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Golden Retriever

The History of the Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers were "developed" in Britain during the 1800's. Believed to be included in the formation of the Golden Retriever breed are the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel, the Newfoundland, the Irish Setter and a variety of water spaniels. Lord Tweedmouth takes credit for the development of the Golden Retriever. On his estate, hear Invesness, Scotland, Lord Tweedmouth wished to develop a dog which was loyal and kind, yet spirited and energetic, with a love for the water and an ability to retrieve. His early vision of a Golden Retriever was for a dog that would have great enthusiasm for retrieving waterfowlOnce developed, early Golden Retrievers were shown in England as Flat-Coated Retrievers under the variety Golden. Over time the Golden Retriever made it's way to North America, brought back by people visiting Britain. It is believed that Golden Retrievers came to North America in the 1890's, however, Golden Retrievers were not "exhibited" in dogshows until the 1920's. Golden Retrievers, in the early years were used primarily in hunting. Over time, as the breed gained popularity, the Golden Retriever became a valued family companion, a hunting companion, and a show dog Early golden retrievers ranged from medium gold to dark gold to a "copper" gold. As the golden retriever developed and became more popular in the showring, the lighter colours, seen in todays Golden Retrievers, emerged. Today Golden Retrievers range from cream to dark gold with the lighter colours seemingly more preferred by many than the darker colours of the original Golden Retrievers. Golden Retrievers today are certainly known for their beauty. They are a dog with a kindly expression, pretty dark eyes, and a wagging tail. Golden Retrievers are also known for their temperament. A well bred Golden Retriever is gentle, kind, loving, loyal, happy, confident and outgoing. Neither lazy nor hyper, today's golden retrievers blend easily into many family settings. But, despite the beauty and the gentleness, Golden Retriever excel at obedience as well. Golden Retrievers strive to please their owners and, once taught what the owner desires, the Golden Retriever will astound you with their willingness to please. It is of interest to note that the first three dogs to achieve their A.K.C. Obedience Trial Championships were Golden Retrievers

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 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 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 -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. Any deparure 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.