Golden Retriever Breed Standards
Comparison Chart

History / Origin and Purpose:	CKC: (Not indicated in Standard) AKC: (Not indicated in Standard) UKC: History: The Golden Retriever was developed in late 19th century Scotland and England primarily by crossing Flat- and Wavy-coated Retrievers, Tweed Water Spaniels, and a red Setter. The Golden was bred by British aristocrats to be a dual purpose dog, able to retrieve waterfowl and upland game birds and also to be a companion. Lord Tweedmouth produced some of the early foundation stock by mating a yellow Wavy-coated Retriever named Nous to his Tweed Water Spaniel, Belle. The Golden Retriever's friendly disposition, attractive appearance, and high level of trainability have made this breed one of the most popular in the United States. Today, Goldens are found at field trials and dog shows, in family homes and nursing homes, leading the blind and serving as ears or hands for handicapped persons. The Golden Retriever was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1956. KC: (Not indicated in Standard) FCI: ORIGIN : Great Britain. DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987. UTILIZATION : Gundog. CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 8 Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs. Section 1 Retrievers. With working trial.
General Appearance / Characteristics:	CKC: A symmetrical, powerful, active dog, sound and well put together, not clumsy or 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. AKC: (Same as CKC Standard.) UKC: General Appearance: The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized, well-balanced dog with a distinctive golden-colored coat; small, drop ears; and a natural tail carried level with the back or with a slight upward curve. The correct relationship of length of body to height is 12:11. The Golden Retriever is a dog without exaggeration. The Golden Retriever should be evaluated as a working gun dog, and exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's ability to work. Characteristics: The breed's most readily identifiable characteristic is its rich, lustrous golden color. Another essential characteristic is proper temperament. A Golden Retriever is friendly, calm, compliant and compatible with people and other dogs. Goldens are particularly good with children. The Golden Retriever's friendly temperament is reflected in his kindly expression. The Golden Retriever is a powerfully built dog, with a good nose for tracking, a soft mouth, and an eagerness to learn. KC: General Appearance Symmetrical, balanced, active, powerful, level mover; sound with kindly expression. Characteristics Biddable, intelligent and possessing natural working ability. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Temperament:	CKC: Friendly, reliable, trustworthy. Hostility or aggressiveness towards other dogs or people, undue timidity or nervousness in normal situations is not in keeping with the character of the Golden Retriever. Dogs displaying poor temperament should be excused from the ring. AKC: 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. UKC: (As indicated under "Characteristics" in the UKC Breed Standard.) A Golden Retriever is friendly, calm, compliant and compatible with people and other dogs. Goldens are particularly good with children. The Golden Retriever's friendly temperament is reflected in his kindly expression. KC: Kindly, friendly and confident. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Size:	CKC: Males 23 - 24 inches (58-61 cm) in height at withers; females, 21½ - 22½ inches (55-57 cm). Length from breastbone to buttocks slightly greater than height at withers in ratio of 12:11. Weight for dogs, 65-75 lb. (29-34); bitches, 60-70 lb. (27-32 kg). AKC: 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. UKC: (Same as AKC with different wording.) Standard height for males is 23-24 inches and for females, 21½ - 22½ inches. A correctly built Golden Retriever male in working condition should weigh between 65-75 pounds and a female should weigh between 55-65 pounds. Faults: Dogs up to one inch above or below standard height should be penalized proportionately. Disqualification: One inch or greater over or under the standard height. KC: (Note Size difference in Kennel Club Standard, Weight is not indicated.) Height at withers: dogs: 56-61 cms (22-24 ins); bitches: 51-56 cms (20-22 ins). FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Coat and Colour:	CKC: Dense and water repellent with good undercoat. Texture not as hard as that of a short-haired dog nor silky as that of a setter. Lies flat against body and may be straight or wavy. Moderate feathering on back of forelegs and heavier feathering on front of neck, back of thighs and underside of tail. