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Golden Retriever Breed Standard
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
The information above was provided by
www.akc.org
This site was last updated
08/18/09
© Copyright 2006~Razzle
Goldens
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