Judging Criteria For The Golden Retriever Standard

The American Kennel Club has identified the Golden Retriever as a certain breed that fits within the sporting group of dog breeds. A mid-size dog, they tend to be eager to please and very friendly with people and other dogs. The American Kennel Club has specific qualifications for the standard of the Golden Retriever.

These items include many aspects of the physical appearance of the dog including the head, neck, topline, body; forequarters, hindquarters color, coat, gait, temperament, size, proportion, substance and, of course, general appearance. Each of these categories is measured against very specifically definitions of the Golden Retriever standard, which is the model of the perfect Golden Retriever. Defined within each category are also things that are considered faults.

Beyond these faults, there are a couple of things that will automatically disqualify the dog from being a Golden Retriever standard. These things are a deviation in height of more than one inch from the standard, either too high or too small, and also if there is an undershot or overshot bite. These are the only two automatic disqualifiers.

The American Kennel Club has laid out specifically how the Golden Retriever should look and behave. You can look up the specifics of the standards at the AKC website. They include many specific items. For example, when the Golden Retriever is trotting, it should be free, smooth, powerful and well coordinated, showing good reach and the legs should not cross each other. The eyes of the Golden Retriever should be intelligent and friendly in expression, and medium large. The preferred color for the eyes is dark brown, but medium brown is okay. The nose should be black or brownish black.

The coat should be a lustrous golden color. The mid-gold range is best, though it can range from lighter to darker. There can be feathering on the lack of the forelegs and underbelly, front of the neck, behind the thighs and underside of the tail. The natural appearance of the coat should be maintained, without any clipping or cutting of the fur, but too long a coat is undesirable.

To find the specifics of the American Kennel Club standards for the Golden Retriever, one can consult the American Kennel Club’s website. It will cover the details of all aspects of the dog, both physical appearance and personality. The standards help maintain the integrity of the breed, and need to be upheld. Breeders should not sell dogs as Golden Retrievers that don’t meet the AKC qualifications, and these qualifications are available for anyone to see, so that all are clear on whether or not a particular dog meets the Golden Retriever standards.

If the Golden Retriever meets the standards it will be a beautiful, symmetrical, powerful dog, very active and smooth as it runs, and eager and playful as it interacts with people. The tail will be well carried and show that it is a happy dog. As the Golden Retriever is a hunting dog, it will be a hard working dog that loves to be kept active and engaged in the world around it. It will have alert eyes with a friendly expression. It will be a dog that any owner can be proud of.

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Carol Matthews loves Golden Retrievers and has studies the Golden Retriever standard for a long time. There are several specifics for the American Kennel Club standard, as it pertains to the Golden Retriever. They include things like how the tail should be held and whether or not the fur should be trimmed. There is Golden Retriever information throughout this article, for those who want to learn more about the standard for Golden Retrievers.