Is There A Short-Haired Golden Retriever? Truth, Reason and Types

Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds in America. Most people can identify them because of their long and luxurious coats. But not everyone wants a Golden Retriever with long hair.

Are you excited to find a short-haired Golden Retriever? Unfortunately, that search may take a long time.

Short-haired Golden Retrievers aren’t really a thing, however, some Goldens have shorter hair compared to others.

Here, you’ll learn all about short-haired Golden Retrievers, how to deal with Golden Retriever shedding, and how to choose the right Golden Retriever for you.

Is There A Short-Haired Golden Retriever?

The American Kennel Club doesn’t recognize short-haired Golden Retrievers as a breed. In fact, if a Golden Retriever has short hair, then they don’t meet the breed standards of AKC show dogs.

This isn’t really anything unusual from the AKC. In fact, it’s worth mentioning that they don’t recognize other coat colors in Golden Retrievers, either. This means that field or red Golden Retrievers aren’t recognized, by the AKC either.

Just because there’s technically no such thing as a short-haired Golden Retriever doesn’t mean that there aren’t some Golden Retrievers that have shorter hair than others.

For instance, a field Golden naturally has shorter hair than a Golden Retriever that has been bred for show.

A lot of people search for a short-haired Golden Retriever because they think that a Golden Retriever with short hair won’t shed as much.

It’s not a good idea to convert your Golden to a short-haired Golden through excessive grooming because it can not only destroy their coat but also jeopardize their health.

If you’re trying to find a short-haired Golden Retriever because you have allergies, then you’re probably out of luck.

It’s not the dog’s fur that causes allergies, usually.

Instead, people are typically allergic to pet dander (which is basically dead skin flakes), while others are allergic to urine or saliva.

Because of this, getting a Golden Retriever with short hair may not alleviate your allergy situation much.

They’ll still shed, you’ll still have to deal with dander, and there’s no way you can get a Golden Retriever that doesn’t lick you or bring you slobbery toys, so you’re going to be exposed to saliva, as well.

We should discuss various types of Golden Retrievers before we go much further.

Which Types of Golden Retrievers Have Shorter Hair?

In all actuality, there’s only one breed of Golden Retriever. However, this one breed has several different types or variations.

One type of Golden you should know about if you’re looking for a short-haired Golden is the field-bred Golden Retriever or field Golden.

They’ve been bred to work in fields or to hunt. Some of their key characteristics are being athletic, energetic, and loyal (of course all types of Golden Retrievers are quite loyal). Their coats are usually darker, and can even be red.

But the most relevant trait is that their coats are short.

Show Goldens, on the other hand, were bred for their looks and their temperament. They’ve been bred to meet breed standards set by show judges, like a long coat and stocky body.

In short, don’t choose a show Golden Retriever if you want a short-haired Golden Retriever.

For more information about these two types of Golden Retrievers, check out our Field Golden Retriever vs. Show Golden Retriever Comparison.

You can also find companion or therapy Goldens, which weren’t bred for the show OR for work, with shorter hair, too. You just have to know how to look for them.

There are also a lot of Golden Retriever mixes with short hair.

What Factors Influence the Length of a Golden’s Hair?

How do some Golden Retrievers wind up with short coats?

It’s in their genetics. In fact, the gene that causes Golden Retrievers to have long hair is known as FGF5, and it’s a recessive gene that controls how long your dog’s hair gets and controls their shedding cycle.

Other factors that influence the length of a Golden Retriever’s hair are:

• Nutrition
• Age
• Health Conditions
• Weather
• Grooming Mistakes

What you need to do if you want a Golden Retriever with short hair is find a breeder who breeds Golden Retrievers with shorter coats. Of course, there’s a lot more that goes into choosing a breeder than simply picking one who breeds Golden Retrievers with short hair.

Here are some of the reasons a Golden Retriever may have short hair:

• This isn’t purebred. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you’ve paid good money for a purebred Golden Retriever that’s what you’ll receive. There are a lot of dubious Golden Retriever breeders on the market, and you may be looking at a mixed breed. If you’ve somehow wound up with a short-haired Golden Retriever, it’s a good idea to contact the breeder or shelter they came from to make sure they’re purebred Golden Retriever. However, if you don’t have a purebred, you shouldn’t worry much. Most Golden Retrievers from reputable breeders have strong genetics and are verified to have no genetic defaults or hereditary maladies, so if you do have a mixed breed it should be pretty healthy. The only real worry you’d have is if you wanted to enter your pup in shows.
• Your dog has a unique coat. No matter how careful breeding is done, genetics is a tricky mistress, and sometimes weird traits just pop up. Sure, most Golden Retrievers have long, thick fur. But maybe your Golden is just the odd duck of its litter whose coat is a little short, or a different color than the rest of its litter.
• Your dog may be a different breed. There are a lot of dog breeds that look quite similar to Golden Retrievers, which makes identifying them a bit difficult. It also means that it’s easy for shady breeders to pass off other breeds like Golden Retrievers.

