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Golden Retriever (Origin Great Britain Jun 24, 1987)
Classified in group 8 which includes hunting and water dogs
Height and Weight
Male Female
Height 56-61 cm
51-56 cm
Weight 29-33 Kg
25-28 kg
Breed Standard (AKC)
General Appearance
A symmetrical, powerful, active dog, sound and well put together, not clumsy nor
long in the leg, displaying a kindly expression and possessing a personality
that is eager, alert and self-confident. Primarily a hunting dog, he should be
shown in hard working condition. Overall appearance, balance, gait and purpose
to be given more emphasis than any of his component parts. Faults--Any
departure from the described ideal shall be considered faulty to the degree to
which it interferes with the breed's purpose or is contrary to breed character.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Males 23-24 inches in height at withers; females 21½-22½ inches. Dogs up to one
inch above or below standard size should be proportionately penalized. Deviation
in height of more than one inch from the standard shall disqualify.
Length from breastbone to point of buttocks slightly greater than height at
withers in ratio of 12:11. Weight for dogs 65-75 pounds; bitches 55-65 pounds.
Head
Broad in skull, slightly arched laterally and longitudinally without prominence
of frontal bones (forehead) or occipital bones. Stop well defined but not
abrupt. Foreface deep and wide, nearly as long as skull. Muzzle
straight in profile, blending smooth and strongly into skull; when viewed in
profile or from above, slightly deeper and wider at stop than at tip. No
heaviness in flews. Removal of whiskers is permitted but not preferred.
Eyes friendly and intelligent in expression, medium large with dark,
close-fitting rims, set well apart and reasonably deep in sockets. Color
preferably dark brown; medium brown acceptable. Slant eyes and narrow,
triangular eyes detract from correct expression and are to be faulted. No white
or haw visible when looking straight ahead. Dogs showing evidence of functional
abnormality of eyelids or eyelashes (such as, but not limited to, trichiasis,
entropion, ectropion, or distichiasis) are to be excused from the ring.
Ears rather short with front edge attached well behind and just above
the eye and falling close to cheek. When pulled forward, tip of ear should just
cover the eye. Low, hound-like ear set to be faulted. Nose black
or brownish black, though fading to a lighter shade in cold weather not serious.
Pink nose or one seriously lacking in pigmentation to be faulted. Teeth
scissors bite, in which the outer side of the lower incisors touches the inner
side of the upper incisors. Undershot or overshot bite is a disqualification.
Misalignment of teeth (irregular placement of incisors) or a level bite
(incisors meet each other edge to edge) is undesirable, but not to be confused
with undershot or overshot. Full dentition. Obvious gaps are serious faults.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck medium long, merging gradually into well laid back shoulders, giving
sturdy, muscular appearance. No throatiness. Backline strong and
level from withers to slightly sloping croup, whether standing or moving.
Sloping backline, roach or sway back, flat or steep croup to be faulted.
Body well balanced, short coupled, deep through the chest. Chest
between forelegs at least as wide as a man's closed hand including thumb, with
well developed forechest. Brisket extends to elbow. Ribs long and well
sprung but not barrel shaped, extending well towards hindquarters. Loin
short, muscular, wide and deep, with very little tuck-up. Slab-sidedness, narrow
chest, lack of depth in brisket, excessive tuck-up to be faulted. Tail
well set on, thick and muscular at the base, following the natural line of the
croup. Tail bones extend to, but not below, the point of hock. Carried with
merry action, level or with some moderate upward curve; never curled over back
nor between legs.
Forequarters
Muscular, well coordinated with hindquarters and capable of free movement.
Shoulder blades long and well laid back with upper tips fairly close
together at withers. Upper arms appear about the same length as the
blades, setting the elbows back beneath the upper tip of the blades, close to
the ribs without looseness. Legs, viewed from the front, straight with
good bone, but not to the point of coarseness. Pasterns short and strong,
sloping slightly with no suggestion of weakness. Dewclaws on forelegs may be
removed, but are normally left on. Feet medium size, round,
compact, and well knuckled, with thick pads. Excess hair may be trimmed to show
natural size and contour. Splayed or hare feet to be faulted.
Hindquarters
Broad and strongly muscled. Profile of croup slopes slightly; the pelvic bone
slopes at a slightly greater angle (approximately 30 degrees from horizontal).
In a natural stance, the femur joins the pelvis at approximately a 90-degree
angle; stifles well bent; hocks well let down with short, strong
rear pasterns. Feet as in front. Legs straight when viewed
from rear. Cow-hocks, spread hocks, and sickle hocks to be faulted.
Coat
Dense and water-repellent with good undercoat. Outer coat firm and resilient,
neither coarse nor silky, lying close to body; may be straight or wavy.
Untrimmed natural ruff; moderate feathering on back of forelegs and on
underbody; heavier feathering on front of neck, back of thighs and underside of
tail. Coat on head, paws, and front of legs is short and even. Excessive length,
open coats, and limp, soft coats are very undesirable. Feet may be trimmed and
stray hairs neatened, but the natural appearance of coat or outline should not
be altered by cutting or clipping.
Color
Rich, lustrous golden of various shades. Feathering may be lighter than rest of
coat. With the exception of graying or whitening of face or body due to age, any
white marking, other than a few white hairs on the chest, should be penalized
according to its extent. Allowable light shadings are not to be confused with
white markings. Predominant body color which is either extremely pale or
extremely dark is undesirable. Some latitude should be given to the light puppy
whose coloring shows promise of deepening with maturity. Any noticeable area of
black or other off-color hair is a serious fault.
Gait
When trotting, gait is free, smooth, powerful and well coordinated, showing good
reach. Viewed from any position, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross
or interfere with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward
center line of balance. It is recommended that dogs be shown on a loose lead to
reflect true gait.
Temperament
Friendly, reliable, and trustworthy. Quarrelsomeness or hostility towards other
dogs or people in normal situations, or an unwarranted show of timidity or
nervousness, is not in keeping with Golden Retriever character. Such actions
should be penalized according to their significance.
Disqualifications
Deviation in height of more than one inch from standard either way.
Undershot or overshot bite.
Approved October 13, 1981
Reformatted August 18, 1990