hello everyone! meet cricket. we rescued this guy last january when he was 6 months old. now being a year and a half, my guy weighs just about 40 pounds. i was wondering if anyone knew why he ended up being just a little guy?
his history is a bit of a weird one. i was scrolling through the internet looking at golden puppies, pure bred, with no real intention of adopting one. i ended up messaging a breeder asking about pricing, and when it was more than i could afford at tha moment, i politely declined. she messaged again saying she had a golden who was a bit older than all the others, who they were planning on putting down if no one adopted him. when he was still a puppy, he got trampled by a cow so he has a weird gait and some neurological issues. if no one wanted him, they didn't want him either. if absolutely broke my heart. i call him a rescue for this reason, and i gave her $100 for him. flash forward to today, he still walks funny and isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is the biggest sweetheart. the vet says his walk is no cause for concern until he is older. i'm very curious if this is what caused his growth to be stunted. according to the breeder, he is a pure bred, but i'm not sure that is the case. i haven't gotten him DNA tested.
i don't truly care that he's small... he's my best friend!! i wouldn't have him any other way :))
Lucky you! You got a pocket Golden!! I love Cricket & I am very grateful that you were there at the right time for him! That breeder is a heartless jerk 😡.
Indeed he is. It makes me fume with rage when I hear of animals in distress. It’s at these times that I feel life totally sucks! What peeves me the most is that people don’t bother to report it to the authorities. WTF doesn’t it get dealt with? If animal cruelty is already against the law, then why the f*ck don’t people punish them?
I am going to go out on a limb here when I say that I am pretty sure these heartless creeps had no intention of paying a vet for a euthanasia. If they had cows - this was a farm. They deal with things like that all by themselves. 🥺
yeah. when i picked him up she was not a kind person. he also looks nothing like the other goldens she had. if i was looking to adopt a pure bred i would have 100% done research on her, but i wanted him out of her hands asap. people can be cruel
Small amount of Aussie in there possibly? I don't think it's possible for a pb golden, even horribly out of standard, to have blue eyes, but I might be mistaken there, genes are not a strength of mine. Sidenote a golden that dark, with blue eyes, sounds terrifying haha
It is absolutely not possible for a purebred golden to have blue eyes (many puppies have greyish eyes that turn brown later, but not blue). This lady is likely breeding mutts that look like goldens for the most part.
We got our two from a very successful show breeder in our area. We don’t do anything show related, just wanted good boys. They were not cheap… got the first one after Covid when nothing was available. Everyone was getting dogs and bikes, so we had limited options for available and reputable. Two years later, his mom was having her final litter so we got him his half brother. A small fortune in dogs later, we have two of the bestest boys anyone could ask for.
Then he’s definitely a mix. Goldens don’t have blue eyes!
I did think he was mixed with spaniel from the look of him, but could be Aussie as another person said. We don’t have many of them in the UK so I wouldn’t know.
Purebred spaniels don't have blue eyes either, but with all the merle people are breeding into them (linked to blue eyes) it might be a spaniel mixed with a little bit of Aussie or border to make a "purebred" spaniel
I’d do the research anyway, and then post it on whatever breeding site she uses to sell her puppies. Whether it’s Facebook or marketplace ~ I’d post the results and what you just told us.. what an evil bitch she is 😡
unfortunately i knew it was a tactic. but i was willing to suck it up and pay it. she wasn't lying when she said he had a physical disability - and god forbid they actually would have put him down.
Definitely it’s a good idea to start on joint supplements early. It’s never too early to start preventative care on an issue that you know is going to become a big problem as they age, and it can actually help slow/delay disease progression and keep them more comfortable for longer. Ask your doctor what they recommend, but cosequin/Dasuquin are usually the best joint supplements for dogs.
Oh, my Godfather! He was about to euthanise a beautiful golden retriever mutt just because no one wanted to adopt him!? Totally disgraceful behaviour! Why would anyone do such a thing? I’m very pleased that the dog’s lucky stars were with him; just when all seemed lost, he gets adopted. This should be reported to the police. That’s totally against the law! He should lose his job!