At What Age Do Golden Retrievers Get Full Hair?

Another factor that affects your pup’s coat is their age.

Golden Retriever puppies start their lives with hair, like all puppies. Golden puppies transform from having short, fluffy coats to having long, flowing coats as they grow. They start growing their adult coat when they’re 3 months old. This and the feathering, or light hair on their tail continue to grow as they do.

Their adult coat will be darker than their puppy fur. You’ll notice their feathering will be more distinct when they get to be about 8 months old.

Golden Retrievers never actually lose their puppy fur. That gets sort of pushed down and turns into their undercoat. It thickens up as they grow. And their outer adult coat gets longer as they age towards adulthood, too.

Golden Retrievers grow at a rapid rate. They’ve typically reached their adult height when they’re about a year old. However, they don’t grow their full coats until their about 18 months old. Goldens are considered to be fully grown by the time they’re two years old.

So if you see your neighbor walking their Golden down the street and you’re admiring their flowing coat, just know that unless that dog is a year and a half old, its coat isn’t completely grown in. It’ll get even longer!

Can You Keep Golden Retriever Hair Short?

You may be wondering whether there’s anything you can do to keep your pup’s hair short over time.

You can actually trim your Golden Retriever’s hair to keep it short.

It’s important that you take your Golden to a professional groomer that knows how to groom Goldens. There are specific areas that should be trimmed.

• Paws and Toes: Their paws and toes should be smooth and short because it’s so easy to get dirt in these areas.
• Ears: If they get long hair built up around and in their ears, it could result in a blockage of their ear canals. Excess hair can also cause irritation or ear infections.
• Legs: Keeping short hair on their legs is ideal because it reduces the amount of dirt and debris they pick up when they’re walking around. The hair should remain symmetrical and close to the body because of this.

You don’t need to worry about grooming your Golden much. They naturally shed so that it maintains a coat equilibrium.

Do Golden Retrievers Shed a lot?

If you’re looking for a short-haired Golden Retriever to avoid the major shedding problem that most Golden Retriever owners deal with, you should instead ask yourself how badly you really want a Golden Retriever and if another breed is a better fit for you.

Golden Retrievers of any type just shed a LOT.

You sort of just get used to it when you own Goldens, but there’s going to be hair all over your clothes, furniture, floors, etc. You might even find it in your food occasionally!

Here are some tips for dealing with Golden Retriever shedding:

• Be sure to brush your Golden. If you brush your Golden at least once a week, then it’ll remove the excess hair. At least if you brush it then you can remove the excess and decide where it goes. It’s a good time to check for fleas, ticks, skin issues, or abrasions, too. Start by focusing on any sections that are matted. Don’t pull or yank the hair because it will definitely hurt your pup and your hair-brushing experience will likely come to an abrupt end. If the mats are too complex to be combed, then you can use some sharp scissors to remove them yourself or take your pup to a groomer who knows how to professionally remove matted fur. Make sure that there aren’t any sections of matted fur when you’re done brushing your pooch and choose a good convenient brush for your Golden Retrievers.

• You should give your Golden a bath every 1-2 months. Don’t worry, most Goldens love bath time! Washing your dog helps remove excess hair and the hairs that were about to fall out. However, don’t bathe your Golden too often because it can cause skin problems and coat issues.
• Make sure you’re feeding your Golden high-quality, nutritious dog food. Your Golden is considered to be a large breed dog, so you need to find quality food to fit that specification. This is important not only for their dietary needs but also for their skin and coat. If they have good nutrition, they won’t excessively shed.
• Avoid stress. If your Golden gets too stressed out, it will shed more. How do you keep your pup from stressing? Give them lots of exercise and attention, and keep their big brains engaged with toys and games.
• Let’s your Golden go swimming. Swimming is a good way to let them exercise, and since they typically love it, it’s a form of stress relief for them, too. Give them a bath afterward because they can get exposed to germs or infections when they swim in lakes, rivers, or even swimming pools.
• Get your pooch a comfortable bed. Your dog will shed more often in the areas they spend most of their time. So if you give them a comfortable bed and get them to where they want to spend more time there, they’ll be less likely to shed in places you DON’T want them to shed, like your furniture.
• Color match. Okay, so this one doesn’t actually stop shedding, but it helps you deal with it. If you match the colors of your Golden coat, then their hair is less visible. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should run out and buy all new furniture. That’s not cost-effective at all! But you can do some things like buying furniture covers, bedding, or rugs that are the same color.