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. Excessive length, open coats or limp, soft coats are undesirable. The natural appearance of coat or outline should not be altered by cutting or clipping, other than the trimming of the feet and neatening of stray hairs. Colour lustrous golden of various shades. A few white hairs on chest permissible but not desirable. Further white markings to be faulted except for greying or whitening of the face or body due to age. Any noticeable area of black or other off-colour hair is to be faulted. AKC: 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. UKC: Coat: The Golden Retriever has a dense, water-repellent double coat. The outer coat lies close to the body and may be straight or wavy. The coat texture is firm and resilient, neither coarse nor silky. Undercoat is soft and dense. The untrimmed coat forms a natural ruff around the neck, blending into the front of the neck and chest; moderate feathering on the back of the forelegs and the underbody; and heavier feathering on the front of the chest, the back of the thighs, and the underside of the tail. Coat on the head, lower part of the ears, paws, and the front of the legs is short and even. Feet may be trimmed and stray hairs neatened, but neither the natural appearance of the coat nor the outline of the dog should be altered by trimming. Fault: Trimming other than described above. Serious faults: Excessively long coat; open coat; soft coat. Color: Color may be any shade of golden, but it must be rich and lustrous. Body color that approaches cream or red is undesirable. Some latitude may be given when judging a lighter-colored puppy whose coat shows promise of darkening with age. Feathering may be lighter than the rest of the coat, and lighter shadings extending upward from the underbody are typical and acceptable. These lighter shadings must not be confused with white markings. 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 in proportion to its extent. Serious fault: Any noticeable area of black or other off-color hair. Disqualification: Albinism. KC: Coat: Flat or wavy with good feathering, dense water-resisting undercoat. Colour: Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. A few white hairs on chest only, permissible. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Head:	CKC: Broad in skull, slightly arched laterally and longitudinally without prominence of frontal or occiput bones. Good stop. Foreface deep and wide, nearly as long as skull. Muzzle, when viewed in profile, slightly deeper at stop than at tip; when viewed from above, slightly wider at stop than at tip. No heaviness in flews. Removal of whiskers for show purposes optional. Nose black or dark brown, though lighter shade in cold weather not serious. Teeth scissors bite with lower incisors touching inside of upper incisors. Full dentition. Obvious gaps created by missing teeth to be faulted. Eyes friendly and intelligent, medium large with dark, close-fitting rims, set well apart and reasonably deep in sockets. Colour preferably dark brown, never lighter than colour of coat. No white or haw visible when looking straight ahead. Dogs showing evidence of a functional abnormality of the eyelids or eyelashes (such as, but not limited to, trichiasis, entropion, ectropion or distichiasis) are to be excused from the ring. Ears rather short, hanging flat against head with rounded tips slightly below jaw. Forward edge attached well behind and just above eye with rear edge slightly below eye. AKC: 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. UKC: The head is proportionate to the size of the dog and is without exaggeration of any sort. When viewed from the side, the skull and muzzle are roughly parallel to one another and joined by a well-defined, but not abrupt, stop. SKULL -- The skull is broad and slightly arched laterally and longitudinally. The skull is clean without prominence of orbital arches or occipital bones. Cheeks should be clean. MUZZLE -- In profile, the muzzle is deep and, measured from nose to stop, is slightly shorter than the skull, measured from stop to occiput. The bridge of the muzzle is straight. Viewed from the top or the side, the muzzle is slightly deeper and wider at the stop than at the tip. Lips are close-fitting, with dark pigment. Removal of whiskers is permitted but not preferred. TEETH -- The Golden Retriever has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite. Faults: Misaligned teeth; level bite. Serious Fault: Missing teeth leaving obvious gaps. Disqualification: Overshot or undershot bite. NOSE -- The nose leather is black. A slight fading of nose pigment ("winter nose") is not serious. Nostrils must be large and open. Serious fault: Pink nose without pigment. EYES -- The eyes are set in to the skull, but not too deep, and wide apart. They are medium sized and somewhat triangular in appearance, but never so much as to give a hard expression. Eye color is brown. Darker brown is preferred, but a medium brown that does not detract from the desired kindly expression is acceptable. Eyelids are close-fitting, and eye rims are dark. Faults: Light eyes; eyes too dark, creating a blank expression; eyes set obliquely; white of eye or haw visible when dog is looking straight ahead. Serious faults: Functional abnormality of eyelids or eyelashes. EARS -- The ears are drop and rather short, with the front edges attached well behind and just above the eyes. When pulled forward, the tip of the ear should just cover the eye. The ear leather is pliable. The lower part of the ear should be well furred with short, soft hair. The hair is slightly longer where the