What does a one year old golden retriever look like?

Here are three photos of Happy, our female golden retriever who turned one year old on the day of the picture. You can see how healthy she looks with her red double coat, which is growing fabulously. And yes, she still acts like a puppy, sometimes like a teenager and sometimes a grown-up.  Happy is a rescue dog and a puppy mill survivor from GRIN, but she acts pretty much like any puppy you can get from reputable golden retriever breeders. You can read her puppy adoption story here if you are unfamiliar with our adoption process. There were a lot of physical changes between when we first adopted her and what she looks like as a 1-year-old golden retriever puppy. Here is a picture of when she was an 8-week-old compared to the image of her first birthday. 

According to GRIN, the golden retriever, an exuberant Scottish gun dog of great beauty, is among America’s most popular dog breeds. It is a loving companion and makes great family pets. Golden retriever puppies are good with young children and make the cutest videos. Be aware that they quickly become large dogs. My golden pup is already between 55 and 65 pounds. They are also active dogs, and you will have to make an effort to burn the excess energy that they tend to have by exercising them. 

One thing that did not change for our girl is that she has a lot of excess energy. She is slightly calmer because we decided to give her two to three walks a day to fulfill her exercise needs. According to the American Kennel Club, she won’t settle until she’s 2 or 3 years old. As a golden retriever, she embodies a perpetually positive puppy attitude, which we cherish and find delightful. My family is grateful that she continues to exude this exuberant, happy-puppy energy, as it brings joy to our lives every day

Puppy’s growth

Golden retrievers are part of the larger breeds.  At one, Happy is maintaining a healthy weight of 68 pounds. You can still feel her ribs, which is a good sign that she is healthy.  Remember that a golden retriever probably won’t grow more than another inch between now and full maturity. And they can eat so much more food. She probably reached her full adult weight. Here is a dog’s growth table with golden retriever age and weight range to help you compare with your golden retriever’s growth.

The following numbers are estimates that you can compare; they are taken from the growth records of the Golden Retriever Puppies book.

Golden retriever puppy’s weight chart

• Birth: 1 pound 
• 8 weeks: 10 to 12 pounds 
• 3 months: 20 to 25 pounds 
• 4 months: 25 to 35 pounds; 14 inches at the shoulder 
• 5 months: 28 to 40 pounds; 18 to 20 inches at the shoulder 
• 6 to 12 months: 50 to 65 pounds Maturity (2 to 2 1⁄2 years): for males: 65 to 75 pounds and 23 or 24 inches at the shoulder; for females: 55 to 65 pounds and 21 1⁄2 to 22 1⁄2 inches at the shoulder. 

(Terry Albert, Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month, DK Publishing, 2015)
All these heights and weights are approximate. 

What should be a 1 year old dog’s body condition

If you are unsure about your dog’s weight, ask your veterinarian about your dog’s body condition. He can help way more than a chart.

In general, dogs who are at a healthy weight:

• Have an “hourglass” figure when you look down on them from above. The abdomen should be narrower than the chest and hips.
• Are “tucked up” when you look at them from the side. This means that their chest is closer to the ground than their belly when standing.
• Have ribs that are not readily visible but are easily felt with only light pressure.

What are we supposed to expect from a one-year-old puppy? 

According to Patricia McConnell in her book The Puppy Prime, dogs aren’t fully mature until they are three years old.  It would neither be fair nor realistic to expect them to behave like a grown-up dog.  Goldens are quiet and mellow, but most keep their happy puppy attitude as they grow. Over the next two years, your dog will continue to physically mature, although the changes will be nowhere near as dramatic as those you’ve seen during her first year. ¹

You’ll find that her attention span has improved, and she concentrates better. She’s not as distracted and impulsive as she once was, and she obeys you more readily and accepts your leadership. In other words, although she’s still a rambunctious youngster, your pup should be developing into a sociable, well-mannered member of society.

Albert, Terry; Eldredge, Debra; Gunther, Alan. Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: Everything You Need to Know at Each Stage to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy Grows into a Happy, Healthy Companion (Your Puppy Month by Month) (p. 331). DK. Kindle Edition. 

When Are Her Next Vaccinations Due?

Assuming your puppy had her rabies vaccine and final DHPP booster at 4 months, she should need her next inoculations at 16 months, or 1 year later. 

Consider waiting a week or two between the DHPP and rabies vaccines to avoid overloading her immune system though. 

After this round of vaccines is completed, you shouldn’t have to revaccinate her for 3 years.

