These 25 cute golden retriever coloring pages for kids follow one little puppy through his own book: Rusty, with floppy ears and a pink tongue usually out. He sits in the grass, tilts his head, takes his first steps, munches a biscuit, naps under a tree, sniffs a flower, sits for a treat, and climbs a little hill. Then he paints a paw print, plays in a leaf pile, watches a bumblebee, has a picnic, meets Mama, jumps in muddy puddles, builds a block tower, counts his treats, and rakes leaves. Then he stands tall, stargazes, pulls a little wagon, bakes cookies, wears a warm scarf, reads a bedtime story, sleeps soundly, and ends with a big golden celebration. All free to download and print, or to color right in your browser, with no sign-up needed.
Rusty is a make-believe cartoon puppy. His adventures are pretend play, not a guide to real dogs. Some pictures show things a real puppy could do, like taking first steps, munching a biscuit, napping under a tree, sniffing a flower, playing in leaves, or jumping in puddles. Others let Rusty pretend to be a person, like painting a paw print, building a block tower, counting treats, raking leaves, baking cookies, wearing a scarf, or reading a bedtime story. A real puppy would not set a picnic, pull a wagon, or read a book. The article says which is which on every page.
Pick a page below to jump straight to it, or scroll through the whole book in order. You do not need a printer to enjoy these pages: tap Color Online under any picture to color it on your screen.
Choose your favorite golden retriever coloring page
Find a page fast: pick a scene, check its theme and difficulty, then tap the title to jump to it.
| Page | Scene | Theme | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Meet Rusty | Meet Rusty | Puppy Rusty | Simple |
| 2. Rusty Tilts His Head | Rusty Tilts His Head | Puppy Rusty | Simple |
| 3. Rusty Takes His First Steps | Rusty Takes His First Steps | Puppy Rusty | Simple |
| 4. Rusty Munches a Biscuit | Rusty Munches a Biscuit | Puppy Rusty | Medium |
| 5. Rusty Naps Under a Tree | Rusty Naps Under a Tree | Puppy Rusty | Simple |
| 6. Rusty Sniffs a Flower | Rusty Sniffs a Flower | Puppy Rusty | Medium |
| 7. Rusty Sits for a Treat | Rusty Sits for a Treat | Puppy Rusty | Simple |
| 8. Rusty Climbs a Little Hill | Rusty Climbs a Little Hill | Puppy Rusty | Medium |
| 9. Rusty Paints a Paw Print | Rusty Paints a Paw Print | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 10. Rusty Plays in a Leaf Pile | Rusty Plays in a Leaf Pile | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 11. Rusty Watches a Bumblebee | Rusty Watches a Bumblebee | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 12. Rusty Has a Picnic | Rusty Has a Picnic | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 13. Rusty Meets Mama | Rusty Meets Mama | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 14. Rusty Jumps in Muddy Puddles | Rusty Jumps in Muddy Puddles | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 15. Rusty Builds a Block Tower | Rusty Builds a Block Tower | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 16. Rusty Counts His Treats | Rusty Counts His Treats | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 17. Rusty Rakes Leaves | Rusty Rakes Leaves | Little Rusty | Medium |
| 18. Rusty Stands Tall | Rusty Stands Tall | Big Rusty | Simple |
| 19. Rusty Stargazes | Rusty Stargazes | Big Rusty | Medium |
| 20. Rusty Pulls a Little Wagon | Rusty Pulls a Little Wagon | Big Rusty | Medium |
| 21. Rusty Bakes Cookies | Rusty Bakes Cookies | Big Rusty | Detailed |
| 22. Rusty Wears a Warm Scarf | Rusty Wears a Warm Scarf | Big Rusty | Detailed |
| 23. Rusty Reads a Bedtime Story | Rusty Reads a Bedtime Story | Big Rusty | Medium |
| 24. Sleepy Rusty | Sleepy Rusty | Big Rusty | Simple |
| 25. The Big Golden Celebration | The Big Golden Celebration | Big Rusty | Detailed |
How to use these golden retriever coloring pages
Jump to a part of the book: Puppy Rusty (pages 1-8) · Little Rusty (pages 9-17) · Big Rusty (pages 18-25)
Choose a picture below, then tap Download to print it or Color Online to color it in your browser. The pages run in book order. The page numbers in this article refer to the coloring pages, not necessarily the page numbers in a PDF viewer.
