Sporting · Large (55-75 lbs) · 10-12 years
Golden Retriever
Intelligent, friendly, devoted, gentle; famously tolerant and trustworthy.
At a glance
What they’re great at
Honest challenges
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: Build the outlet into the routine: Therapy/service work naturals. Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School. A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes.
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it. Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup). A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house.
Exercise & training
Grooming & coat
Health to know about
This page can only give breed ranges. The app calculates calories and portions from your dog’s actual weight and life stage, splits them across the right number of meals, and adjusts as they grow.
Emergency red flags
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
Fainting/collapse during activity, night coughing, resting breathing rate over 30-35 breaths/min while asleep, blue-tinged gums
→ Sleeping respiratory rate over 30 warrants a call today; collapse or labored breathing means ER immediately
The app keeps every Golden Retriever red flag on your phone and opens them with no connection at all — which is the whole point at 2am in a car park. Add it to your home screen and it works like any other app.
📊 The numbers›
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Sporting |
| Size | Large (55-75 lbs) |
| Lifespan | 10-12 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 55–75 lb |
| Original purpose | Retrieving waterfowl in the Scottish Highlands. |
| Monthly care | $100-$175 |
| Typical puppy price | $1,000-$3,000 |
🐕 Similar breeds›
Add them in the app for feeding by weight, training for their stage, and Golden Retriever emergency red flags saved to your phone. Free, no account needed.
Add them once and everything here becomes about your dog: feeding by their weight, training picked for their stage, a day built around your hours, and a vitals log that shows the trend. Free, works offline, no account needed.