ear attaches to the skull. At rest, the ears may be drawn back half folded into the neck ruff. When alert, the ears are drawn up and forward with the inner edges of the ears close to the cheeks. A Golden Retriever with a correct temperament will not normally keep its ears at the "alert" position for long periods of time, in or out of the show ring. Fault: Low-set, hound-like ears. KC: Head and Skull: Balanced and well chiselled, skull broad without coarseness; well set on neck, muzzle powerful, wide and deep. Length of foreface approximately equals length from well defined stop to occiput. Nose preferably black. Eyes: Dark brown, set well apart, dark rims. Ears: Moderate size, set on approximate level with eyes. Mouth: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Neck:	CKC: Medium long, sloping well back into shoulders, giving sturdy muscular appearance with untrimmed natural ruff. No throatiness. AKC: Neck medium long, merging gradually into well laid back shoulders, giving sturdy, muscular appearance. No throatiness. UKC: The neck is of medium length, blending smoothly into well laid back shoulders, giving a sturdy, muscular appearance. The neck is free of throatiness. Fault: Long, upright neck; short, stuffy neck. Serious fault: Ewe neck. KC: Good length, clean and muscular. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Body:	CKC: Topline level from withers to croup, whether standing or moving. Well balanced, short coupled, deep through the heart. Chest at least as wide as a man's hand, including thumb. Brisket extends to elbows. Ribs long and well sprung but not barrel shaped, extending well to rear of body. Loin short, muscular, wide and deep, with very little tuck-up. Croup slopes gently. AKC: 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. UKC: A properly proportioned Golden Retriever is slightly longer (measured from prosternum to point of buttocks) than tall (measured from the withers to the ground), and length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) should approximately equal one-half of the dog's height. Whether the dog is standing or moving, the line of the back is strong and level from the withers to the slightly sloping croup. The loin is moderately short, muscular and deep, with very little tuck-up. The ribs extend well back and are well sprung out from the spine, forming a broad, strong back, then curving down and inward to form a deep body. The brisket extends to the elbow. Viewed from the front, the chest between the forelegs is well filled and is at least as wide as a man's closed hand. Faults: Sloping topline; slab-sidedness; chest too narrow, too shallow or too wide; excessive tuck-up. KC: Balanced, short-coupled, deep through heart. Ribs deep, well sprung. Level topline. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Forequarters:	CKC: Forequarters muscular well co-ordinated with hindquarters and capable of free movement. Shoulder blades wide, long, and well laid back, showing angulation with upper arm of approximately 90 degrees. Shoulder blade and upper arm (humerus) should be approximately equal in length, setting close-fitting elbows back beneath the upper tip of the shoulder blades. Legs straight with good bone. Pastern short and strong, sloping slightly forward with no suggestion of weakness. AKC: 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. UKC: Shoulders are smoothly muscled. The shoulder blades are long and well laid back with the upper tips fairly close together at the withers. The upper arm appears to be equal in length to the shoulder blade and joins it at an apparent right angle. The elbows are close to the body. The forelegs are straight, strong and sturdy in bone, with strong, short, slightly sloping pasterns. Faults: Weak pasterns; upright shoulders; out at elbows. KC: Forelegs straight with good bone, shoulders well laid back, long in blade with upper arm of equal length placing legs well under body. Elbows close fitting. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Hindquarters:	CKC: Well bent stifles (angulation between femur and pelvis approximately 90 degrees) with hocks well let down. Legs straight when viewed from rear. AKC: 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. Legs straight when viewed from rear. Cow-hocks, spread hocks, and sickle hocks to be faulted. UKC: The hindquarters are broad and muscular. In profile, the croup slopes slightly. The angulation of the hindquarters is in balance with the angulation of the forequarters. The stifles are well-bent, and the hocks are well let down. When the dog is standing, the short, strong rear pasterns are perpendicular to the ground and, viewed from the rear, parallel to one another. Faults: Cow hocks; spread hocks; sickle hocks; overangulation. KC: Loin and legs strong and muscular, good second thighs, well bent stifles. Hocks well let down, straight when viewed from rear, neither turning in nor out. Cow-hocks highly undesirable. