Golden retrievers are amazing family dogs loaded with love, curiosity and good temperament. They are so beautiful, energetic and caring if you can maintain their mental and physical health.
This article will guide you about the weight, size, food, training and other essential information about golden retrievers puppies.
4 month old golden retriever Size: How big is a 4 month/16 week old golden retriever?
A 4 month old female golden retriever can grow 12” to 22” in general. While male golden retriever puppies should grow 12” to 24” in 4 months. The growth of female golden retrievers is slightly higher than male GR at the first stage, although male GR grows bigger than female GR.
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Golden retriever puppies grow rapidly in their first 8-9 months, and they continue to grow up to 2 years. The golden retrievers should stay at least eight weeks with their mother.
4 months old female golden retrievers should be at least 12 inches in size. If your puppy is smaller than 10 inches, you should consult with a vet.
Sometimes, overgrowing is also normal for them. If your puppy’s growth is above 22 inches, that should not be a concern if she is not fat.
Puppies need extra care, and attention as their mental and physical growth occurs at the first stage of their life. If your puppy stops growing and you don’t take care of the issue, it can negatively affect their lives.
Always keep an eye on their growth and behavior. Proper training is also essential for those. We will discuss training your GR puppy in the later section of this article.
Here is a size chart of golden retriever puppies of 4 months.
4 month old golden retriever size:
| 4 month old golden retriever | Size should be |
|---|---|
| 4 month old golden retriever male | 12-24 inches |
| 4 month old golden retriever female | 12-22 inches |
4 month old golden retriever Weight: How much should a 4 month old golden retriever weigh?
4 months old female golden retrievers can weigh 22 lbs to 44 lbs, and the average weight is 30 lbs. While male GR of the same age can weigh 25 lbs to 55 lbs, the average weight is 33 lbs. If your puppy’s weight is 1-2 lbs more or less than this weight range, there is nothing to worry about.
Keeping track of your puppy’s weight is essential. You also must know the ideal weight range for your puppy so that you can adjust his food and exercise.
22 to 44 lbs for females and 25 to 55 lbs is the normal weight range for golden retrievers of 4 months old puppies. Golden retriever puppies can easily become overweight, making them prone to bone, joint and other diseases.
Golden retrievers need moderate exercise, but you can’t make them exercise a lot. That’s why, once they gain weight, it’s hard to lose weight easily. However, by maintaining a feeding chart, you will be able to keep your puppies weight within range.
If your golden retriever and the rib are easily noticeable, your puppy is probably underweight. If you can feel your puppy’s ribs, the puppy is in good shape. But if you can’t find any sign of ribs, the puppy is overweight. you should change the food and exercise habits of your puppy.
4 month old golden retriever weight:
| 4 month old golden retriever | Weight should be |
|---|---|
| 4 month old golden retriever male | 25-55 lbs, average 33 lbs. |
| 4 month old golden retriever female | 22-44 lbs, average 30 lbs. |
4 month old golden retriever Food:
As these pups will keep growing up until they get 2 years old, so it is necessary to provide them a healthy and balanced diet.
What to feed a 4 month old golden retriever?
Feeding quality puppy food is essential for your golden retriever. Any puppy food approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) will be suitable for your puppy. There are 3 types of dog food in the market. The starter food, puppy food and adult food.
The starter food is fed for 1-3 months of the puppy. Those foods are high in protein and fat. For a 4 months old golden retriever, puppy food is suitable.
If you think your puppy’s growth is slow, you can feed starter food to your four-month-old golden retriever. After 8-9 months, you can start feeding your golden retriever adult food.
How much should a 4 month old golden retriever eat?
A 4 month old golden retriever should eat 2 cups of standard puppy food. Add half a cup of food every month, but don’t go over 4 cups. After 7-8 months, the amount of food depends on your puppy’s growth.
Split the daily required food into three parts and feed him 3 times a day. If your puppy always looks hungry or refuses to eat, consult with a vet.
4 month old golden retriever Behavior: Barking, Biting, and Aggressiveness
Golden retrievers are very friendly and human-loving, so it’s pretty easy to deal with their behaviors. But it’s essential to know about their normal behaviors, so you know if anything is wrong. Check out their natural behaviors.
Barking:
4 month old golden retrievers will start to sound like adult ones. GR dogs have a loud vocal, but they don’t use their vocal much.
Biting:
A 4 month old golden retriever puppy should not bite as much as in previous months. If he does, you should take steps to address the behavior quickly.
Aggressiveness:
A 4 months old golden retriever puppy should not be aggressive to the family members if loved and cared for. It’s an excellent time to teach him to be friendly to stranger dogs and humans.
How much sleep does a 4 month old golden retriever need?
12 to 14 hours of sleep is enough for a 4 month old golden retriever. But in earlier months, the puppies need 18-20 hours of sleep for proper growth and brain development. Make sure your puppy is having a sound sleep and don’t let kids disturb the puppy while sleeping.
How much exercise for a 4 month old golden retriever?
A four-month-old golden retriever should exercise for 15-20 minutes twice daily. Multiply their age in months by 5, and the result is their required exercise time. Keep in mind that walking is also considered an exercise, and 15 min of walking is enough for them.
Don’t make your puppy exercise more than they need, as it can result in joint problems.
What does a 4 month old golden retriever look like?
A female 4 months old puppy will look more mature than a 4 month old male puppy. The female golden retrievers will be 12-22 inches and 22-44 lbs. A 4 month old golden retriever will weigh 25 to 55 lbs, and the regular size should be 12-24 inches.
The fur and appearance will look like adults, but they still act like typical puppies.
How to train a 4 month old golden retriever?
Golden retrievers are pretty easy to train. Even a little boy can train the dog by knowing some basics of training a dog. Golden retrievers are obedient, curious and always eager to impress their owner.
Those qualities and excellent intelligence make them easy to train. Starting to train your 4 month old golden retriever is essential as it’s the easiest time to teach him lifelong habits.
Reward the dog with food, praise or playtime if he does something right. The puppy will start doing that more. It’s the way to help your dog understand what you want from him.
Here is a list of essential training you should start giving your 4 month old golden retriever.
Potty train:
Potty training a puppy is easy, but it can take some time and patience for some puppies. You should start potty training your puppy once you bring the puppy home.
The easiest way to potty train a golden retriever is to take him outside frequently where you want him to take care of his business. Take him there every 2 hours, especially after eating, drinking and waking up.
Once the puppy does the job at the right place, give him a special treat immediately after finishing his job. Appreciate him with good words and affection. After repeating the process a few times, the puppy should know what to do when nature calls him.
Being alone:
If you love your golden retriever, he will be ready to love you three times more. The only thing golden retrievers do not like is being alone.
Never leave your puppy alone for more than 6-7 hours, as he can be highly depressed if you do that. Ask your friends and family to take care of your puppy if you need to go out for a longer time.
Socializing:
Social skills are vital for a golden retriever, and You must give this training at puppyhood. How do you make your puppy social? Just take him around lots of people and dogs. Visit parks with him and let him play with other dogs.
General commands:
To have complete control over your dog, you should teach general commands like sit, come, wait, stop barking, clam down etc. There are many useful commands you can teach your 4 month old golden retriever puppy.
Make him do something you want him to do, and if he does it right, give him a lot of rewording.
Final thoughts
The 4th month is a crucial period for golden retriever puppies as they grow up both physically and mentally very rapidly at this time. A 4 month old golden retriever male should be within 12-24 inches and 25-55 lbs, and a female puppy should be within 12-22 inches and 22-44 lbs range.