightMales 23-24 in, females 21.5-22.5 in
  • WeightMales 65-75 lb, females 55-65 lb
  • Life expectancy10-12 years
Part A

About the Golden Retriever

Origin and purpose

Goldens were developed in the Scottish Highlands from the 1860s by Dudley Marjoribanks (later Lord Tweedmouth) on his Guisachan estate. He started with a gold-coated retriever named Nous and a Tweed Water Spaniel named Belle, aiming for a dog that could retrieve game on land and in water. (AKC breed history; AKC breed facts)

AKC places the Golden Retriever in the Sporting Group, and it ranked No. 3 in AKC's 2025 popularity rankings. (AKC Sporting Group; AKC 2025 rankings)

Coat and energy

Goldens wear a dense, water-repellent double coat: a firm outer coat, straight or wavy, over a good undercoat, with feathering on the neck, legs, underbody and tail, in rich, lustrous shades of gold. (AKC breed standard)

Energy is high. Goldens love to fetch, swim and hike, mature slowly and often keep their puppyish silliness well into adulthood. (AKC breed guide; AKC breed facts)

Nutrition and weight

Males weigh 65-75 lb and stand 23-24 inches; females weigh 55-65 lb and stand 21.5-22.5 inches. (AKC breed standard)

AKC notes that Goldens have big appetites and tend to overeat, and suggests limiting treats, measuring meals and feeding only at mealtimes. (AKC breed facts)

The Golden is on the Merck Veterinary Manual's list of breeds predisposed to hypothyroidism, which can cause weight gain without a bigger appetite. If your Golden gains weight even with measured meals and treats, see your veterinarian rather than just cutting food. (Merck (hypothyroidism))

Golden puppies are large-breed puppies. Large-breed puppy foods must meet a narrower calcium range, and Tufts nutritionists warn that extra calories from food and treats speed growth and raise bone and joint risk. (Tufts large-breed guide; Tufts growth guide)

Diet and heart health: Goldens were the breed most often reported (95 reports through April 2019) in the FDA's investigation of diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In a 2018 study, Goldens with taurine deficiency and DCM were mostly eating grain-free and/or legume-rich diets. Neither the FDA nor the study authors have established cause and effect, and the FDA notes possible reporting bias for this breed. (FDA; Kaplan et al. 2018)

Health watch

AKC puts typical life expectancy at 10-12 years. (AKC breed guide)

  • Cancer (especially hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma): Goldens are highly cancer-prone. In the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study's 2022 cohort report, about 70% of recorded deaths were attributed to cancer, and hemangiosarcoma (a blood-vessel cancer) and lymphoma were the most common. No specific treat link is known. (Golden Retriever Lifetime Study)
  • Hypothyroidism: an underactive thyroid gland that slows metabolism, causing low energy, coat changes and weight gain. Merck lists the Golden among predisposed breeds. Because it can cause weight gain without a bigger appetite, unexplained weight gain in a Golden is a reason to see your veterinarian, not just to cut treats. (Merck (hypothyroidism))
  • Taurine-deficiency dilated cardiomyopathy (diet-associated DCM): a weakened, enlarged heart muscle. In a 2018 study of 24 Goldens with low taurine and DCM, 23 were eating grain-free diets, legume-rich diets or both, and the FDA says Goldens may be genetically predisposed to taurine deficiency. This is the breed's most direct diet link. The evidence concerns complete diets, not occasional treats, and cause and effect is unproven, but if you bake often for a Golden with pea, lentil or chickpea flour, mention it to your veterinarian. (Kaplan et al. 2018; FDA)
  • Elbow osteochondritis dissecans (OCD): a cartilage development problem in the elbow that can cause lameness and arthritis. Merck lists the Golden among the breeds with the highest odds. Extra calories during growth raise bone and joint risk in large-breed puppies, so keep treats minimal for growing Goldens. (Merck (joint table); Tufts growth guide)

Fun fact

Goldens are famous for a "soft mouth." AKC says some Goldens can hold a raw egg in their mouths without cracking the shell. (AKC breed facts)