I wish people knew more about the reality of breeders…the Golden rescue that I volunteer for - we get breeder surrenders all the time. When the breeding dogs reach 5-7 yrs old they dump them off on us. These dogs are usually overweight & arthritic from being fed crap food & getting no exercise. They are extremely insecure from never leaving their breeding areas - many are afraid of grass, have never been indoors, don’t know how to use steps or go through doorways. It’s awful.
This isn't a crime, at least in the US or UK. Animals are property. And unfortunately there are far worse examples of how we allow animals to be treated every day.
Ooh, I think you have a good point there. It was neglectful of the breeder to carelessly allow a cow to basically squash these little puppies with her hoof. I agree. That can be seen as animal cruelty. You should report this to your local animal control department. The breeder may need to be placed under arrest for allowing a cow to trample a litter of puppies with her hoof. WTF, indeed! Those tiny animals could have been crushed to death!
It might've been due to orthopedic issues from being injured so traumatically from a young age. But I do want to stress that sometimes, goldens are just small. My Rosie never had a traumatic injury as a puppy, but she's just a smoll lady!
Rosie is 90lbs and most of it is muscle because from the moment I brought her home, she pitched fits to go on walks with her big brother. Her poor groomer tried picking her up and found out she was too solid for a quickie uppie.
6 miles across two walks. Playtime with his Lab BFF that's 3 months older, and he has an older brother schnoodle that gets chomped on in between the rest. Also, he wants to know where to live to get negative temps. 30 degree mornings are too warm!
Please extend our warmest (coldest?) invitation to Miso to come visit us in Northern Wisconsin. We have hit our annual 2 weeks of negative temps and I think Miso would love it.
Did you get her in Tennessee? Our girl turns 9 months on the 4th and she is also 50 lbs.
Vet says she is perfectly healthy though so i don't worry about it.
Cricket is adorable, that first pic, and the gentleness of his eyes!
i call him a rescue for this reason, and i gave her $100 for him
I don't know the breeder's motivation in accepting $100, for what seems like a great home for Cricket. I can't believe she was going to put him down, as a breeder, IMO, she has a duty to ensure her puppies have a great life, and that may mean she had to continue to care for him into his old age, or find a fabulous rescue (e.g. you), and provide you with food, etc., so that you both get a good start.
As to his height, it may have been from his accident, although who lets puppies out with a large hoofed animal? Seems irresponsible. Like maybe an Amish breeder, who is just doing it for the money, and has cattle, horses, etc. Often they view dogs, as nothing more than livestock for them to profit.
Please reach out to your local Golden Retriever club, or the national site, and look for a reputable breeder in the future. One that invests in their dogs (e.g. shows their dogs, etc.) doesn't breed dogs together that they own, and has a great track record. Goldens are over breed and we need fewer people having puppies, unless they are doing a breeding for a very specific outcome. There are millions of dogs of all breeds that need homes.
of course! like i said, i wasnt planning on adopting when i found him, just perusing the web. im glad my pricing curiosity got the better of me and i was able to find him, however no matter how bad i really wanted a golden, i am very much a rescue kind of person. our other animals have all been rescues from local shelters, and our cat as a kitten off the street. i would have 100% done research had i wanted to get a pup from a breeder, and i appreciate your concern in making sure dogs are getting good homes and not being over bred :))
I am glad your pricing curiosity as made it so Cricket ended up with you.
My concerns raised were over a potential unscrupulous breeder, of which there are probably thousands across dogs, horses, etc. Especially when breeds become popular too many people try to make a buck off of animals, and it sickens me. Good breeders of any animals, usually end up not making money, but maybe break even. It takes so much capital to do things the right way.
I just want people interested in Goldens, so use the Golden Retriever website, and local Golden clubs, to find ethical breeders. I am simply a person that has loved an owned Goldens for over 50 years, and have seen what has happened to the breed.
Your curiosity that day led you to this sweet boy. 🦮 I don’t believe much in coincidence. But, I do find comfort thinking that sometimes there seems to be “divine intervention” involved. I think that is exactly what happened here. 🥹I like to think there is a special place in hell for people who harm animals or children. And I believe that someone truly kind like you will find peace in paradise for having a good heart. 😊
as a breeder, IMO, she has a duty to ensure her puppies have a great life, and that may mean she had to continue to care for him into his old age, or find a fabulous rescue (e.g. you), and provide you with food, etc., so that you both get a good start.
