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As a new Golden Retriever puppy owner, you may be wondering about when important puppy milestones happen, such as:
When do they lose their puppy teeth?
When do they stop growing?
When do they (finally) stop biting?
When do they sleep through the night?
It’s a roller coaster ride when raising a Golden pup, so we put together this timeline to help explain things for you.
These puppy behavior stages and developmental milestones will differ from individual to individual, but this timeline can give you a general understanding of what to expect with your puppy.
Enjoy!
Puppy Milestones
Day 1: Puppy is born
You could also call this the best day ever.
After carrying the pups for about 9 weeks, mom is ready to give birth!
The average litter size for Golden Retrievers is 8.
2 weeks: Eyes open
Golden Retriever puppies usually open their eyes at around 2 weeks old.
Their eyesight is very limited, and their soon-to-be-brown eyes are sometimes blue when they first open them.
3 weeks: Starting to walk
At about 2-3 weeks, Golden Retriever puppies go from the army crawl to waddling, to walking.
3-4 weeks: Teeth come in and they start to eat solid food
Puppy teeth (called “milk teeth”) come in around three weeks. And as you know (or will soon find out), they are very sharp.
They also start to eat “solid” food around this time.
The puppy kibble is soaked in water, mashed up, and introduced to the pups.
They work up to eating solid food about four times per day while still nursing from their mother.
Once they have fully weaned off of their mother’s milk, they usually eat three times per day.
8-12 weeks: Time to go home with you!
Because puppies need to complete weaning, most breeders wait until the puppies are 8 weeks to 12 weeks old before they send their pups home with their new owners.
You can also start training them at this age (the best way to stop bad habits is to not let them start!).
- Getting a Golden Retriever Puppy? Download the Potty Training Cheat Sheet here!
4 months: Sleeping through the night
Most puppies can sleep through the night at around 4 months old, although like all of these milestones, this can vary (our pup took a few months longer!).
4 months: Losing the puppy teeth (and stop biting so much!)
The biting phase is one of the toughest behavior stages for puppy owners.
Puppies bite for several reasons:
- They explore the world through their mouth
- They were originally bred to use their mouths to retrieve game
- It’s part of how they play
- While they’re teething, it helps relieve the pain and pressure in their mouths.
Golden Retriever puppies lose their baby teeth at around 4 months of age.
Once their adult teeth come in at around 4 months, you’ll notice that they bite and chew less than they used to.
Most people do not find many puppy teeth, however, we saw many of Oliver’s teeth lying on the floor.
Sometimes he would be chewing and then start to play with something on the floor.
Most of the time when that would happen we would find a tooth laying there.
1-2 years: Getting spayed or neutered
Most vets and breeders recommend waiting to spay or neuter your dog until about one year to 2 years old. This depends on the gender and your individual dog.
And this is definitely a conversation to have with your vet, as spaying or neutering your Golden Retriever too young can have adverse health effects.
1 year: Full height
At about a year old, Golden Retrievers reach their full height.
However, they still may look like a lanky teen, since they likely haven’t reached their full weight or developed their full coat yet.
Females are typically 20-22 inches tall, while males are 22-24 inches tall.
1.5 years: Full coat
Goldens actually don’t shed their puppy fur, like other dogs.
It becomes their undercoat.
At a few months old, you’ll start to see longer hair start growing on their legs and tail, which is called their feathers.
At one and a half years old, Goldens have typically grown out their full coat.
Related article:
2 years: Full weight
At two years old, Golden Retrievers have reached their full weight.
Females typically weigh between 55-65 pounds, while males typically weigh 65-75 pounds.
Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy
If you have a Golden Retriever puppy or are planning on getting one, make sure to take lots of pictures and videos because they grow up so fast!
Do you have a Golden Retriever pup?
What stage are they at?
Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re getting a puppy, then grab the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook here.
And if you liked this article, then read the complete guide to raising a Golden Retriever puppy next.
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