Official Standard
of the Golden Retriever From AKC's website The
Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club has approved
the following revised Standard for Golden Retrievers submitted
by the Golden Retriever Club of America, Inc., to be
effective September 1990:
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.
Over-all 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
21 1/2-22 1/2 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 smoothly 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. Untrimmed
natural ruff. No throatiness.
Back line
-- strong and level from withers to slightly sloping
croup, whether standing or moving. Sloping back line,
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.
Slabsidedness, narrow chest, lack of depth in
brisket, excessive tuck-up, flat or steep croup 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 co-ordinated 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
under-body; 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 co-ordinated, 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
-- 1. Deviation in height of more than one inch from
standard either way. 2. Undershot or overshot bite.