Simple pages have large open shapes and few details. Medium pages have more objects and smaller spaces. Detailed pages have the most objects and the smallest spaces. The difficulty rating is my own guide for this book, not a fixed age level. Suggested counting levels: start with small groups on each page where available, then try larger optional challenges. Younger children may enjoy counting with a grown-up. Choose prompts to match the child, not just their age. On page 15, count the 7 blocks. On page 16, count the 5 treats. On page 19, count the 5 stars. On page 25, count the 3 balloons.
Puppy Rusty (Pages 1-8)
Eight pages of Puppy Rusty: sitting in the grass, tilting his head, taking his first steps, munching a biscuit, napping under a tree, sniffing a flower, sitting for a treat, and climbing a little hill. These are the simplest pages in the book, and the best place to start. The first steps, the biscuit, the nap, and the flower are things a real puppy could do. The treat toss and the hill climb are play, and the article says which is which on every page.
1. Meet Rusty
Rusty sits in the grass, tongue out and tail up, with all 4 paws on the ground. Count 4 paws.
Difficulty: Simple (one puppy sitting in the grass). Try this: Count the 4 paws.
2. Rusty Tilts His Head
Rusty sits with his head tilted to one side and his tongue out, all 4 paws on the ground. Count 4 paws.
Difficulty: Simple (one puppy with his head tilted). Try this: Count the 4 paws.
3. Rusty Takes His First Steps
Rusty takes his first steps, with 1 front paw raised and 1 flower at the left. Count 4 paws.
Difficulty: Simple (one puppy walking with one paw raised). Try this: Count the 4 paws.
4. Rusty Munches a Biscuit
Rusty munches 1 bone-shaped biscuit in his front paws, with 1 food bowl beside him and 2 crumbs on the ground. Count the 2 crumbs.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a biscuit, a bowl, and crumbs). Try this: Count the 2 crumbs.
5. Rusty Naps Under a Tree
Rusty naps curled up under 1 tree, eyes closed, with 3 leaves on the branch above him. Count the 3 leaves.
Difficulty: Simple (one sleeping puppy and a tree). Try this: Count the 3 leaves.
6. Rusty Sniffs a Flower
Rusty sniffs 1 flower with 5 petals and 2 leaves on the stem, with 1 butterfly at the top-left. Count the 5 petals.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a flower, and a butterfly). Try this: Count the 5 petals.
7. Rusty Sits for a Treat
Rusty sits with his tongue out, watching 1 bone-shaped treat tossed in the air above his head. Count the 1 treat.
Difficulty: Simple (one puppy sitting under a treat in the air). Try this: Count the 1 treat.
8. Rusty Climbs a Little Hill
Rusty climbs a little hill, with 2 clouds above, 1 tree on the hill, and 1 flower at the bottom-right. Count the 2 clouds.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a hill, a tree, and clouds). Try this: Count the 2 clouds.
Little Rusty (Pages 9-17)
Nine pages of Little Rusty: painting a paw print, playing in a leaf pile, watching a bumblebee, having a picnic, meeting Mama, jumping in muddy puddles, building a block tower, counting his treats, and raking leaves. The leaf pile, the puddles, and the picnic are things a real puppy could do. The paw painting, the block tower, the counting, and the raking are pretend play.
9. Rusty Paints a Paw Print
Rusty paints a paw print with four toes and a big pad, using 1 paintbrush dipped in 1 paint pot, with 2 paint drops beside the paper. Count the 4 toes in the paw print.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a paintbrush, a print, and a pot). Try this: Count the 4 toes in the paw print.
10. Rusty Plays in a Leaf Pile
Rusty leaps over a pile of leaves, with 3 leaves in the air and 6 leaves in the pile below. Count the 3 leaves in the air.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, leaves in the air, and a pile). Try this: Count the 3 leaves in the air.
11. Rusty Watches a Bumblebee
Rusty sits and looks up at 1 bumblebee buzzing above him, with two wings you can see and a dashed flight path. Count the 2 wings you can see on the bee.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy and a bumblebee in the air). Try this: Count the 2 wings you can see on the bee.
