Golden Retriever: Size, Coat, Lifespan and Genetics

The Golden Retriever is a large, feathered retriever developed in Scotland in the mid-1800s, and Canada's second most popular breed. Every Golden carries two copies of a gene variant that limits its coat to red and yellow pigment, so Goldens come only in shades of gold, from pale cream to deep red. In a large UK Kennel Club survey, Goldens lived a median of about 11.8 years, among the longer-lived of the breeds compared.

At a glance

Where Goldens come from

The Golden was developed in the mid-19th century by Dudley Marjoribanks, a Scotsman who later became Lord Tweedmouth. The CKC's breed page notes that a romantic story about him buying a troupe of Russian circus sheepdogs fell apart once his breeding records were published. They showed sporting dogs only: a wavy-coated retriever crossed with the yellow Tweed Water Spaniel, with later crosses to the Irish Setter and a sandy-coloured Bloodhound. Britain recognized the breed in 1913.

Today the Golden is Canada's No. 2 breed, and it leads registrations in two of the CKC's Ontario zones, as our list of the most popular dog breeds in Canada shows.

Why every Golden is gold

A 2000 study of the MC1R gene found that Golden Retrievers carry the recessive e variant, which stops the coat from making black or brown pigment, so it makes only yellow and red. Goldens have two copies, which means two Goldens can only have gold puppies, and it's why the CKC lists a single colour for the breed: shades of gold. The same gene makes a Labrador yellow.

The shade, from pale cream to deep red, is set by other genes. A 2020 study linked darker red-yellow pigment to extra copies of a stretch of DNA near the KITLG gene, in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Poodles and other breeds. "English cream" Goldens are simply pale Goldens: the CKC registers one Golden Retriever breed, in shades of gold. Our coat colour hub explains how these genes work across all dogs.

Coat, feathering and shedding

The CKC describes a dense, water-repellent coat that lies flat and may be straight or wavy, with moderate feathering on the backs of the forelegs and heavier feathering on the front of the neck, the backs of the thighs and under the tail. Feathering is a long-coat trait. In most long-coated breeds, long hair comes from recessive variants of the FGF5 gene, as our guide to long coats explains.

Goldens shed, and regular brushing is the main grooming job, according to the CKC. Our guide to the genetics of shedding covers why some coats shed more than others.

How long do Golden Retrievers live?

In a UK Kennel Club survey of 5,663 dogs that had died, the median age at death of 373 Golden Retrievers was 141 months, about 11.8 years. That was above the survey's overall median of about 10.3 years, and the authors counted the Golden among the longer-lived of the 25 breeds they compared.

Among Goldens in that survey, old age was the most common cause of death owners reported, at 19.8%. Cancers came next: unspecified cancer at 7.2% and lymphoma at 5.9%. Adding bone, oral, liver, spleen and other tumours, cancers accounted for at least 27% of Golden deaths.

Cancer in Goldens is the focus of the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which enrolled 3,044 Golden Retrievers in the U.S. as young dogs, at a median age of 14 months, and follows them for life to look for genetic, dietary and environmental risk factors for disease. The PuppyGenes report doesn't include genetic disease or health screening, so health questions belong with your vet.

Temperament

The CKC calls the Golden friendly, reliable and trustworthy, a family dog with few equals around children. It's a gentle-mouthed retriever that excels in obedience and as a guide dog, and it's powerful and active, so it needs plenty of outdoor exercise.

Breed is still a loose guide to any one dog. A 2022 study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9% of behavioural differences between individual dogs.

Goldendoodles and Golden mixes

The Golden is one parent of the Goldendoodle. Our guide to Goldendoodles explains how Golden and Poodle genes combine, and our guide to doodle generations covers F1, F1B and beyond. If you're weighing a test, our guides to whether dog DNA tests are legit and where to buy a dog DNA test in Canada cover what to check before you buy.