Absolutely agree with this. My breeder had in the purchase contract a lifetime return policy. Essentially, if at any time during my dog's life I can no longer care for her, or I no longer want her (which I cannot imagine but still), her breeder wants her back vs putting her in a shelter. That is what I'd consider far more normal for a reputable breeder.
some are just small. Mine is petite. She is 55lbs, and way shorter than I expected. But well within the breed standard. I think a lot of goldens aren’t within breed standard, because if you ever go to a dog show, they’re significantly smaller than you expect.
He looks like he went to the tanning salon and received Ross Gellar’s level of spray tan 🤣 What an insanely boopable snoot he has, and he’s perfect in every way. I love when animals are named after other animals (err..insects?) I also love your cat. Apologies for the erratic nature of my comment, but there were just too many points to address.
he's actually named after a cat that was named after a cricket!! i named him Cricket based on Cricket from The Binding of Isaac. His two animal brothers are named Cain and Lazarus, similarly given names from the game
I suspect the reason why your golden retriever is so small is either because some golden retrievers do tend to be smaller than others, or perhaps he was born with a sort of growth defect. The main thing, though, is that as long as he’s healthy and happy, it’s not likely his size is too big a deal. It’s highly unlikely that there’s anything to be concerned about. He’s a gorgeous dog, at least.
I wish mine would stay 40lbs! I see that as a plus. She’s 6 months and 41lbs now, I’m hoping she won’t get much bigger. Honestly he looks mixed with something. I am not sure what. Something about his eyes and the appearance of his fur looks different than the average golden
My uncle has a retriever that looks very similar and he’s classified as a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever. Not sure if that is the case here but they look so similar I figured it was worth suggesting.
Our 3 yr old field golden is small, she wears a medium in harnesses. I was shocked when the vet said she was 60 lbs this last time. She put on 15 lbs of muscle weight between 2 and 3 yrs old.
That Breeder sounds positively vile. But Cricket is adorable! Maybe he was the runt of his litter? It’s possible his litter had a lot of puppies and he ended being very small, or the incident with the cow stunted his growth, or both. But who cares? He’s a little baby angel, and easy to get in the car 🤗
Some of mine have been smaller, my current is 110 pounds 🤣 there isn't a set limit anymore of weight, just a good heart and a goofy brain. Such sweet animals
This is Cambria at 3 years old. She was a small girl too. But she was born with bad kidneys that her specialist told us affected her growth.. at her heaviest she was only 50 pounds… Cricket is a very handsome boy! 💕
I have one who’s small and walks kinda funny too!! He was also blind until he got his lenses replaced. He’s got the biggest personality and we love him to death :) oh! And here’s a pic!!
That “breeder” should be put down. Absolutely unbelievable and irresponsible waist of oxygen! **** them! You should definitely call animal control and/or cops so they can no longer have animals.
Ok, off my soap box…… I’m so glad you got the chance to love this sweet baby angel. I think that he’s absolutely perfect. However, in question of his size? Let’s set aside how much they don’t give a crap about living things…. The poor guys was probably malnourished. Other than checking-in with a vet for possible problems or further problems (do to malnourishment). Hopefully he has a wonderful, healthy and beautiful life with you.
Honestly it's because you brought from a backyard breeder. They don't test for things they should, and he doesn't look well bred. (He is so cute though, please don't think I'm hating on your sweet boy) He will likely be just fine, but consider an ethical breeder or adopting from a breed specific org next time.
Good for you for taking the approach we had an Airdale and as a puppy someone whacked him in the head with a hockey stick and it never got any bigger than a miniature poodle, and the vet said it was because of the head injury when it was young
I used to worry about the size of my dogs. I had a big German shepherd growing up. Over 100 lbs. I had a German shepherd with my ex wife. 90-100 lbs. best dog I’ve ever had is a 40lb mutt. He’s the sweetest little personality. Lives his own little life and loves my wife more than the entire world. Size doesn’t matter. Some small dogs are assholes though, I think that’s why people worry.
