When Does a Flat Coated Retriever Stop Growing? (Revealed!)

Bringing a flat coated retriever into your home is an experience that everyone is going to love. These dogs are friendly and love to play and get lots of attention. They even do well with children thanks to their endless energy along the way. This dog can get very big though and many dog owners wonder how long it will take before their flat coated retriever will stop growing.

Your flat coated retriever should stop growing by the time they are 2 years old. While some smaller breeds will stop growing when they are a bit younger, this dog has a lot of growing to do before they are considered full-size. Many will be done by the time they are 18 months, though it is possible for the dog to continue growing for longer. Routine visits to the vet will help give you a better idea of whether your dog is growing at a good rate or not.

Having a flat coated retriever is a great idea for your family, but they can become large dogs. Knowing when they will stop growing can help more families to prepare along the way. Let’s take a closer look at when a flat coated retriever will stop growing.

When Does a Flat Coated Retriever Stop Growing?

Your flat coated retriever is likely to stop growing by the time they reach two years old. Many will end earlier than that at 18 months, but it is not that uncommon for some to continue to grow past that point. This is a bit longer than some of the smaller breed dogs that you may choose to bring home as a pet. Being prepared for how long that can take will help you raise the dog better too.

A larger breed dog like the flat coated retriever is going to take longer to reach their full-size because they have more height and weight to add to their body. They also have larger bones, which are going to need some more time to grow as well. There will be some wiggle room on these growth charts though and some of this breed will stop growing earlier than the others.

What Factors Influence When My Flat Coated Retriever Will Stop Growing?

Every dog, even ones in the same breed, is going to be unique. This means that some dogs will grow faster and others will take a longer time to complete. Your vet will be a valuable resource here to help you determine the time when your dog is growing healthy and when there may be something wrong.

With that said, there are a few factors that will determine how long it will take for your dog to grow. The two most important factors are going to be the genetic background of the dog and the type of food that you provide to them.

First, we can take a look at the genetics of the dog. If both of the parents for your puppy are large for their breed, you can expect this dog to be larger as well. This will result in them needing more time to grow compared to other dogs.

If the parents are medium in size or smaller for their breed, then they will probably be done growing a bit earlier. While this does not hold true for all flat coated retrievers, it is a good rule of thumb to follow.

The diet that you feed to the puppy will matter as well when it comes to the length of time that the puppy is going to grow. Healthy diets promote healthy growing in your dog.

If you are able to feed the dog all of the nutrients that they need, they are going to grow faster and bigger than if they are given bad food. They may be able to complete their growth a bit faster thanks to the food they have.

Dog owners can also choose to feed a poor diet to their flat coated retrievers. When this happens, the dog is not able to get the nutrients that they need to grow and be strong. This could result in them taking longer to grow and not being as strong and big as other dogs of this breed.

Make sure that you avoid foods that are full of filler and go for ones that have real ingredients, usually with some kind of meat as the first ingredient, to help them grow big and strong.

Will Spaying and Neutering Slow Down the Growing Process?

It is possible that spaying and neutering your dog could make a small difference on the size that your flat coated retriever will become when they are older.

However, the difference is not really that noticeable for most dogs and it is not enough to make it worth your time to not do that process. The age that you do that process may be the biggest determinant of whether it will slow down the growth of the dog or not.

For most dogs, it is better to spay and neuter than to help with their health, even if it does make them slightly smaller than they would have been without the procedure.

If you are worried about the adverse effects of neutering or spaying the dog on their height and weight, this is a good question to bring up with their vet ahead of time.

Why Does the Flat Coated Retriever Grow Longer Than Other Breeds?

You will quickly notice that this dog breed tends to grow for a longer period of time than some of the other breeds, especially the ones that are smaller.

While some breeds are only going to grow for six to twelve months, this dog will often grow until they are 18 to 24 months old depending on their size when they are done.

The flat coated retriever is going to grow for a longer time period than some other breeds that you can choose is because they need that extra time. It takes a longer time to add 60 to 80 pounds in a healthy way compared to just adding up to 30 pounds on some of the smaller dogs.

This takes longer and so you can expect that this breed is going to grow for longer than some of the others.

At the same time, the flat coated retriever is going to have their bones grow bigger and stronger as well. This helps to support the big frame that they have and all that height and weight. It takes longer for those larger bones to grow and be strong as well.

This does take a bit longer for the larger breed to get it all done compared to some of the smaller breeds.

What If I Think My Flat Coated Retriever is Growing Too Big?

It is important to remember that this is going to be a large dog. They are designed to be larger than some of the other breeds that you would like to bring home. If you are not ready to handle a big dog, then you will need to choose one of the other breeds.

While this dog may not get as big as a St. Bernard or a Mastiff, they will still turn into a big dog and will continue to grow longer than some of the other breeds.

However, if you feel that your flat coated retriever is starting to grow too big, there are a few steps that you can consider taking. The first is to go and visit with their vet and get a complete checkup done. The vet understands what is normal for this breed and what is unusual. They can complete the checkup and determine whether the growth is normal for your dog.

The good news is that your dog is probably growing just fine, you are just not prepared for how much they grow and how long the grow is going to last.

The vet will be able to provide you with some advice on how to prepare for the size of the dog and may even be able to tell you the approximate size that your flat coated retriever will become when they are done growing. This is a great time to ask questions and check on anything else that is concerning you about this dog too.

Understanding the Growth of Your Flat Coated Retriever        

Understanding what is normal for a flat coated retriever and what is not when it comes to their growth can help prepare the pet owner for taking care of their dog. This breed is a unique one, and they are going to grow like crazy throughout their lives.

The good news is that they will not grow indefinitely and there will come a time when they will stop growing altogether. This usually happens when the dog is between 18 to 24 months old. Knowing this and attending routine vet visits will help you to take care of your dog.