Puppies & Dogs

The crowning glory of this breed is, of course, its coat, but again moderation is the key. A proper Golden coat is dense and water repellent with a good undercoat. The texture of the outer coat is neither coarse nor silky but instead should be form and resilient, lying close to the body. Where the coat shines is in its rich, lustrous golden color of various shades. Like the Golden as a whole, the dogs predominat body coloring should be moderate, neither excessively pale or excessively dark. Take into account, however, that the coat of a light colored puppy may deepen with maturity. The feathering may be lighter in color than the rest of the coat, but with the exception of graying or whitening due to age, white markings are penalized unless they are limited to a few white hairs on the chest. It’s important not to confuse allowable light shadings with white markings. The hair can be straight or wavy, with a natural ruff at the neck, moderate feathering on the back of the forelegs and the underbody, and heavier feathering on the front of the neck, the back of the thighs and the underside of the tail.

Looks are well and good, but this is a sporting breed we are talking about and in the final analysis, performance is what counts. Even if your Golden never sees a field, it should still be built to move or gait in a certin way. When trotting, its movement should be free, smooth, powerful and well coordinated, showing good reach. Viewed in any position, the legs neither turn in or out and the feet shouldn’t cross or interfere with each other. Show a Golden on a loose lead to best display its gait.

The Golden Retriever is more than just a pretty face and a beautiful coat. It exemplifies the old saying “Pretty is as pretty does”. The description of temperment in the Golden standard could just as easily appear in the Boy Scout Handbook. This dog is to be friendly, reliable and trustworthy. Quarrelsomeness or hostility towards other dogs or people in normal situations or an unwarrented show of timidity or nervousness are not typical Golden traits and should be penalized accordingly.

Gentle, kind, and affecionate: The breed of dog that most comes to mind at the sound of these adjatives is the Golden Retriever. The Golden comes by this reputation with good reason. Of all the hundreds of dog breeds in the world the Golden is one of the most giving and sweetest dogs on earth. Goldens work as Therapy dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs and they provide loyalty and companionship to children and adults alike. And as most people know Golden Retrievers have a smile and a wagging tail for just about everyone they meet.

Often they are comical and entertaining and they make up games. They are also very intuitive and sense many things. They try very hard to communicate with their owners and the closer the bond the more successful they are. They are also very observent and notice the strangest things. They are a willing worker, eager to please, lives to be with his or her people, and has the think it through mentality of many great sporting dogs. By and large most Goldens are unflappable, love people, kids and other animals and will gladly run through fire for you if that is what you ask of them, also they are well known for being a benevolent and sofhearted dog. The Golden is considered one of the most tolerant dog breeds around, a trait which makes them uniquely suited to being a excellent companion and also fulfilling some of the most challenging canine jobs around.

Another distinctive facet of the Goldens temperment is versatility. Goldens can work hard in the field one hour and be the perfect childs companion the next. Because the Golden is such a friendly and forgiving dog, the breed is well known among those who provide pet assisted therapy to patients in nursing homes, hospitals or other institutions, because Goldens have a natural love of people many of them seem to thrive in this environment.