# Golden Retriever weight



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

For those of us that need the conversion:
40kg = 88.2 pounds
45kg = 99.2 pounds
50kg = 110.2 pounds


Without pictures (profile and from above) and without knowing his height measured at the shoulder (holler if you want to know how to accurately get this measurement)...
Just going from the numbers your provided and assuming that his height is within the breed standard....then yes, at 45kg, your puppy is most definitely VERY over weight. 
He should be no more then 34-36 kg as an adult.

PLEASE dont take offense...please...there is no time for hurt feelings.
The consequence of being overweight are dramatic, painful and life shortening.

You must get an accurate weight and an accurate height as well as some pictures in profile and from above...

Then be brutally honest and look at ALL of the small calories that your dog may be eating...measure his food with a measuring cup or scale (no heaping, mounded cupfuls), count EVERY training treat...ALL snacks....ALL toppers that you might be putting on his food...quiz everyone in the family to be sure they are not slipping him extra calories through the day. It is sooo hard to resist those sweet, beautiful eyes!

If your dog was ill from any other disease, I know you would do everything within your power to help him extend his life. Obesity is just as serious as any disease. There is no time to waste in helping your pup.

There are lots of us here that have helped dogs lose weight and even more that have and continue to lose our own weight! So you WILL receive support.


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## jrfoster01 (Jan 11, 2012)

After reading your post, he has been re-weighed. Somewhere between 35-40kg. 

Some recent pictures here are attached.

Picture 1
Picture 2

Probably not the best angles for this purpose though...

We are very strict with his diet; he never gets anything more than one flat scoop twice a day, and we are very strict when people come around to make sure he doesn't get any human food or treats. 

I honestly think he is just a big dog? He doesn't look at all overweight.

But we will look into further. Thanks for your help


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

It's hard to tell from those pics about his weight... if anything it looks like he's big boned and fluffy<:  

*I would not let him gain much more weight than he is right now.*


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

He might very well be 100 lbs by the time he is full grown. And depending on his bone structure that might be a good weight for him. While that is not the standard breed weight for a golden it doesn't mean it isn't for his body type. I had a 100 lb boy myself. The pictures don't make him look that big.
2 cups a day is not alot of food for a dog that size. He is beautiful by the way!


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

My Lucky was 120 pounds and my vet told me it was a good weight for him and his bone structure. Buddy is going to be about 90 pounds once appropriate weight is gained according to the vet he should be 85 to 95 pounds about.

Your pup is just a big boy I think. Very fluffy too.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Wow... what do these 120 lb dogs look like?


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Megora said:


> Wow... what do these 120 lb dogs look like?


His head was slightly below hip level on me. He was huge.


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## janababy (Jan 2, 2012)

Your pup looks like what our Buddy looked like at that age. His father was built like a dump truck. We were warned by the breeder to never run him, his frame was just too big. He too was fluffy like Randall. You sound like you are doing all the right things for him. I think you just have a large framed boy.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Ive been trying to play off that "Im just big boned" bluff with my doctor my whole life...guess what its hooey! Now as I approach 50 years on this planet...Im paying for being overweight now..

The actual bones of a dog only weigh 'so much'...
The internal organs can only weigh 'so much'
The muscle & tendons required to move those bones and those internal organs through space can only weigh 'so much' even if you have a ripped, well-muscled, athlete of a dog...
The rest is fat....plain and simple.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

WHAT? Never run your dog?
A breed bred for hunting and retrieving...youre warned to NEVER run him?



janababy said:


> Your pup looks like what our Buddy looked like at that age. His father was built like a dump truck.* We were warned by the breeder to never run him, his frame was just too big. *He too was fluffy like Randall. You sound like you are doing all the right things for him. I think you just have a large framed boy.


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## Ada's Mom (Aug 24, 2011)

I think the breed standard for males is around 70-80 pounds, however, some dogs do have bigger frames. I had a friend with a 100+ pound yellow lab, but he wasn't fat...just taller than normal. No matter how big his frame is though, you can tell if your dog is at an ideal weight by the following guidelines:

"Easy to feel ribs without excess fat covering. Viewed from the side, belly is tucked up. Viewed from above, a noticeable waist in front of the hips."


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> The actual bones of a dog only weigh 'so much'...
> The internal organs can only weigh 'so much'
> The muscle & tendons required to move those bones and those internal organs through space can only weigh 'so much' even if you have a ripped, well-muscled, athlete of a dog...
> The rest is fat....plain and simple.


I agree... or what I was thinking about last night was I read about the 120 lbs after admiring Shalva's new picture thread with her gorgeous 135lb wolfhound who can knock couches over and grab stuff off the fridge.  

I was thinking as far as feeding and maintaining a healthy weight on your dog... a lot of it depends on your specific dog. 2 cups of food might actually be more than enough for the average family pet who gets treats and handouts throughout the day. And if the dog is maintaining a healthy weight instead of gaining or losing weight, you know he's eating the right amount for him. 

With my Jacks I noticed that he was looking a bit too thin (I think because winter walks burn more calories than summer) and I added 1/2 cup of a higher calorie kibble to his regular food. 

For his size (close to the top height in the breed standard) and body structure (big boned), I need to keep his weight under control (below 80 lbs). He can't afford to carry "a little comfort weight" - because he would look pretty blimpy and it'd be bad for his joints.  While most vets aren't concerned about goldens who are 80-85lbs, my one vet who is a surgeon and sees a lot of the impact all that extra weight has on hearts and bones is emphatic about keeping dogs as lean as possible.

