Official Standard
of the Golden Retriever
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.
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