You should start brushing your Golden when they’re a puppy. This serves a dual purpose: it will cut back on the hair all over the house, but it will also get your puppy used to grooming and give you some bonding time.

Whatever you do, don’t just shave your Golden Retriever.

Most Golden Retriever owners know this, but others may not: Goldens have double coats. This means they have a shorter, softer undercoat that regulates their temperature, and a waterproof outercoat that’s designed to protect them from things like dirt and foreign objects or debris.

It may seem like you’re being nice to your dog when you shave it in the summer, but you’re really not. The undercoat regulates their body temperature- even in the summer. So this can cause a lot of health issues for your pup.

If you shave your Golden coat, then it may just never stop shedding because it will throw off its natural shedding equilibrium.

Another thing to consider is that if you cut the outer coat too short, it may never grow in the same way. I’ve read a lot of internet forums where people share stories about taking their Goldens to groomers who give them really bad haircuts, and they simply didn’t have the lustrous coat they once did anymore.

It’s important to remember that even if you’re a little afraid of the intense shedding that comes with most Golden Retrievers, this is a natural process that you can’t stop. They’ll likely shed throughout the year, with shedding during some seasons being worse than others.

Other Options if You Want a Short-Haired Golden Retriever

If you want a Golden Retriever but don’t want the hassle that comes from their long hair and shedding, then it may be a good idea to consider getting a different breed.

For instance, Golden Retriever mixes, Labradors, and Goldendoodles are all fine choices for people who want short-haired dogs with similar temperaments.

Many Goldadors (Golden Retriever Labrador mix) look very much like a short-haired version of a Golden Retriever. They’re also really fun, energetic, and friendly dogs, just like most Golden Retrievers are.

Which Dogs Can Be Mistaken For Short-Haired Golden Retrievers?

There are several breeds that are often mistaken for short-haired Golden Retrievers. Here are some other breeds that look similar to short-haired Golden Retrievers:

• Bernese Mountain dog
• Flat-Coated Retriever
• The great Pyrenees
• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
• English Springer Spaniel
• Labrador Retriever
• Leonberger
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Here’s a look at the two most common breeds mistaken for Golden Retrievers:

Labrador Retriever

If you know what you’re looking for, it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a Golden and a Labrador. The most distinguishable features are that Goldens have long hair, while Labradors have short hair. They’re also heavier than Golden Retrievers, weighing between 55-80 lbs. And Labradors shed year-round, not just at the change of seasons.

Flat-Coated Retrievers

This breed is very similar to Golden Retrievers, but their coat is flat, while a Golden’s coat is wavy. A flat-coated retriever’s coat is also not waterproof the way a Golden Retriever is. One thing that makes it hard to differentiate a flat-coated retriever from a Golden one is the fact that they both have long, thick hair. However, if you have a flat coat, then you’ll notice that they’re not as active as Goldens and they don’t make a lot of noise.

If you feel like your dog’s breed has been misidentified, you have a couple of options available to you.

Your first option is to check with your veterinarian. Veterinarians have gone to school for a long time and have years of experience with dogs, so they can help identify your dog’s breed. Schedule an examination with your vet to find out whether you’ve got a Golden, or something else.

Another option is using a new tool that’s recently been introduced to the market: dog DNA testing. You can buy these online fairly cheap, but some vets offer them in their offices, as well. This sort of genetic testing can not only give you important insights about your dog’s health but also definitively tell you which breed they are. It can even tell you which dog breeds are in your dog’s family tree in previous generations, which can be pretty interesting.

If you find out you’ve got a mixed breed, or another breed entirely, then of course that’s frustrating. However, it doesn’t really change anything, does it? You’ll love your dog, regardless of its breed and genetics. So finding some surprising information about your dog’s genetics shouldn’t change your relationship with them.

If you do have a short-haired field Golden Retriever, then the good news is that most short-haired Golden Retrievers aren’t as prone to the health conditions experienced by other Goldens. If you’d like to know more about the various health conditions, then check out Golden Retriever Common Health Issues: Symptoms, Treatments, and Prevention.

Final Thoughts

Your main takeaway from this article should be that there’s no such thing as a short-haired Golden Retriever, but some Golden Retrievers do have shorter hair.

If you want a Golden Retriever but are intimidated by their long hair and shedding, then you should consider another breed. Goldendoodles, Goldadors, other Golden Retriever mixes, or other breeds are likely a better fit for you.

But, if you’re going to take anything away from this article, it should be that a Golden Retriever’s shedding is manageable. There’s no reason to be turned off by it. These are adorable dogs with hearts of gold and great personalities that are loyal to the end. So, to most Golden Retriever owners (myself included) it seems a little silly to pass up a marvelous dog simply because it may shed a little too much to suit you.

With that being said, of course, you should do whatever feels right to you and choose the dog that fits your needs the best!