I've never met any golden retriever that I could see needing to weigh upwards of 90 lbs in order to thrive. I can't imagine that being a healthy weight. <- I've met a lot of field type labs who definitely were oversized and weighed that much. Not too many goldens though.

*** And bone structure matters more than height. Our collie is an inch and a half taller than our golden, but he weighs 20 lbs less.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

A 100 pound golden or lab would look like a Pyr or Newf

A Great Pyrenees dog, 27" tall, weighs 100 pounds... 
A Newfoundland bitch 26" tall and 100 pounds


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

janababy said:


> Your pup looks like what our Buddy looked like at that age. His father was built like a dump truck. We were warned by the breeder to never run him, his frame was just too big. He too was fluffy like Randall. You sound like you are doing all the right things for him. I think you just have a large framed boy.


They are made for running and retrieving. My Lucky was 120 pounds. He would run, swim, and retrieve til he was too tired to move.

Other than size what is the reason for why your Buddy was not allowed to run? Hip or elbow problems?


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Ada's Mom said:


> I think the breed standard for males is around 70-80 pounds, however, some dogs do have bigger frames. *I had a friend with a 100+ pound yellow lab, but he wasn't fat...just taller than normal.* No matter how big his frame is though, you can tell if your dog is at an ideal weight by the following guidelines:
> 
> "Easy to feel ribs without excess fat covering. Viewed from the side, belly is tucked up. Viewed from above, a noticeable waist in front of the hips."


Our 100 golden was the same. However he looked like the lion king with all his hair. When he was wet you could feel his ribs and see his waist. People will believe what they want. Does not matter. 


MikaTallulah said:


> They are made for running and retrieving. My Lucky was 120 pounds. He would run, swim, and retrieve til he was too tired to move.
> 
> Other than size what is the reason for why your Buddy was not allowed to run? Hip or elbow problems?


Our 110 pounder swam all the time in the pool and the river. He didn't know how to walk he used to run 3 miles with us every other day.


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## jrfoster01 (Jan 11, 2012)

Looks like I have inadvertently started a debate :-S

Randall has been to our vet during the past week, and they told us he looks very healthy.

The other week we took him to the beach, and when he came out of the water, he actually looked rather skinny with his fur all wet! So I don't think there are any weight issues with our Randall.

Sounds like there are a large range of sizes in the breed. Guess it all depends on genes! I have seen many Goldens with a thin, long head, as opposed to our pup who has a broad large head. Maybe the weight is all in the head


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

Megora said:


> For his size (close to the top height in the breed standard) and body structure (big boned), I need to keep his weight under control (below 80 lbs). He can't afford to carry "a little comfort weight" - because he would look pretty blimpy and it'd be bad for his joints.  While most vets aren't concerned about goldens who are 80-85lbs, my one vet who is a surgeon and sees a lot of the impact all that extra weight has on hearts and bones is emphatic about keeping dogs as lean as possible.
> 
> I've never met any golden retriever that I could see needing to weigh upwards of 90 lbs in order to thrive. I can't imagine that being a healthy weight. <- I've met a lot of field type labs who definitely were oversized and weighed that much. Not too many goldens though.
> 
> *** And bone structure matters more than height. Our collie is an inch and a half taller than our golden, but he weighs 20 lbs less.


 

Our Rocky-CH Harborview Just U Wait BISS BOSS was about 89 lbs in his prime and yes, he is an American Champion and has group placements to his credit. He is almost 24.5 in tall and is a very substantial dog who was also always in very hard condition. Pedigree: CH Harborview Just U Wait OS BISS BOSS The photo here he is soaking wet after winning a group placement in the pouring down rain. 

Rocky is now 12.5 and weighs about 84 lbs because he has lost some muscle mass with age but is still far from being chunky 

We don't often see goldens of this size anymore and people are still always shocked at his size when they come to our home to meet the dogs.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

hvgoldens4 said:


> Our Rocky-CH Harborview Just U Wait BISS BOSS was about 89 lbs in his prime and yes, he is an American Champion and has group placements to his credit. He is almost 24.5 in tall and is a very substantial dog who was also always in very hard condition. Pedigree: CH Harborview Just U Wait OS BISS BOSS The photo here he is soaking wet after winning a group placement in the pouring down rain.
> 
> Rocky is now 12.5 and weighs about 84 lbs because he has lost some muscle mass with age but is still far from being chunky
> 
> We don't often see goldens of this size anymore and people are still always shocked at his size when they come to our home to meet the dogs.


Holy cow! I don't see where those extra pounds were. He wore them very well.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Purina.Com | Dog | Caring | Understanding your Dog's Body Condition

Check out the Purina Body Charts for an idea on good condition. Keep in mind lean dogs live longer and will have less strain on their joints.


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

Megora said:


> Holy cow! I don't see where those extra pounds were. He wore them very well.


 
Nope!! He was/is just a very big boy! Casper is his dad though, so he came by it very honestly.  The photo of him on K9data was just before his 2nd birthday. With his size and weight, I would definitely say he is the exception though, and not the rule. None of our other goldens come close to his size and weight.


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

GoldenSail said:


> Purina.Com | Dog | Caring | Understanding your Dog's Body Condition
> 
> Check out the Purina Body Charts for an idea on good condition. Keep in mind lean dogs live longer and will have less strain on their joints.


 
This is absolutely true for all our furry friends and us, as well!! I think people are more touchy about their dogs being over weight though than they are about themselves. 

The only one in our house who is chubby is our Bailey and we figure at 15 years old, she has earned that right! :


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