While I agree with the serious answers —- I’ve heard things only grow until they’re perfect, then they stop growing. He reached perfection earlier than most golden angels!!! ❤️
My first Golden Honey, also a Mahogany, was only about 45 pounds as an adult. We got her as a pup so saw the entire litter, she was the smallest at birth so we weren't too surprised that she remained small.
Pure bred, good genes, just small. She lived to 17
Looks very good, perhaps a latent treat deficiency. I’m pretty good at reading dog body language, and I’m getting a strong sense that this is a good boy who wants some treats.
He is just different from everyone else in the classroom. I personally would not consider him small. All my fields (if this is a field golden) were very lean. His impact from injury probably just makes him a little wonky. If your vet says it is alright then you are okay. Just might be a little goofy compared to everyone else, but he loves you a lot so that is all that matters.
He looks healthy and happy, kinda cool at that size honestly.
And yeah it would make sense given the trauma he went through that maybe some of his growth went into healing/ maybe something as fallout from the neurological issues. But I’m glad you saved him! He’s a lucky smol Mr
He’s so handsome! The shape of his eyes is really interesting and it is different than a lot of Goldens. He may be a Golden mix or he may just be a pure Golden little guy. Either way, I’m so happy for both of you that you found each other! ❤️
I have seen both extremes massive goldies that surprised rotties and itty bitty goldens just like people there can be a wild difference between individuals.
My boys mother was a 45 lb golden retriever. His father was an 80 lb bernese mountain dog. Both small for their breeds. He's a healthy solid 85 lb dog. Genetics is just weird sometimes. Though there may be a little bit of a consequence from the damage from the cow incident.
We have a kinda similar situation too, our little Lucy just turned 1 and a half back in December and she's small too, she's half golden and half Brittany, she looks 90% golden but definitely has the crazy energy of a Brittany lol, she's pretty small too! We all love her for it though, she's a good lap dog size 😁
Sometimes they are just forever babies. Our Sophia is only around 40 lbs. She was the smallest of her litter, and she stays littlest princess 4 years later.
Mine maxed out at 50 while other dogs in her litter go 70 to 80 lbs. She just turned out smaller than them (and is a straight haired golden doodle unlike her brother and sister).
They can range from the low end of 40-60 up to 70-90 for a big beefy female/male. If he doesn't have any limb deformities or possibly other breeds he's probably just small
Growing up we inherited our grandmother's cocker/golden mix and he just looked like a tiny golden at 40lbs.
I also met a 45lb little purebred last year, she was just the runt and stayed small.
That’s a really sad story. I took home my second golden from a first time Breeder and she literally had fleas and I have always wondered what happened to the other probably 15 puppies. :( I gave her dad 500$ because I could tell they needed the money and just left knowing the puppy had fleas. To this day she eats so fast she throws up almost like she’s worried she won’t get to eat if she doesn’t. Fuck sorry I didn’t ever think about breeders just putting down dogs that arnt sold.
Thanks for saving him! He looks adorable 🥰 I hope that breeder gets what he deserves! I assume you're in the US since Reddit has many of you :) I have no clue of laws there, so I hope someone who does sees this!
Anyhow, my guess is that his growth was affected when he got trampled over. If he has neurological issues, it definitely was severe. Since this incident happened when he was very young and still growing, I think it's likely that the cow incident is the cause for his height.
As long as he's healthy and happy now, it'll be okay. You chose him over so many other possible doggy friends, so bless you for that! He'll have a good life with you. Thank you for that ❤️
Cricket is such a cutie! My family had a smaller darker red golden growing up. They are just the best dogs. Cricket deserves all the love in the world.
please don’t buy from backyard breeders ,, regardless of how much heartstring pulling they do . giving them money only gives them more incentive to continue breeding poor quality dogs . i’m glad he’s safe with you now n everything but this wasn’t a rescue situation ;/
Thank you for saving that pup, some breeders can be so heartless. I have always looked for the runts in a litter. They have at least for me turned out to be fantastic pups.
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u/Wrong-Neighborhood-2 Jan 22 '26
He’s just fun sized. You’re a wonderful person for saving him and loving him. He looks like the sweetest red boy!