AKC Official Standard for the Golden Retriever

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 to 24 inches in height at withers; females 21½ to 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 to 75 pounds; bitches 55 to 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 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. 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 than one inch from standard either way.

Undershot or overshot bite.

Approved October 13, 1981

Reformatted August 18, 1990