Golden Retrievers are many things; they are loyal, they are friendly, and they are cuddly. They are also big, strong dogs that are quite smart and can be very athletic when they need to.
This combination of smarts and muscles means they can be pretty good jumpers, even if you think otherwise.
So, can golden retrievers jump fences? Yes, Golden Retrievers can jump fences that are less than 6 foot high quite easily.Goldens can normally jump 4-to-6 feet high with ease. They also learn how to jump higher with every try. To Prevent goldens from running away, you need strong fences that are at least 6-feet high.
Goldens are also strong chewers and can charge through a weak fence and break it apart quite easily. To learn how to keep your golden retriever inside and train them to stop jumping, keep reading.
Can Golden Retrievers Jump?
As we have already answered above, golden retrievers are large dogs and they are capable of jumping 4-to-6 feet high relatively easily. They can also jump higher if they have a run-up distance of 10 to 15 feet, but some goldens can still jump 6 feet high without a run-up distance.
It’s really not a surprise that golden retrievers can jump. Even though goldens make for excellent family dogs as they can be pretty chill, they are very energetic dogs and they have the body to be athletic when needed.
If you are sitting there and thinking “no, my dog is a couch potato”, then you definitely need to check out why is your golden retriever lazy here. It’s fine for your dog to become a couch potato if they have gotten enough exercise on that day, but it’s not okay to be lazy all the time even without getting their daily exercise.
How High Can A Golden Retriever Jump?
Most Golden Retrievers can jump 4-to-6 feet relatively easily even if they don’t get a good run-up on the fence. They are also big dogs, so when they jump on people, they can easily get their paws on your chest if they want to.
This makes your golden retriever’s jumps on people a serious problem, because they can easily knock people down.
In General, goldens can jump just as high as all other large dog breeds. However, how high can a golden retriever jump on fences or otherwise really depends on other factors, let’s briefly discuss what they are.
5 Factors That Determine How High They Can Jump
There are five main factors the determine the ability of your golden retriever to jump:
- Age:
- Generally, the younger the dog, the more capable of jumping they are.
- Younger dogs are also more enthusiastic and have more energy.
- Senior goldens usually have hip problems that prevent them from jumping and make it quite painful.
- Goldens will be able to jump the highest when they are 2-to7 year old as this is when they are at their prime physical condition
- Health:
- A Golden retriever in good health will be more able to jump high.
- Golden Retrievers that are in pain or are not feeling well will not be able to jump high or at all.
- Goldens that are in their ideal weight will be able to jump higher than overweight pooches.
- Experience:
- Goldens that were trained to jump were be more capable of jumping higher than those who are just figuring it out.
- Some Goldens are escape artists, and these will keep trying and learning from every failed attempt.
- Goldens that have tried jumping and got injured are less likely to try jumping high in the future, fearing getting hurt again.
- Motivation:
- The motivation behind your dog’s jumping can make a difference in how hard they are trying to jump.
- Dogs trying to jump to find a mate will be the most motivated to find a way out of the house, and they can figure it out surprisingly fast.
- Environment:
- Goldens that can use your house’s landscape or the geography of your outdoor space to their advantage will definitely try to do that and will be able to jump higher fences using the environment to their advantage.
Can Golden Retrievers Jump Fences?
As explained, Yes, Golden Retrievers can jump fences, but they can also charge through it or even chew their way through it.
Goldens are pretty smart animals, and if they really need to run away, they will do their best to find a way, and they are more successful at it than we would like.
If you think your golden retriever may be trying to do this, you should definitely check out my post why golden retrievers run away and how to stop it as I discuss some very effective ways on keeping your dog inside (without forcing them to) that have always worked for me.
Are Golden Retrievers Good Jumpers?
Yes, golden retrievers – especially young ones that are 2-to-6 years old can be very good jumpers as they are in their prime and their physical condition is at its best.
They can jump on people with quite a vigor which can easily knock someone, especially if it took them by surprise and they were not ready for it.
Not to worry, though, you can train your dog to stop jumping on people if you want.
How do I stop my golden retriever from jumping the fence?
The best way to stop your golden retriever from jumping to to find out why they are jumping and then fix the problem at its roots.
Here is how to stop your dog from jumping the fence and running away:
- Eliminate the cause for jumping
- If your dog is jumping to find a mate, neuter or spay them.
- If they are trying to run away to have fun, make inside more fun
- If they are trying to run to get exercise, increase their daily dose of exercise
- If they are running away to get to you, train them to be left alone here.
- Make the fence taller
- Make your fence taller than 6-feet-high. You can do that by extending the fence itself or adding an L-footer upside down at the top of the fence.
- Create an Obstacle
- Making an obstacle in the way can stop your dog from getting a run-up which can stop them from trying the jump as they can tell they are not going to make it.
- You can do that by using a second fence that is about 3 feet of the main one, even if it’s much smaller.
- You can also prevent them from getting a good run-up by planting some trees in the garden.
- Use a Coyote Roller on The Fence
- Using a Coyote Roller will stop your dog from climbing over the fence and make it difficult for them to get a footing as the roller will spin once they get their foot on it.
- Restrict Their View
- If your dog can’t see what’s going outside, they won’t try to jump over the fence to chase the squirrel, the cat, or the mailman or run after cars.
- This can be done by using wooden fencing but you should know they are more expensive.
If you don’t know what a Coyote Roller is, It’s a metal roller that can be added on the top of your fence and will not allow any animal to get a foothold on top of the fence.
You can get a pretty good and reliable one from Amazon such as this Pack of 2 (16″) Roller and Bracket Set with 1.5″ Diameter (Amazon Link).
If you want to learn all the way to keep coyotes away from your house and protect your dog, you can learn 5 ways to protect your dog from Coyotes here and 6 ways to keep coyotes away here.
I have quite a bit of experience on this topic as we used to deal with them back when I lived in the family home more than we would like to admit, so you should definitely take a minute to read the tips and implement them. Promise it’ll be worth your time.
What Not to Do
There are many ways in which you can keep your dog inside and stop them from jumping over fences and running away, but there are also ways to keep them inside which you should never use.
Here are ways that you should never use to keep your dog inside.
- Never Restrict their movements.
- Tying your dog in the garden and restricting their movements with chains, ropes, or anything similar should never be an option.
- The same can be said for crates. While Crates are necessary for training your dog, they should only be used temporarily and they should never be your first option.
- Don’t Punish them
- If you punish your dog after catching them trying to jump, you will not be discouraging them from jumping again, but teaching them to be sneaky about it the next time they try.
- Punishing them after a failed attempt can also motivate them to try harder next time since they know they may get punished if they fail again.
- Don’t make it hurt
- Putting glass, wire, or anything on the top of your fence to stop your dog from jumping is a cruel and horrible thing to do to your dog.
- Your dog doesn’t understand what is a wire, and they may try to jump anyway only to get their stomachs or paws hurt, which can be a serious injury.
