What Is The Average Lifespan Of A Golden Retriever
Breeder EducationPuppy Education
You are visiting here most likely because you have the simple question of: what is the average lifespan of a golden retriever? The quick answer is 11-12 years old. However, the answer is not so simple. 11-12 years doesnt mean that your dog wont live a long life of 17 years. Unfortunately golden retrievers have a high incidence of cancer. Resulting in an earlier death.
There have been many studies performed on the average lifespan of golden retrievers. American golden retrievers have a slight difference than the european counterparts. American golden retrievers tend to live 10-11 years of age. European goldens following the English standard have an average lifespan of 12 years and 3 months. A study from the Golden Retriever Club of America states that the cancer rate of american golden retrievers is at 60-72%. Resulting with an average lifespan of 10 years 8 months. Results from a study done by the Kennel Club stated that cancer rates are at 38.8%. English standard lifespan average is slightly longer at 12 years 3 months. There have been a few other studies done with similar results.
Hopefully, as breeders we can fix the major problem and improve the lifespan. Hopefully we can nearly eradicate the incidence of cancer. It will be an uphill battle. Hopefully the average lifespan of 11-12 years will be even higher in time so that everyone can enjoy their best friend even longer.
The Oldest Golden Retriever In The World
In April this year, a very special 20 year old celebrated her birthday. As everything was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, she spent the day with just her close family, much like any of you who had birthdays in the last two months. August is special as she is the worlds oldest known Golden Retriever.
August was already 14 years old when she came to live with Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt at their home in the United States . They thought they would have only a few years with her as she was so old when she came to them but are delighted to be celebrating this special milestone with her. milestone with her.
August lives with her parents Steve and Jennifer and her siblings Sherman, Belle and Bruce. And yes, you guessed it they are all Golden Retrievers! August is pretty active for her age she still takes walks and even a swim from time to time!
So, how old can dogs get?
Do This To Improve The Golden Retrievers Lifespan
There are various things you can do to improve your Golden retriever lifespan. You can try dietary supplements, a healthy diet, exercise, or putting them on a slow growth process.
To boast the lifespan of golden retriever lifespan you must be very intentional about taking care of your dog.
Back in the old days, the golden retriever lived for about 17 years. But even with access to better healthcare, these dogs are still dying young.
While you may not accept that your dog will not be around forever, therere steps you can take to extend the lifespan.
Look At Your Golden Retriever Puppy From Side
When you look at your Golden Retriever puppy from the side, you should see curves. Further, those curves dont need to be extreme. But your puppy must have a tucked-up area from ribs and legs.
Usually, a straight rectangular body or a rounded body indicates your puppy is fat. Besides this, your puppy will have a tummy that goes straight from front to back when it is fat.
What Is The Ideal Weight Of A Golden Retriever Puppy
Usually, the ideal weight of a Golden Retriever puppy varies according to height and age. Besides this, the sex of these dogs also influences their weight.
As the male Retrievers have a larger body frame and height, they are a little heavier. However, after the first heat cycle and pregnancy, females are more likely to gain more weight.
Therefore, the ideal weight for a male Golden Retriever puppy is:
| Age |
| 55-90 | 100% |
Generally, when a Golden Retriever reaches the adolescent stage, it loses some of its fat. So, if your puppy is a little obese, it isnt a problem.
However, its weight must not exceed a lot. Therefore, try to keep your puppys weight in the above range.
Is your puppy male or female? Does your pals weight fall in this range?
What Affects The Life Span Of A Golden Retriever
The golden retriever lifespan can vary based on a number of factors. Two of the biggest factors come down to the genetics of the canine and your care. Some dogs have genetic markers which put them at risk of diseases and serious health issues. Some are carefully bred to be free of most genetic defects. To ensure the longest possible life span for your pet, always work with a reputable breeder who can vouch for the dogs health.
One factor you can control is how well you care for your golden. You can ensure a high quality of life for your dog and make sure you spend as much time together as possible by:
- Reducing your dogs stress
- Taking your dog to obedience school and training
- Getting regular vet visits in and following vet advice carefully
- Maintaining your dogs ideal weight
- Feeding your dog healthy, high quality food
- Ensuring your golden stays properly groomed
- Dog-proofing your house and yard to reduce the risk of injury
- Supervising your dog closely to minimize injury risk
- Neutering or spaying your dog
- Exercising your dog
- Establishing a good, loving relationship with your dog
In addition to these tips, remember to never shave your goldens fur. Golden retrievers have thick fur which acts to protect them. When you shave it, you expose your friend to the dangers of UV exposure and skin cancer.
What Is The Best Age
There is a lot of argument about the best age to neuter a Golden retriever. However, two top options will be before 12 months of age and after 12 months. The following are the advantages and disadvantages of both sides of the debate.
