Wonderful and studious, goofy and a jock, the golden retriever is a dog that’s renowned around the world.
As you get to know these creatures, it’s easy to see why. They’re truly remarkable, but sometimes people can be surprised at the changes their fur goes through.
From light cream to dark golden retriever puppies, all of them will have shifts in their coat’s color. If you’re wanting a specific shade, you’ll need to do some due diligence and look into the puppy’s past family lineage. That way you have an idea of what pigments that pup could possibly have in their coat.
Keep on reading to get into the details of why and when the color changes happen in the golden retriever lines.
You Can Find the Famous Golden Retriever in Dark or Light Shades
First, let’s explore the three main color options of this fantastic breed. You’ll see changes in all coats, but some less than others. All colors will have the same thick and fluffy coat that makes this breed so iconic looking.
Cream or Light Golden Retriever Puppies
Throughout the years, selective breeding has given us lighter and lighter color goldens. Now, you can find some who’s coats will stay extremely light golden, even shades of creamy white. It’s important to look through family genetics if you’re wanting to get a cream colored golden
Dark Golden Retriever Puppies
Puppies who fall in this category will grow up to have the dark golden coloring in their coats. Coat color all depends on the pigments of color received from the parents. These pups will start off light golden and continue to darken over their first two years.
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Red and Auburn Colored Golden Puppies
Finally, we have the deepest color of goldens, the red and auburn colored coats. These puppies start off pretty dark colored right from the start, with heavy red pigments coming in from birth. As they mature they develop a nice deep sunset color. Sometimes you’ll find people will bring home two different colored goldens for the fun color contrast!
Three Things Responsible for Color Shifting in the Retriever Coat
Red, cream, light golden, and dark golden retriever puppies will all go through color changes. Although genetics plays the largest role, there are a couple other things that can cause color change as well. Here are some things that can affect the color of the retriever’s coat.
Color Genetics of Direct Parents and Grandparents
The biggest part in determining the color coat an adult golden will carry is what color genetics their mom and dad have, as well as their grandparents. People will look back into multiple generations to see what a particular retriever lineage has color wise.
The Better the Health and Diet the Better the Coat
When any dog is fed a diet that lacks nutrients and quality protein, their coat will suffer. You can see it when there is a lack of shine or luster to the coat. Sometimes the hair can even grow sparsely compared to a golden on good diet. The better the food, the more full and luscious a dog’s coat will be.
Very Subtly the Sun Can Lighten the Color of the Golden
Just like a human, the golden retriever can have their hair lightened by the sun. For active dogs that get to sunbathe a lot outdoors, you might see small lightening during the summer time.
Expected Timeline of the Golden Retriever’s Color Shifts in Their Coats
Do a quick search online to see color progression photos taken by other golden owners. You will see a lot have color changing over their younger years, with some having drastic changes to others not having much at all. If you’re wanting a specific shade, look at the parents of the pups. If there have been previous litters, sometimes you can see photos of their offspring all grown up!
When They’re a Baby With Their Mother
The precious time a pup gets to spend with its dog mom is usually around eight weeks. During this time the golden puppies will be at their very lightest colors. Even dark golden retriever puppies can come out in a very light shade and darken over time.
The Fun and Delightful Puppy Stage
Normally, a puppy will go to their new homes right around when they’re eight weeks old. At this point, they’ll still have their bright and light puppy coat that’s also super soft. As the weeks pass, these delightful pups will start to have pigment changes in their hair, and a darkening will begin to happen. This can go on until they are about six months old.
Maturing Coat of a Young Adult Golden
After they hit six months, the pigmentation on the golden’s coat really starts to change and mature. This is when the darker shades of reds and golds will start to appear. For the golden retriever, you can expect these changes to last for up to a year and a half, maybe two years.
Going Through Adulthood to Becoming a Senior
After two years, the golden really has a leveling out with the changes in its coat color. As long as these beautiful dogs are kept on high quality protein and ingredient dog food along with keeping their coat well groomed, they can maintain their coloring for many years. Once they hit the senior years you can expect the retriever’s facial hair to white out. This can be a slow or gradual process.
Coat Color Changes of the Majestic Golden Retriever
Now you can see the reasoning for the changes goldens go through as they mature. As long as you’re aware of the color shift you won’t be surprised if your pup starts to darken up. If you are particular about the shade of golden you bring home, find parents that are either having cream and light pups, or those that are having dark golden retriever puppies. Looking at pictures of the parents as well as other mature puppies can really help. Goldens are really delightful dogs to bring into your life!