Part B

Baking, treats and ingredients

Breed-specific baking notes

  • Measure before you bake. Goldens tend to overeat, so plan treats as small, pre-counted pieces that stay under about 10% of daily calories. (AKC breed facts; Tufts growth guide)
  • Watch the flour base. Because of the studied but unproven link between legume-heavy diets and taurine-deficiency DCM in Goldens, don't make pea, lentil or chickpea flour the backbone of every recipe without checking with your veterinarian, especially if you bake often. (FDA; Kaplan et al. 2018)

General baking notes for all dogs

  • Keep bakes lean. The Merck Veterinary Manual names eating large amounts of table scraps or other inappropriate food as a commonly suspected risk factor for pancreatitis, and the ASPCA warns that high-fat nuts can cause vomiting, diarrhea and possibly pancreatitis. Butter-rich pastry and nut-heavy fillings are poor choices for dogs. (Merck (pancreatitis); ASPCA)
  • For large-breed puppies (under about 12 months), keep treats minimal. Tufts veterinary nutritionists explain that extra calories from treats and other foods speed growth and raise the risk of lifelong bone and joint problems in large breeds, and they advise keeping all treats under 10% of daily calories. (Tufts growth guide)
  • Leave xylitol (found in some baked goods, candy and gum), chocolate and cocoa, coffee or tea (caffeine), grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts and raw yeast dough out of every dog bake. If a dog eats any of these, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center right away. (ASPCA)
  • Be honest about extracts: under the U.S. standard of identity, vanilla extract must contain at least 35% alcohol by volume, and the ASPCA lists alcohol as dangerous for pets. Read extract labels and leave alcohol-based extracts out of dog treats. (21 CFR 169.175; ASPCA)

Daily calories and treat budget

A typical neutered adult at 55-75 lb needs roughly 1,250-1,578 kcal a day (RER x 1.6, Merck Veterinary Manual), so treats should stay under about 125-158 kcal a day (the 10% guideline). Intact, very active, young, senior or overweight dogs differ, so ask your veterinarian for your dog's number.

Check an ingredient before you bake, and see our guide to treat portions and the 10% guideline.

Treat size: A typical neutered adult Golden should get no more than about 125-158 kcal a day from treats (10% of roughly 1,250-1,578 kcal).

Ask your veterinarian about

  • Cancer (hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma)
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
  • Elbow osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)

Breed tendencies don't mean your dog has a condition. Your veterinarian knows your dog.

Ingredients to know

Sources

  1. Breed page (height, weight, life expectancy), American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  2. Golden Retriever History: Behind the Breed's 'Unfashionable' Past, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  3. Facts About the Golden Retriever That You May Not Know, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  4. Get to Know the Retriever Breeds of the Sporting Group, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  5. Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2025, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  6. Official Standard for the Golden Retriever, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  7. Is the Golden Retriever the Right Dog Breed for You?, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  8. Hypothyroidism in Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  9. Confused About What to Feed Your Large Breed Puppy? New Rules May Help!, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (Petfoodology). Checked October 22, 2026.
  10. Growth Guide: Keeping your Puppy on the Right Track, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (Petfoodology). Checked October 22, 2026.
  11. FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Checked October 22, 2026.
  12. Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets, PLOS ONE (Kaplan et al., 2018); University of California eScholarship copy. Checked October 22, 2026.
  13. Cohort profile: The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (GRLS), PLOS ONE (Labadie et al., 2022); Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. Checked October 22, 2026.
  14. Table: Heritable Conformational Conditions Resulting in Canine Osteoarthritis, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  15. Pancreatitis and Other Disorders of the Pancreas in Dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  16. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Checked October 22, 2026.
  17. 21 CFR 169.175 -- Vanilla extract., U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation, published in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). Checked October 22, 2026.

Last checked against these sources: October 22, 2026.

Written by VanillaGoods from the cited sources. Not reviewed by a veterinarian. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.