Golden Retriever Life Stages
You’ve probably heard of the Golden Retriever Life Stages, but you may be wondering what those are and how they apply to your dog. Fortunately, this breed is surprisingly easy to train, and the first step is to learn about the puppy stage. This is the time for your new dog to begin socializing with other dogs and humans. However, you must remember that they’ll probably not like everyone, so you need to know that your puppy will have certain preferences.
The puppy stage of a Golden Retriever’s development is fairly straightforward: the dog will be growing to its full size, and it will begin to show puppy behavior at about six months old. The dog will begin to enter heat cycles and may even start to challenge humans and other animals. It is important to remember that a puppy is a pup for the next several years. Despite its name, this life stage is actually much longer than the previous two.
The adult stage of a Golden Retriever’s development includes a fast growth spurt and a variety of other changes. During this time, the dog’s joints are under more pressure and bones are more vulnerable to injury. The adult stage of a Golden Retriever starts at the age of 16 months, but it may also include other aspects of life. Some adult dogs may reach full growth as early as two years of age.
In addition to these changes, the life stage of a Golden Retriever is defined by its age.
At three to four years old, the golden is still considered a puppy. This is equivalent to approximately 24 years in human years. It has developed its senses and walking abilities and may also be socializing. Once it is three or four years old, the dog reaches the age of a young adult, which is the equivalent of 28-32 years in human years. This is the time when a Golden’s health may be starting to decline.
During the first seven weeks, the puppy’s development is largely dependent on the mother. During this time, it’s difficult for golden puppies to walk and may stumble frequently. But over several weeks of growth, the puppy will develop the stamina and stability to walk. During this period, the puppy should remain with its litter, as the mother will teach it survival skills. At this stage, you can socialize the puppy with other puppies and adults in the home, but don’t separate them from their litter.
A large percentage of golden retrievers develop some form of cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes the heart to be too weak to pump blood properly. If this disease is not caught early, it can cause a dog to display signs of weakness, coughing, collapse, and lethargy. Although rare, 60 percent of golden retrievers develop some form of cancer. In order to detect a potential problem, your dog will need to go to the vet for a medical checkup.
The golden retriever’s lifespan is relatively short, with male puppies weighing about 35 to 45 pounds and females weighing between thirty and fifty pounds.
At six months, they begin to resemble adult dogs. At this age, male Golden Retrievers can weigh 65 to 75 pounds and stand between 21.5 and 22.5 inches tall. Female Golden Retrievers weigh around half as much and are about the same height and weight.
The housing situation in which your dog lives can also affect their lifespan. Whether you obtain a golden from a breeder or from an animal shelter, the conditions inside the shelter can affect their life expectancy. Animal shelters can cause chronic stress and obesity, as they’re often cramped and get less exercise. The longer your dog lives in a shelter, the more likely it is to be euthanized – a sad reality for both you and your golden.
Among the five life stages of a golden retriever, the lifespan is ten to twelve years, but this can vary based on breed. Labradors and German shepherds have much longer lifespans, while Yorkies live for an average of eleven to fifteen years. According to the American Kennel Club, cancer is the most common cause of death for goldens, affecting up to 60 percent of them. However, these factors are not always within the control of owners.
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