Neutering Before your dog reaches one year
Behavioral issues in Golden retrievers increase after sexual maturity. In the past decades, vets recommend that you get your dog neutered prior to reaching sexual maturity. However, recent studies reveal contradicting evidence.
The development of the sex hormones is crucial to your dogs growth. Thus, getting them neutered before they reach the age of one year can have grave side effects on their health.
For example, a male golden retriever that is neutered before reaching the age of one has an 80% risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to dogs neutered after the age of one.
Similarly, a female retriever neutered before reaching the age of one will have a 60% risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to those neutered after a year.
Studies even show that dogs that are neutered before their sexual maturity have a tendency to grow taller. This is bad news for your retriever since taller retrievers are believed to have a shorter lifespan. Short male Golden retrievers can live at least two years longer compared to short retrievers. Similarly, short female retrievers will live more than a year than tall female retrievers.
After One Year
The Best Age
Male Golden Retrievers
Female Golden Retrievers
#22: English Cream Golden Retrievers Eat A Lot
Theyre not small dogs, and they certainly dont have small appetites.
Oliver eats about 5 cups of food per day and goes through a 30 lb bag of dog food every 24 days.
Golden retrievers love eating , but because of this its important to monitor how much they eat.
Theyre susceptible to obesity, which could lead to heart and joint issues .
We feed Oliver , but whatever you decide to feed your golden, check out this article about grain-free and BEG diets.
Read this article to learn more about how much it costs to feed golden retrievers.
Apply Sunscreen On Them In Sunny Days
Golden retrievers being lighter in color are more prone to sunburn. They may get skin cancer if exposed to the sun for a longer period. So, they need protection from the sun to shine for a longer time. You can apply a dog-safe sunscreen to the tip of their nose, around their eyes, ears, and tummy. You can use the sunscreen that your vet recommends.
How To Improve Your Golden Retrievers Lifespan
Now that weve gone through some of the problems that you can find in this breed. Lets take a look at a few ways that you can create solutions to these problems and start moving in the right direction from here on.
The following section of this post will do just that, continue reading to learn a few quick actionable steps that you can start taking today to help your Golden live longer.
How Long Do They Live
Although Golden Retrievers often retain their puppy-like qualities throughout their life, these dogs officially reach adulthood at around 15 months old.
Today a Golden Retriever lifespan typically sits between 10 and 12 years, however until as recently as the 1970s these majestic dogs lived as long as 16 or 17 years.
While the life expectancy of the Golden Retriever seems to have dropped without apparent cause, there are some people studying this phenomenon and there are a variety of things you can do to prolong the life of your Golden Retriever puppy.
How Can You Help Your Dog Live Longer
We all want to know how to help our pets stay with us longer. While genetic diseases certainly play a factor, and Goldens are prone to health problems, its difficult to fight against natures genetic make up.
All we can do is take action to bring their health and vitality to the highest level to fight against any DNA weaknesses.
Lets focus on a few actions you can take to better your odds that your Golden will be with you into their teen years.
#5: English Cream Golden Retrievers Have A Lifespan Of 10
Many people think that English Cream goldens live longer than other types of goldens.
The lifespan of a golden retriever does not necessarily have to do with the color of the coat or the type of golden retriever.
The more important thing to consider if you want a golden retriever whos likely to have a long, happy life is to find a quality breeder that breeds healthy dogs.
Yes, you may find many English Cream golden retriever breeders breed healthy dogs, but you also may find other golden retriever breeders produce healthy pups as well.
What Do Most Golden Retrievers Die From
According to the study done by the Morris Animal Foundation, about 60% of Golden Retrievers are impacted by cancer, leading to this disease being the top cause of death for this breed.
While genetic factors will have a role in the Golden Retrievers predisposition to certain types of cancers, most of these dogs die from bone cancer, lymphoma, and blood cancer.
Death from cancer is more common in Golden Retrievers than any other canine breed.
Spaying or neutering Golden Retrievers too young can allegedly increase the risk of certain types of cancers in this breed.
In fact, a 10-month-old Golden Retriever that was diagnosed with uterine carcinoma became the youngest dog ever reported to have this cancer of the uterus.
In addition, Golden Retrievers are also prone to skin cancer as their light coloring makes them susceptible to sunburn.
#3: English Cream Golden Retrievers Are Not White
English Cream goldens come in a variety of , although most are on the lighter side of the spectrum.
Theyre typically cream or a light shade of gold, but not actually white, like a samoyed.
And heres another interesting fact here: within the same litter, there may be different shades of gold and cream, with some puppies being lighter and some being darker.