Shopping or adopting a 1-year-old golden retriever 

If you find a reputable breeder near you, you can ask them if they have a one-year-old. It is not an unusual request. A one-year-old is calmer than a baby. He is probably potty trained and if you are lucky he has a little obedience training too. 

If you want to adopt, well, I love the GRIN organization; here is what they have to say about their puppies:

Golden Retrievers are one the most popular dog breeds. Golden retriever puppies are loving companions and make great family pets.  They do however require a considerable amount of daily exercise, mental stimulation, and attention from their people.  Without proper exercise and human engagement, Goldens may exhibit behavior problems.

Goldens are wicked smart and are, therefore, excellent obedience candidates and can be easily trained if you work with them.  Training is a must and a key to successful and responsible dog ownership.  GRIN requires adopters to follow through with formal training for all young dogs to ensure successful and happy adoption.  GRIN only supports positive training methods.  Negative or punishment training methods are obsolete and harmful to dogs for a long time.

Golden Retrievers are predisposed to several conditions including ear infections, hot spots, allergies and excessive shedding.  It is important to consider these conditions along with regular annual vet expenses including vaccinations, heartworm testing/prevention, and grooming when deciding on this breed.

It is important to do your breed research before considering a dog to ensure you select a breed that best meets the needs and lifestyle of your family.  For more information on this breed please visit www.akc.org.

Some news about our one-year-old puppy

Happy is becoming this responsive adolescent dog, especially now that she has grown so much in size and looks more like an adult golden retriever than a puppy.

Living with Happy is an everyday challenge. Her activity level is up the roof, the golden retriever dog is not a lap dog, they are super active and often so happy to socialize that they can break your arm by pulling you. So we needed to find a considerable amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation. Our routine consists of 2-3 walks a day. I do a quick 20 minutes one in the park in the morning, Mr. T walks around the block at lunchtime with her. After dinner, all the family goes for a walk downtown with people and restaurant (whiff) scents where there are a lot of young children and she is the sweetest with them. 

My relationship with Happy has lows and highs like any relationship. Our golden pup is challenging but I love it. She keeps me young.

What are we supposed to expect from the energy level of a one-year-old puppy? 

According to Patricia McConnell in her book The Puppy Prime, dogs aren’t fully mature until they are three years old.  It would neither be fair nor realistic to expect them to behave like a grown-up dog. Goldens are quiet and mellow, but most keep their happy puppy attitude as they grow. Over the next two years, your dog will continue to physically mature, although the changes will be nowhere near as dramatic as those you’ve seen during her first year. ²

You’ll find that her attention span has improved, and she concentrates better. She’s not as distracted and impulsive as she once was, and she obeys you more readily and accepts your leadership. In other words, although she’s still a rambunctious youngster, your pup should be developing into a sociable, well-mannered member of society.³

Our personal experience with our one-year-old Happy

Every dog is different and unique. Our little puppy mill survivor. Happy has come a long way but she’s not fully grown yet. As a puppy, she was nervous and shy, and she was extremely active, often getting the Zoomies. We’ve made great strides and understand each other a little better. Puppies, like human babies, need a lot of attention and patience. Now that she’s acting more like a teenager, she knows the routine: when her food will be delivered, when we go on walks, and when it’s okay to rest. We keep going to training lessons to help her with her manners. The little exercises we do now were difficult at first, but now they’re doable. Our golden pup is challenging, but I love it. She keeps me young. Life is way better with a one-year-old Happy, that’s for sure.

Fun fact: How do you calculate dog years to human years?

As a general guideline, though, the American Veterinary Medical Association breaks it down like this:

• 15 human years equals the first year of a medium-sized dog’s life.
• Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human.
• And after that, each human year would be approximately five years for a dog. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/how-to-calculate-dog-years-to-human-years/

Training your dog

As you might know by now, Golden Retrievers are willing to work hard and learn complex tasks. If you enjoy training your dog and would like to try more challenging things together, competitive obedience and hunting tests might be fore you. These activities make use of your Golden’s natural abilities while honing his skills. And you’ll enjoy training as much as competing and make many like-minded friends along the way. ⁴

Here are suggestion of what a one-year-old golden could do to spend his energy

• Therapy dogs
• Rally and Obedience competition
• Hunting test and field trials
• Agility
• Dock dogs
• Flyball

The average life expectancy of a golden retriever 

In his senior years, a golden is expected to live between 10 and 12 years old. However, there have been instances where Goldens has lived to 19 years old. So enjoy them as much as you can!

