3 Quick Checks: How To Tell If Your Golden Is The Right Weight

Most goldens love to eat and gain a little or not so little extra. The “right” weight is essential to your golden’s health. Golden retriever weight is easy to misjudge by eye. A Golden’s thick coat can hide a few extra pounds, and it can also hide ribs that are showing too much, so the most accurate check is with your hands.

1. Feel For The Ribs

Lay your hands flat on both sides of your dog’s rib cage and press lightly. You should be able to feel each rib under a thin layer of fat, about like feeling the back of your hand. If you have to press hard to find them, your Golden is carrying extra weight. If you can see them, your dog is too thin.

2. Look For A Waist From Above

Stand over your dog and look down. Behind the ribs, the body should narrow a little before the hips. A Golden’s coat can fill in that curve, so press the fur flat with your hands, or take a look after a bath when the coat is wet and the shape is easy to see.

3. Check The Tuck From The Side

From the side, the belly line should slope up from the bottom of the chest toward the back legs. If the belly runs straight back or hangs low, your dog is overweight. A very sharp tuck along with hip bones or a noticeable spine indicates an increase in food is needed.

What Is A Healthy Golden Retriever Weight?

The AKC breed standard calls for males to weigh 65 to 75 pounds and stand 23 to 24 inches at the shoulder. Females should weigh 55 to 65 pounds and stand 21.5 to 22.5 inches. Bone and build vary from one genetic line to the next, so a fit dog can land a few pounds outside those numbers. The three checks above are the better guide.

The Body Condition Score Your Vet Uses

Most vets grade weight with the 9 point body condition score developed by Purina, which the World Small Animal Veterinary Association recommends and vets now use worldwide. It uses the same ribs, waist and tuck checks you just did. A Golden at a healthy weight scores a 4 or 5.

• 1 to 3, too thin: The ribs, spine and hip bones are easy to see, and the tuck is very sharp.
• 4 to 5, ideal: You can feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat. There is a waist from above and a tuck from the side.
• 6 to 7, overweight: The ribs are harder to feel, and the waist and tuck start to fade. Fat builds up over the lower back and the base of the tail.
• 8 to 9, obese: You can’t find the ribs without pressing hard. There is no waist, and the belly may hang.

The WSAVA body condition chart shows drawings of each score if you’d like to compare your dog to them.

Why Lean Matters For Goldens

Given the opportunity, goldens put on weight easily, especially after being spayed/neutered and again in middle age. Extra pounds are hard on hips and elbows. Purina’s life span study followed 48 Labrador Retrievers for 14 years, and the dogs fed to stay lean lived a median of 1.8 years longer than their littermates. The lean dogs also showed a delayed onset of signs of chronic disease.

Small Changes Keep Your Golden On Track

Do the rib check about once a month and weigh your dog at the same time, so you notice a change before it adds up. If your Golden is gaining, cut the daily food by about 10 percent and count treats as part of the day’s food. Puppies should stay on the lean side while they grow, which is easier on developing joints. Our post on golden puppy exercise covers how much activity a growing puppy needs, and our puppy feeding schedule covers the first month at home.

If your dog’s weight changes quickly and nothing about food or exercise explains it, give your vet a call.