Golden retriever size - choosing?

[Anonymous]

We finally decided we are getting a golden. And now the breeder has puppies and they're adorable but look big. She thinks they will be between 70-80lbs. The mom and dad are both big. The mom is 80. I barely wanted a small retriever! Ha! But they're gorgeous and available. Would it be crazy to pass up and look for a smaller golden or is it too unpredictable? It's hard enough finding a breeder and gender etc. I tend to like full furry goldens as opposed to lanky ones but I'm intimidated by large dogs. I ruled out a Bernese because of that which my DH loves. Does 65-70 vs 75 make a big difference?

[Anonymous]

Forgot to mention - these are for females.

[Anonymous]

Goldens are big dogs. Our first golden was over 90 so 70-80 seems pretty regular sized to me. I’d call 60 a small golden. And less than 60 are those weird custom bred ones that I don’t trust.

[Anonymous]

I would be turned off by all the shedding. I would look for a golden-doodle instead, in a small size. I will not have a dog bigger than 30lbs.

[Anonymous]

No, 5 lbs makes little difference at that point. I would, however, be concerned that breeding dogs so out of standard is a red flag.

https://grca.org/about-the-breed/akc-breed-standard/

A female golden should be between 55-65 lbs. Sure, a litter could occasionally throw a 70 lb, but to intentionally breed an 80 lb female would make me double check everything else was in line. What is so amazing about this female that she’s worth breeding? Are all health tests done? Larger dogs are more prone to structural issues, so make sure to see copies of mom and dad’s hip X-rays with OFA or pennhip so you aren’t purchasing a fluffy ball of unsound genetics.

[Anonymous]

Have you considered a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever? They are smaller but have similar traits to a Golden in a smaller package. I have one of those hybrids a PP doesn't like, but is a male 45-50 lber which is perfect for us. Not small, not huge.

[Anonymous]

I think smaller is better. My grandma had an unusually large golden (he ended up way bigger than expected, maybe 90+ pounds he could stand with his paws on my 6' Dad's shoulders) and he would actually knock people down when he was a puppy and straight up dragged me on the leash one time. My grandma had multiple other Goldens but this one was a lot harder to handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think smaller is better. My grandma had an unusually large golden (he ended up way bigger than expected, maybe 90+ pounds he could stand with his paws on my 6' Dad's shoulders) and he would actually knock people down when he was a puppy and straight up dragged me on the leash one time. My grandma had multiple other Goldens but this one was a lot harder to handle.

I agree. But it's hard to find one as it is without now needing a certain size. The mom of the pups is 80 lbs. is that unusual?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think smaller is better. My grandma had an unusually large golden (he ended up way bigger than expected, maybe 90+ pounds he could stand with his paws on my 6' Dad's shoulders) and he would actually knock people down when he was a puppy and straight up dragged me on the leash one time. My grandma had multiple other Goldens but this one was a lot harder to handle.

I agree. But it's hard to find one as it is without now needing a certain size. The mom of the pups is 80 lbs. is that unusual?

I mean is she 80 pounds typically or is she 80 pounds pregnant? 80 pounds is bigger than standard but a pregnant dog is obviously going to weigh more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think smaller is better. My grandma had an unusually large golden (he ended up way bigger than expected, maybe 90+ pounds he could stand with his paws on my 6' Dad's shoulders) and he would actually knock people down when he was a puppy and straight up dragged me on the leash one time. My grandma had multiple other Goldens but this one was a lot harder to handle.

I agree. But it's hard to find one as it is without now needing a certain size. The mom of the pups is 80 lbs. is that unusual?

I mean is she 80 pounds typically or is she 80 pounds pregnant? 80 pounds is bigger than standard but a pregnant dog is obviously going to weigh more.

Pups are 6 weeks. Breeder said she's a big dog and 80
Is that weird they bred her?

[Anonymous]

80 is too big for a female Golden. 55-65 is more typical. I would worry about health issues. What health tests did they do on the parents? Have you seen the results? Goldens can have a slew of genetic health issues. Do not get a Golden without health certifications.

https://grca.org/find-a-golden/about-breeders/selecting-a-breeder/

The 80 lbs is a huge red flag for me. I have rescued Goldens and we often saw this huge poorly bred Goldens that were gigantic. Some as big as 100 lbs. I would not get a Golden that large unless it was a rescue adult (I'm ok with big dogs, but breeding well out of the standard says they don't care about the breed standard at all--just what sells). If they don't show their dogs, that's another red flag (although I have seen some good breeders who are not big show dog people, but rather participate in other AKC/CKC activities like agility, etc.).

A well bred Golden will usually require a wait list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, 5 lbs makes little difference at that point. I would, however, be concerned that breeding dogs so out of standard is a red flag.

https://grca.org/about-the-breed/akc-breed-standard/

A female golden should be between 55-65 lbs. Sure, a litter could occasionally throw a 70 lb, but to intentionally breed an 80 lb female would make me double check everything else was in line. What is so amazing about this female that she’s worth breeding? Are all health tests done? Larger dogs are more prone to structural issues, so make sure to see copies of mom and dad’s hip X-rays with OFA or pennhip so you aren’t purchasing a fluffy ball of unsound genetics.

+1

We had a male golden who was 70lbs, and he was within breed standards for size and weight. My MILs current female golden is 55 lbs. An 80lb golden that is not vastly overweight looking is really large for a male and ridiculously large for a female.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think smaller is better. My grandma had an unusually large golden (he ended up way bigger than expected, maybe 90+ pounds he could stand with his paws on my 6' Dad's shoulders) and he would actually knock people down when he was a puppy and straight up dragged me on the leash one time. My grandma had multiple other Goldens but this one was a lot harder to handle.

I agree. But it's hard to find one as it is without now needing a certain size. The mom of the pups is 80 lbs. is that unusual?

I mean is she 80 pounds typically or is she 80 pounds pregnant? 80 pounds is bigger than standard but a pregnant dog is obviously going to weigh more.

Pups are 6 weeks. Breeder said she's a big dog and 80
Is that weird they bred her?

How many adult females do they have? If they have an adult female that was never spayed, then they obviously intended to breed her. There’s a huge demand for puppies right now. It’s not at all weird that they bred her. Whether they should have is a different question. She doesn’t conform to the breed standard, so what was their motivation for breeding her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:80 is too big for a female Golden. 55-65 is more typical. I would worry about health issues. What health tests did they do on the parents? Have you seen the results? Goldens can have a slew of genetic health issues. Do not get a Golden without health certifications.

https://grca.org/find-a-golden/about-breeders/selecting-a-breeder/

The 80 lbs is a huge red flag for me. I have rescued Goldens and we often saw this huge poorly bred Goldens that were gigantic. Some as big as 100 lbs. I would not get a Golden that large unless it was a rescue adult (I'm ok with big dogs, but breeding well out of the standard says they don't care about the breed standard at all--just what sells). If they don't show their dogs, that's another red flag (although I have seen some good breeders who are not big show dog people, but rather participate in other AKC/CKC activities like agility, etc.).

A well bred Golden will usually require a wait list.

Ugh thanks. They have their clearances. But I think she said the mom is 80lbs. So if she has clearances and so does the dad, are the puppies fine?

[Anonymous]

I had a golden- cocker spaniel mix and he was such a great dog. Cute like the golden but smaller.