A British author has told Newsweek the remarkable story of her golden retriever whose unexpected growth spurt transformed her from an ordinary puppy into what friends now jokingly describe as “a cow in the kitchen.”
Gillian McAllister, 40, from the U. K.—a New York Times bestselling author whose upcoming novel Caller Unknown is set for release on May 5, 2026—began taking weekly photos of her dog Wendy when she first brought her home in 2019. But it did not take long before she noticed something unusual.
“She appeared to be growing faster than you’d expect in a seven-day period,” McAllister said in a viral post on Instagram. Confused, she reached out to the pup’s groomer, who offered a blunt explanation: “Parents are small, but she has an enormous grandma.” It turned out Wendy’s grandmother weighed 110 pounds with “no fat on her,” leaving little doubt that Wendy had inherited her size from the giant matriarch of the family.
By 12 weeks old, Wendy already tipped the scales at 88 pounds, and the growth didn’t stop there.
Now fully grown, she weighs around 110 pounds, making her far larger than the average female golden retriever.
The American Kennel Club says that the golden retriever is the third most-popular breed in the U.S. with an average life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. Wendy is considerably larger than is average for the breed. Golden retrievers grow to an average 21 to 24 inches tall with an average weight of between 55 and 75 pounds.
“When she arrived with us, she was a normal-sized puppy but with large feet, but she continued to grow and grow,” McAllister told Newsweek. “It’s just normal now that we live with a giant dog and her giant beds and her giant bags of food.”
But Wendy’s size comes with its challenges.
“Recently, our friends looked after her, and they said it was like having a cow in their kitchen,” the owner said.
In a post on Instagram, McAllister shared the realization that came with having a giant pup. “Nothing in this house is safe from the monstrous combination of large, strangely agile and greedy,” she wrote. “One year she ate our Christmas turkey.”
Despite the chaos, Wendy has become a beloved fixture not only in McAllister’s home, but now also online where the post about her has thousands of likes.
“I couldn’t believe it,” McAllister said. “She’s long had fans amongst the people who read my books, but she is reaching another level.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.