12. Rusty Has a Picnic
Rusty has a picnic on a checkered blanket, with 1 picnic basket, 1 sandwich on a plate, 1 apple, 1 juice box with a straw, and 2 butterflies. Count the 2 butterflies.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a basket, food, and butterflies). Try this: Count the 2 butterflies.
13. Rusty Meets Mama
Little Rusty sits beside Mama, a bigger dog, both with their tongues out. Count the 2 dogs.
Difficulty: Medium (two dogs sitting together). Try this: Count the 2 dogs.
14. Rusty Jumps in Muddy Puddles
Rusty jumps over 1 big puddle, with 2 small puddles beside it and 4 splash drops in the air. Count the 4 splash drops.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy jumping over puddles). Try this: Count the 4 splash drops.
15. Rusty Builds a Block Tower
Rusty builds a block tower of 4 blocks, with 1 block in his paw and 2 blocks on the ground, 7 blocks in all. Count the 7 blocks.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy and seven blocks). Try this: Count the 7 blocks.
16. Rusty Counts His Treats
Rusty counts 5 bone-shaped treats in a row, with 1 food bowl beside them. Count the 5 treats.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy and five treats in a row). Try this: Count the 5 treats.
17. Rusty Rakes Leaves
Rusty rakes leaves with 1 rake with 5 tines, piling 4 leaves together. Count the 5 tines on the rake.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a rake, and a leaf pile). Try this: Count the 5 tines on the rake.
Big Rusty (Pages 18-25)
Eight pages of Big Rusty: standing tall, stargazing, pulling a little wagon, baking cookies, wearing a warm scarf, reading a bedtime story, sleeping soundly, and the big golden celebration with Mama and two little puppies. The stargazing, the scarf, and the sleep are things a real dog could do. The wagon, the baking, and the reading are pretend play, and the celebration is the best way to end the book.
18. Rusty Stands Tall
Big Rusty stands tall on all four paws. Count 4 paws.
Difficulty: Simple (one big puppy standing tall). Try this: Count the 4 paws.
19. Rusty Stargazes
Rusty lies on his back on a hill, looking up at 5 stars and 1 crescent moon, all 4 paws in the air. Count the 5 stars.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, stars, and a crescent moon). Try this: Count the 5 stars.
20. Rusty Pulls a Little Wagon
Rusty pulls 1 little wagon with 2 wheels, wearing a harness. Count the 2 wheels.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, a wagon, and wheels). Try this: Count the 2 wheels.
21. Rusty Bakes Cookies
Rusty bakes cookies at a table, with 3 cookies on a tray, 1 mixing bowl, and 1 spoon. Count the 3 cookies.
Difficulty: Detailed (one puppy, a tray of cookies, a bowl, and a spoon). Try this: Count the 3 cookies.
22. Rusty Wears a Warm Scarf
Rusty sits wearing a warm scarf with 2 ends and fringe on both ends. Count the 2 ends of the scarf.
Difficulty: Detailed (one puppy and a scarf with fringe). Try this: Count the 2 ends of the scarf.
23. Rusty Reads a Bedtime Story
Rusty reads 1 open book, sitting with 1 pillow behind him. Count the 1 open book.
Difficulty: Medium (one puppy, an open book, and a pillow). Try this: Count the 1 open book.
24. Sleepy Rusty
Sleepy Rusty naps curled up with 1 pillow, 2 Zs above his head, eyes closed. Count the 2 Zs.
Difficulty: Simple (one sleeping puppy and a pillow). Try this: Count the 2 Zs.
25. The Big Golden Celebration
Big Rusty celebrates with Mama and 2 little puppies, 4 dogs in all, under 3 balloons. Count the 3 balloons.
Difficulty: Detailed (four dogs, balloons, and a celebration). Try this: Count the 3 balloons.
How to download, print, or color online
Download: tap the Download button under any picture to save the clean image file, then print it from your device on plain paper.
Color Online: tap the Color Online button under any picture to open it in the coloring tool in your browser. Pick a color, then tap inside a shape to fill it. The black outlines stay put, and you do not need a printer at all.
