Are you wondering if there are any short hair Golden Retrievers out there? Well, theoretically speaking — they don’t exist. However, some goldens can have shorter coats than others. But most have long hair.
Let’s solve the mystery of a short haired Golden Retriever together. Because even though they aren’t a thing — they are still some ways in which people work around it.
Short Hair Golden Retrievers
Like we already said, there isn’t really such a thing as a short haired Golden.
Although there’s no such thing as a short-haired golden retriever, some golden retrievers do have shorter hair than others. However, some types of Golden Retriever mixes, like Field Golden Retrievers, have shorter coats than others.
You might feel tempted to turn your Golden into a short haired dog by shaving him. But that’s definitely not the smartest idea, for reasons that we are going to explain later.
Now that we know that a search for a short hair Golden would lead to nothing — let’s talk about the options that do exist.
Which Breed Variations Are Short Haired Golden Retrievers?
While Golden Retrievers refer to one dog breed, there are still several variations of it.
On of these variations is the Field Golden Retriever, which could be considered a short haired Golden Retriever. But taking the term “short haired” quite loosely.
This specific variation of Goldens was bred for hunting and working in the fields. Thus the name — Field Golden Retriever breed. This is a flat coated Retriever with shorter coats.
They are very athletic, loyal and driven. Their coat tends to be a bit darker, sometimes even appearing red. Additionally, their coat is shorter than the coat of other Golden Retrievers. Sometimes they are even a curly coated Retriever.
The field Golden Retriever is for people who live in the country. They need a lot of outdoor space to run around. They aren’t your usual “show” golden. These dogs love to get dirty and exercise a lot!
Their tendency to get dirty definitely goes well together with their shorter coat. That way you at least won’t have too much trouble getting the mud out of their coat.
But, that doesn’t mean that other variations of Goldens can’t have shorter coats. It is possible, but it’s also pretty rare.
Some people may even get suspicious of their dog’s pedigree. Many owners of short haired Golden Retrievers believed that their dog’s were either a cross with a Labrador, or a full on Lab.
But doing some tests they soon realized that their Goldens just have naturally shorter coats than others. That can be something quiet positive — especially if you don’t like vacuuming too much. Because these Golden Retrievers will shed less than any other variations.
Why Is A Golden Retriever Short Haired?
If your Golden’s coat is shorter than the average, chances are he comes from a line of shorter haired Golden Retrievers.
Coat length is hereditary, therefore he probably got the shorter hair from his parents. So if you want to find a golden retriever with a shorter coat, you need to find a breeder who’s breeding goldens with short coats.
When Do Golden Retrievers Grow Their Full Coat?
You might be wondering if your Golden pup is short haired or if he just didn’t grow his full coat yet.
Goldens are known to grow very fast and reach their full height at about one year of age.
However, their coats don’t fully grow out until one and a half years old.
So if you see someone walking down the street with a beautiful golden sporting a short coat, know that unless the golden was over a year and a half old, chances are their coat might grow a little longer.
What About A Shaved Golden Retriever?
Now that you know that there aren’t any naturally short haired Golden Retrievers out there, you might be wondering: Can I just shave my Golden Retriever?
The answer is a clear NO! Besides that being absolutely unnecessary — you might permanently ruin their health and stunning coat.
Golden Retrievers have double coats that consist of a soft undercoat that helps regulate their body temperature and a long, smooth outer coat that is waterproof and protects them from dirt.
You might be thinking you’re doing your dog a favor by shaving him in the summer — but that couldn’t be less true. Their undercoat regulates their body temperature even when it’s hot outside. So shaving off both of their coats could put their health in jeopardy.
Additionally, no one can guarantee you that their coat will grow back exactly the way it was. There are a bunch of horror stories from people who’s groomer cut off too much and ruined their dog’s coat.
Therefore, no — don’t shave your Golden Retriever just because you think it will look cool and be easier to maintain.
There is a reason that nature gave Goldens their signature long and silky coat. However, if you are interested in a Golden with slightly shorter hair — the field Golden Retriever is the way to go.