Official Standard of the Golden Retriever
(as seen on the Golden Retriever Club of America site)

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.

Clearances

Before owning or breeding a Golden you should know what problems are inherant in the breed. Golden Retrievers could have hip or elbow dysplasia, eye issues or heart problems. A good, responsible breeder will have obtained clearances for each of the health issues to make sure that they are doing their best to avoid the known health issues a Golden could have. Below you will find what the clearances are and why we do them.

Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Eye Disease, Heart Disease

HIP DYSPLASIA
The term hip dysplasia means poor formation of the hip joint, and describes a developmental disease in young dogs of many different breeds. Unsound hip joints are a common problem in the larger breeds, and hip dysplasia can be a serious problem in any dog that is to be trained for a demanding activity.
Hip dysplasia is an inherited defect which is believed to have a polygenic mode of inheritance. The expression of this genetic defect can be modified by environmental factors, such as changes in nutrition, exercise and trauma. The degree of heritability is moderate in nature, meaning that the formation of the hip joints can also be modified by environmental factors such as overnutrition, excessively rapid growth, and certain traumas during the growth period of the skeleton. As with any quantitative trait, hip joint conformation can range from good to bad with all degrees in between.

Signs of hip dysplasia cannot be detected in the newborn puppy, but usually appear in the rapid growth period between four and nine months of age. Signs of the disease can vary widely from slight irregularities of gait to crippling lameness. Improvement or even apparent disappearance of lameness can occur as the dog matures, as a result of the joint stabilizing, inflammation subsiding, and musculature strengthening. However, the dysplastic dog will usually develop some degree of arthritis later in life.

X-rays should be sent to either the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or to PennHIP Analysis Center (PennHIP) for diagnostic evaluation. While the two evaluation procedures differ somewhat, GRCA recognizes the validity of both and encourages all breeders of Golden Retrievers to determine the conformation health of the hips for any potential breeding animal.

The dysplastic dog should not be used for breeding, but may well lead a long, happy, useful life. During the acute phase of the disease, your veterinarian may suggest rest and supportive care. Moderate and regular exercise, control of weight, and perhaps anti-inflammatory drugs, are helpful in the management of arthritis associated with hip dysplasia in the older dog. Many Goldens with hip dysplasia will show no outward signs at all, until perhaps 7 or 8 years of age when muscle tone decreases and arthritis and wear and tear on the joint become more noticeable. Surgical procedures are also available to alleviate the pain of hip dysplasia.

Goldens and other breeds of retrievers often seem to have high pain thresholds, and do not show signs of pain when other breeds might be very uncomfortable. An X-ray does not always show you how your dog feels, as many dysplastic Goldens are completely unaware that they have a problem!

ELBOW DYSPLASIA
Like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia (ED) is a developmental disease of young dogs, although symptoms can appear at any age. While not as common as hip dysplasia, ED is estimated to affect approximately 1 in 10 Goldens. Also like hip dysplasia, many affected dogs have no symptoms at all, yet can pass more serious disease on to their offspring. For other affected dogs, symptoms range from mild stiffness and discomfort, to crippling disease.

Elbow dysplasia is an inherited disease believed to have a polygenic (multiple genes) mode of inheritance that may be modified by the environment. The most studied detrimental environmental influence is rapid growth during early puppyhood, usually a result of over-nutrition and over-feeding.

Elbow dysplasia can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages, or in very mildly affected dogs. Most general practitioner veterinarians can take the necessary X-rays, but few have the equipment or expertise to evaluate the films. Prior to breeding, adult Goldens should have elbow X-rays submitted to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for diagnostic evaluation, and only dogs certified clear of elbow dysplasia should be bred. For more information and for data on the prevalence of elbow dysplasia in Golden Retrievers, go to http://www.offa.org.

Although dogs with ED should not be bred, many lead normal, happy lives with minimal discomfort. Dogs with mild symptomatic disease are sometimes managed by supportive care such as moderate exercise, weight control, and anti-inflammatory drugs. There are surgical procedures which may help dogs with severe disease.

EYE DISEASE
Hereditary cataracts are a common eye problem in Golden Retrievers. ( Cataract is defined as any opacity within the lens of the eye.) At least one type of hereditary cataract appears at an early age in affected Goldens, and while these may or may not interfere with the dog's vision, some do progress into severe or total loss of vision. There are also non-hereditary cataracts which sometimes occur, and examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist is necessary to determine if the cataract is or is not of concern from a genetic standpoint. If there is any question, the dog is certainly not to be recommended for breeding.

A few families of Goldens carry genes for Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA) which is progressive deterioration of the light-receptive area (retina) of the eye, and may result in complete blindness at a fairly young age. There are also other eye defects, such as retinal dysplasia, that prevent consideration of a dog as a breeding animal.

Eyelid and eyelash problems also may occur in the breed; some have an hereditary basis, and some are due to other factors. Entropion and ectropion are the turning in or turning out of the eyelids. Trichiasis and distichiasis involve eyelashes or hairs rubbing on and irritating the eye. Surgery may be needed to correct these problems, and while it is a fairly simple procedure, such dogs should not be bred and are ineligible to be shown under AKC rules.

Examination of breeding stock should be done annually, until at least eight years of age and preferably longer, as hereditary eye problems can develop at varying ages. The examination should be made by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist who has the special equipment and training needed to properly examine the dog's eyes.

Dogs that have been examined by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and found to be free of hereditary eye disease can be registered with the the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). CERF assigns the dog a number which, when properly understood, helps to make eye clearances more meaningful. For example, CERF GR 1857/89-102 means that this dog was the 1,857th Golden Retriever to be registered with CERF; that the most recent examination indicating this dog free of hereditary eye disease was done in 1989; and that the dog was 102 months old at the time of the examination.
Dogs with hereditary eye disease should not be used for breeding.

HEART DISEASE
Hereditary heart disease, most commonly Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS), is known to occur in the Golden Retriever breed. All prospective breeding animals should be examined by a board certified veterinary cardiologist. If a murmur is detected through auscultation (listening with a stethoscope), additional diagnostic tests are available and may be recommended. However, even if the results are negative, this does not rule out heart disease, as some mild but hereditary forms may be undetectable except on necropsy. Animals with hereditary heart disease should not be used for breeding.

There are additional topics such as hypothyroidism, seizure disorders and other orthopedic disorders for which routine screening of Golden Retrievers is not performed. This may be because acceptable examination standards have not yet been developed or because the incidence of the defect is low in the Golden Retriever breed. Potential buyers should feel free to ask the breeder about these, or any subjects of concern to them. The exchange of such information is an expected and customary practice.