Cancer And The Golden Retriever
Sadly, it is true that Golden Retrievers die from cancer more often than any other breed with 60% of all Golden Retrievers passing away from the disease. As we mentioned, Golden Retrievers did not always have such a short lifespan. In the 1980s, they werent considered to be at high risk of cancer but the rate drastically increased in the 1990s. This is why the Morris Animal Foundation began the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study in 2015 which focuses on collecting as much data as possible each year to understand why Golden Retrievers are so prone to cancer.
GoldenRetrievers most commonly die from lymphoma, blood, and bone cancer but are moreprone than other breeds to other types of cancer as well even from an earlyage. Cancer is the number one cause of death of dogs in general aged two andolder and there have been cases of Golden Retrievers developing cancer at ayounger age.
Who Is This Breed For
Upland and Waterfowl Hunters
If you want to make most of what nature has to offer, youll enjoy the company of the White Golden Retriever.
Train him to hunt, and he will give you his all! From wild turkeys to flying geese, you can expect your canine to deliver the angry bird in one piece.
When or where to hunt is also out of the question because this avid hunter remains an excellent field performer no matter the weather. His affinity for water makes him a natural swimmer and he has a water-repellent coat to boot.
Physically Challenged Individuals
Golden Retrievers, regardless of color, are ideal for physically challenged individuals, as well as for those needing emotional support. These good-natured canines are naturally sensitive to people in pain.
Being an intelligent breed, he needs only little training to be of service. Additionally, he is capable of coping with new challenges and adapting to new environments.
Another reason why this breed is heavily favored as a guide to the blind is his sharp memory for routes. Whats more, he concentrates on the task at hand. Taunting squirrels or malicious-looking felines will not draw him away from his duties.
Families with Young Kids
Kids can be rowdy when playing with their furry siblings and as such, it sometimes leads to injury to the dog and vice versa.
A Golden Retrievers Muzzle: How Much Gray Fur
Another thing you can look for to help you find out the age of your Golden Retriever is gray or white fur, which is a sign of an aging dog. Goldens are known for their beautiful golden fur, but its right around the age of five that a Golden Retriever will begin to get some gray or white fur developing around their muzzle, eyes, and on their face.
If your Golden just has the first signs of white fur, you can assume that they are near the age of five or six. By seven or eight you can expect your Golden to be showing a noticeably white face .
Recommended Reading: Why Golden Retrievers Faces Turn White
Labrador Retrievers Do Not Need Regular Grooming
When comparing a Golden Retriever vs Labrador the Golden is known to have significantly higher grooming requirements.
Due to their double coats, both dogs will need brushing but Goldens should be brushed daily and Labs every few days.
Regular brushing helps keep your dogs coat soft and removes dead fur. Golden Retrievers require more brushing to prevent any matting of their long coat.
However, the Labrador sheds just as much fur as a Golden.
This is especially true during late autumn and spring when their coats are preparing for either cooler or warmer temperatures.
Owners often trim the Golden Retrievers longer fur near the ears, neck, paws and tail. Labradors do not have any areas with longer sections of fur that require trimming.
Both breeds are similar with their teeth, nail and ear grooming requirements.
With both dogs, it is important to begin grooming from a young age so that they grow accustomed to it.
The Labrador Retriever is a lower maintenance breed when it comes to grooming.
Daily Diet Plan For Your Golden Retriever Puppy
Like humans, every Golden Retriever has a unique personality. So, the diet plan of every dog differs. Besides this, the place you live, the intensity of exercise, and the type of food also affect the diet plan.
However, the one that was effective for my pet is as follows:
| Weight and Age |
I hope now you can manage your pals weight.
Summing up, a Golden Retriever in the house is very special. It keeps your home lively and active. But if you fail to manage your pals weight, it becomes destructive and troublesome. Besides this, obesity decreases your pets lifespan.
Thus, it is essential to look at your pets food habits and exercising patterns to give it a healthy life. As a parent, it is your responsibility to manage your pets lifestyle to ensure its happiness and health. Therefore, think carefully before deciding for your pal.
Is your Golden Retriever fat?
Do you think this article will help you manage your pets weight?
Do have any suggestion?
Studying The Golden Retriever Life Expectancy
While no one knows quite why the life expectancy of the Golden Retriever has decreased over the years, the Morris Animal Foundation is trying to find out exactly why. The foundation began a study in 2012 with over 3,000 purebred dogs partaking in the studys observation.
The goal is to study these Golden Retrievers over the years to discover exactly what is affecting the decline in life expectancy for this breed. The study includes a 50-50 split of male and female Golden Retrievers, with half the dogs being fixed, and the other half not.
The study, which will be the longest and largest survey of canines ever done, is still going to take about another decade to complete, although certain preliminary results have been released concerning cancer in this breed and a number of other factors that affect the lifespan of the Golden Retriever.
Males Vs Female Retrievers
Theres absolutely no difference in the average lifespan of female or male golden retrievers at present. I found that the only difference between the two that are health-related is the weight.