Both options are free, and neither one needs a sign-up.
Rusty’s colors
Rusty looks the same on every page, and his colors stay the same too:
- Rusty: golden fur, a cream chest and belly, floppy ears, big dark eyes, a pink tongue usually out, and a fluffy wagging tail.
Mama and the two little puppies have no fixed colors in this article, because no color picture of them was used for this book. Your child can choose any colors they like for Mama and the puppies. Mama is the bigger dog, and you can spot her eyelashes on page 25.
What kids learn
- Counting: groups of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, plus the bigger challenges: 7 blocks on page 15, 5 treats on page 16, 5 stars on page 19, and 3 balloons on page 25.
- Colors: Rusty’s golden fur, cream chest, floppy ears, and pink tongue, and the garden colors of the flowers, leaves, and picnic food.
- Fine motor: the Detailed pages (the baking, the scarf, and the big celebration) have small spaces to color carefully.
- Golden retriever facts: they were first bred in Scotland in the 1800s, they love water, their thick double coat keeps them warm and repels water, and they are gentle enough to work as guide dogs and therapy dogs.
A note for grown-ups
Four short notes for the adults reading along. Rusty is a make-believe cartoon puppy, and his adventures are pretend play. Real golden retrievers love water and need lots of exercise and play, and puppies need training and patience. They were first bred in Scotland in the 1800s as hunting dogs that could fetch game from land and water, and their thick double coat helps keep them warm in cold weather and repels water when they swim. They are famous for their gentle, friendly nature, which is why so many of them work as guide dogs and therapy dogs. The painting, the baking, the reading, the raking, and the wagon pulling are pretend. Never leave a small child alone with any dog.
Golden retriever fun facts for curious kids
- Golden Retrievers were first bred in Scotland in the 1800s as hunting dogs that could fetch game from land and water.
- Goldens love water. Most of them will happily jump into a puddle, a pond, or a pool.
- A Golden Retriever’s thick double coat helps keep it warm in cold weather and repels water when it swims.
- Goldens are famous for their gentle, friendly nature, which is why so many of them work as guide dogs and therapy dogs.
Creative ways to enjoy these golden retriever coloring pages
- Count while you color: count the 7 blocks on page 15, the 5 treats on page 16, the 5 stars on page 19, and the 3 balloons on page 25.
- Spot the pretend pages: ask your child which pages show real puppy life and which are make-believe.
- Find Mama: Mama appears on page 13 and page 25. She is the bigger dog with eyelashes.
- Find the two little puppies: two little puppies join the big celebration on page 25. They never get names in the book.
- Tell the journey back: ask your child to retell Rusty’s day using the finished pages, from his first steps to the big celebration.
Golden retriever coloring pages: questions
Are these golden retriever coloring pages free?
Yes. All 25 are free to download and print, and free to color online. No sign-up.
What ages are these pages for?
Ages 3 to 8. Simple pages are best for ages 3 to 5, medium pages suit developing coloring skills, and detailed pages are best for ages 6 to 8.
Who is Rusty?
Rusty is the book’s friendly little golden retriever puppy, with floppy ears and a wagging tail. He grows from a little puppy into a big dog, from his first steps to the big celebration.
Can I color these pages online instead of printing?
Yes. Every page has a Color Online button that opens it in the coloring tool. No sign-up, and you can also upload your own picture.
What colors should a real golden retriever be?
Golden retrievers come in shades from light cream to deep golden. Rusty’s fur is golden with a cream chest, but you can use any colors you like.
Do golden retrievers really love water?
Yes. Most golden retrievers love to swim and splash. Rusty jumps over a big muddy puddle on page 14.
Are golden retrievers good with children?
Yes. Golden Retrievers are known for being gentle and friendly, which is why so many of them work as guide dogs and therapy dogs. Adults should always watch young children around dogs.
Can I use these pages in a classroom?
Yes. They are free for personal and classroom use. Print them again and again.
More pets books to color
Golden Retriever is one of the Pets books. Rusty also appears in the dog breed coloring pages, where he is one of the puppy friends. Meet Milo in the cat coloring pages. See the Pets Friends coloring book and the pets coloring pages for the whole set as it grows.