The individual dog

Each and every dog is different and the behavior of one breed shouldn’t be as much important than your individual dog. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers said they found that dog breeds are not especially helpful in predicting the behavior of an individual canine. Breed type explains just 9 percent of variation in behavior, according to a combination of survey responses and DNA sequencing, they added.⁵

When Are The Next Vaccinations Due?

Assuming your golden pup had her rabies vaccine and final DHPP booster at 4 months, she should need her next inoculations at 16 months or one year later. 

Consider waiting a week or two between the DHPP and rabies vaccines to avoid overloading her immune system though. 

After this round of vaccines is completed, you shouldn’t have to revaccinate her for three years.

Shopping or adopting a 1-year-old golden retriever 

If you find a reputable breeder near you, you can ask if they have a one-year-old dog available. It’s not an unusual request. A one-year-old dog is calmer than a puppy, probably potty trained, and may have some obedience training.

If you’re considering adoption, I highly recommend the GRIN organization. Here’s what they have to say about their puppies:

Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds. They are loving companions and make great family pets. However, they require a significant amount of daily exercise, mental stimulation, and attention from their owners. Without proper exercise and human engagement, Goldens may develop behavior problems.

Golden Retrievers are highly intelligent and can be easily trained with the right approach. Training is essential for responsible dog ownership. GRIN requires adopters to provide formal training for all young dogs to ensure a successful and happy adoption. They only support positive training methods, as negative or punishment-based training is considered obsolete and harmful to dogs in the long term.

Golden Retrievers are predisposed to several conditions, including ear infections, hot spots, allergies, and excessive shedding. It’s important to consider these conditions, along with regular annual vet expenses such as vaccinations, heartworm testing/prevention, and grooming, when deciding on this breed.

Before considering a dog, it’s important to research the breed to ensure it meets the needs and lifestyle of your family. For more information on this breed, please visit www.akc.org.”

DOG’S HEALTH: BETTER BE SAFE THAN SORRY

Owning a golden retriever dog without insurance can be risky. From ingesting harmful objects like banana peels, socks, and even a bee to potential health issues, the costs of caring for a dog can add up quickly. That’s why I decided to invest in dog insurance. For a small monthly fee, I have peace of mind knowing that I’m covered in case of emergencies or unexpected vet visits. It’s comforting to have financial support when my puppy gets into mischief. I’ve also come across a reliable list of dog insurance options that are currently available.

10 Best Pet Insurance Companies 

My vet referred me to a new insurance group named  Lemonade. We are using aspca.org forever and we love them. If you have an opinion on it please leave a comment. I am grateful for them.

If there is an emergency: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Phone Number: (888) 426-4435

This is an Animal Poison Control Center experts have put together a handy list of the top toxic people foods to avoid feeding your pet. If you suspect your pet has eaten any of the following foods, please note the amount ingested and contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

In conclusion

My beloved family dog, Happy, lives a fulfilling life full of enriching activities and nourishing meals. At one year old, she embodies all the classic traits of a female golden retriever. My son often jokes that she’s spoiled, and I can’t argue with that. I would say she’s loved and cared for in a very indulgent way. She’s an essential part of our family and receives the same level of care and attention as any other member. Spending quality time with her has helped her conquer her fears and become more affectionate toward us. Having Happy in our lives at one year old has undeniably brought us immeasurable joy.

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Footnotes

1. Albert, Terry; Eldredge, Debra; Gunther, Alan. Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: Everything You Need to Know at Each Stage to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy Grows into a Happy, Healthy Companion (Your Puppy Month by Month) (p. 315). DK. Kindle Edition. ↩︎
2. Albert, Terry; Eldredge, Debra; Gunther, Alan. Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: Everything You Need to Know at Each Stage to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy Grows into a Happy, Healthy Companion (Your Puppy Month by Month) (p. 315). DK. Kindle Edition. ↩︎
3. Albert, Terry; Eldredge, Debra; Gunther, Alan. Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: Everything You Need to Know at Each Stage to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy Grows into a Happy, Healthy Companion (Your Puppy Month by Month) (p. 331). DK. Kindle Edition. The average life expectancy of a golden retriever  ↩︎
4. Albert, Terry; Eldredge, Debra; Gunther, Alan. Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: Everything You Need to Know at Each Stage to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy Grows into a Happy, Healthy Companion (Your Puppy Month by Month) (p. 303). DK. Kindle Edition.  ↩︎
5.  https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/breed-not-good-predictor-individual-dog-behavior-study-finds-rcna25990 ↩︎