In most cases, youll find that male dogs will be the heavier fo the two and tend to eat for the two too! Ultimately if your pup is overweight then it means you are overfeeding or feeding the wrong foods.
How Old Examining A Goldens Hearing And Eyesight
Hearing and eyesight are two other things that can give you some insight into the age of your Golden Retriever. Any hearing problems or the appearance of cloudy eyes will most likely indicate your Golden is seven years of age or older.
After seven or eight years of age, a Golden Retriever usually begins to develop some level of hardened lens protein , which leads to an increasingly cloudy appearance over time. The cloudier your dogs eyes, the older he is.
Puppies and young adults will have clear eyes, while more mature Goldens will have slightly cloudy eyes that become increasingly cloudy over time. An older Golden will also have pronounced wrinkles beside their eyes.
Similar to other senior dogs, your Golden Retriever may also develop hearing problems. Reduced responsiveness to commands or loud noises should be a sign that your canine companions hearing is diminishing. By the time your dog can barely seem to hear, you can assume he is ten or more years old.
What Is The Average Golden Retriever Lifespan
A favorite breed amongst families, Golden Retrievers are loved for their intelligence, friendliness, and loyalty. In fact, they are so loved they are ranked 3rd in popularity by the American Kennel Club.
If youre thinking about getting a Golden Retriever, you will want to know that your beloved pooch is going to be around for years to come. Keep reading to find out how long Golden Retrievers live.
What Causes Golden Retriever To Die Young
The life expectancy of a golden retriever has declined over the years. What do you think is the reason?
According to thorough research over years the research concluded that healthcare and diet are the biggest problems.
Its disturbing that though there is more access to prompt health facilities nowadays the lifespan of golden is decreasing and more devastating to read that different medicated drugs, vaccinations and surgery are showing a lot of side effects.
Every food manufacturer advertises the best of their products than their competitors fooling us with exaggerated benefits. According to the AKC, many food brands dont offer the product they promise while some make the food from junk which has no benefit for your lovely pet, though they state their product as best.
Have you ever thought about this?
What may be their reason behind doing so?
How Long Do Golden Retrievers Live Your Golden Retriever Lifespan Guide
If youre reading this article, its likely that you either own a golden retriever or are thinking about getting one, and for good reason! Golden Retrievers are incredible dogs that are loyal, friendly, devoted, and intelligent which makes them great family dogs. They are the third most popular dog in the United States, behind only the Labrador Retriever and the German Shepherd.
That said,there is one reason why families sometimes reconsider adding a Golden Retrieverto their family their lifespan. In general, Retrievers have a reputation forhaving a shorter lifespan than some other large breeds but what is thisreputation based on? Is it true or have Retrievers just received a badreputation based on a few owners experiences? Were going to take a closerlook at the Golden Retrievers lifespan and what you may be able to do toextend it. Before adopting any pet, its important to remember that you aregoing to be responsible for it for the rest of its life, including longtermcare.
Contents
How Long Do Golden Retrievers Live Study
This study is being undertaken by the Morris Animal Foundation and just kicked off in 2015.
This study is looking at a number of factors, from heavy metals found in water to the pets routine and even physical traits, to discover if there is any correlation between these factors and cancer.
The main goal, according to Veterinary News, is to create a comprehensive database of over 3,000 purebred Golden Retrievers.
This will then be used to assess whether there are any conditions and lifestyles that correlate with an occurrence of cancer.
Though the survey is far from over and will probably take another decade to complete, scientists are hopeful that they will discover the cause behind these beloved dogs rising cancer rate and quickly dropping lifespan.
In the meantime, it is likely that Golden Retriever lifespans will continue to drop.
Routine Evaluation And Check
Routine evaluation and check-up have proven to be an effective way of dealing with diseases and sickness among dogs. This is because you get to deal with most of the common diseases in their early stages.
You can consider a prevention health plan. Consider taking your golden retriever for an annual and bi-annual physical check-up.
The review should include, Dental check-up, complete physical check-up, vaccination, parasite control, weight, and other related exams.
Common Diseases That Affect Golden Retriever Lifespan
The cancer rate of Golden Retrievers has elevated all around the world, with 60% of Golden Retriever being impacted by cancer. With hemangiosarcoma being common cancer in the US and lymphoma is what the UK are affected by.
It doesnt matter where the Golden is from all Golden are prone to cancer. Other common diseases includes,
- Skin problems
Sunscreen On Sunny Summer Days
While Golden Retrievers have lush golden fur, it isnt enough to protect them from the bright sun. In fact, they are very prone to sunburn due to their light-colored fur. Moreover, dogs, like us humans, can get skin cancer. So you should apply sunscreen around the tummy, ears, eyes, and on the tips of your Golden Retrievers nose. Your veterinarian should be able to recommend a good sunscreen so make sure to ask them about it.