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Feet:	CKC: Feet medium size, round and compact with thick pads. Excessive hair may be trimmed to show natural size and contour. AKC: 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. UKC: Good feet are essential for a working retriever. The feet are of medium size, round and compact with well-arched toes and thick, elastic pads. In the field, toenails help to grip the terrain so they should not be cut back so far as to be useless. Dewclaws may be removed. Excess hair around the feet and between the pads may be trimmed. Faults: Splay or hare feet. KC: Round and cat-like. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Tail:	CKC:Well set on, neither too high nor too low, following natural line of croup. Length extends to hock. Carried with merry action with some upward curve but never curled over back or between legs. AKC: 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. UKC: The tail is a natural extension of the topline. It is thick and muscular at the base and tapers to the tip. A tail of the correct length extends to the hock but never below. When the dog is relaxed, the tail hangs down naturally. When the dog is moving or alert, the tail is carried level with the back or only slightly above level, with a merry action. The tail should never curl over the back or be carried between the legs. KC: Set on and carried level with back, reaching to hocks, without curl at tip. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Gait:	CKC: When trotting, gait is free, smooth, powerful, and well co-ordinated. Viewed from front or rear, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. Increased speed causes tendency of feet to converge toward centreline of gravity. AKC: 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. UKC: When trotting, the gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and well coordinated, showing good but not exaggerated reach in front and drive behind. When moving, the dog's head moves forward so that the head, backline, and tail are nearly even. The backline remains level with only a slight flexing to indicate suppleness. 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 recom-mended that dogs be shown on a loose lead and moved at a moderate speed to reflect true gait. Poor movement should be penalized to the degree to which it reduces the Golden Retriever's ability to perform the tasks it was bred to do. KC: Powerful with good drive. Straight and true in front and rear. Stride long and free with no sign of hackney action in front. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Faults:	CKC: White markings beyond a few hairs on chest. Any noticeable area of black or other off-colour hair is to be faulted. Obvious gaps created by missing teeth to be faulted. Dudley nose (pink without pigmentation). Low, hound-like ear-set. Slab-sideness, narrow chest, lack of depth in brisket, excessive tuck-up, roach or sway back. Cow-hocks and sickle hocks. Open or splayed feet. AKC: 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. Slant eyes and narrow, triangular eyes detract from correct expression and are to be faulted. Low, hound-like ear set to be faulted. Pink nose or one seriously lacking in pigmentation to be faulted. Teeth: Obvious gaps are serious faults. Sloping backline, roach or sway back, flat or steep croup to be faulted. Slab-sidedness, narrow chest, lack of depth in brisket, excessive tuck-up to be faulted. Cow-hocks, spread hocks, and sickle hocks to be faulted. Splayed or hare feet to be faulted. Coat Color: Any noticeable area of black or other off-color hair is a serious fault. UKC: Misaligned teeth; level bite. Serious Fault: Missing teeth leaving obvious gaps. Serious Fault: Pink nose without pigment. Light eyes; eyes too dark, creating a blank expression; eyes set obliquely; white of eye or haw visible when dog is looking straight ahead. Serious faults: Functional abnormality of eyelids or eyelashes. Low-set, hound-like ears. Long, upright neck; short, stuffy neck. Serious fault: Ewe neck. Weak pasterns; upright shoulders; out at elbows. Sloping topline; slab-sidedness; chest too narrow, too shallow or too wide; excessive tuck-up. Cow hocks; spread hocks; sickle hocks; overangulation. Splay or hare feet. Coat: Fault: Trimming other than described above. Serious faults: Excessively long coat; open coat; soft coat. Serious fault: Any noticeable area of black or other off-color hair in the coat. Dogs up to one inch above or below standard height should be penalized proportionately. KC: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. FCI: (Same as KC Standard.)
Disqualifications:	CKC: Deviations in height of more than 1 inch (2.54 cm) from standard either way. Undershot or overshot jaws. This condition not to be confused with misalignment of teeth. AKC: Deviation in height of more than one inch from standard either way. Undershot or overshot bite. UKC: Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Overshot or undershot bite. Albinism. One inch or greater over or under the standard height. KC: (Not indicated in standard.) FCI: Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

© P.Mitchell - 2005 All Rights Reserved
All content, including graphics, on the Canada's Guide to Dogs Website is Copyright-P.Mitchell,
unless otherwise noted, and may not be copied or reproduced without prior written permission.

<<Back to Golden Retriever Breed>>

Page Added: 26 June 2005