About Golden Retrievers
the Golden Retriever originated in Scotland during the late nineteenth century and is a mix of the Tweed water spaniel, which is now extinct, and the Wavy-Coated Retriever The British Kennel Club accepted the first golden, or yellow retriever in 1920 as "retriever(golden). The first golden retrievers were probably imported to the US in the late eighteen hundreds. The AKC registered it's first golden in 1925.
UK standard vs. AKC The European Golden is bred per UK standard this gives these Goldens a different appearance then an American standard bred Golden. Bigger boned, shorter, with a broader head and muzzle. A strong muscular neck and straight level top line. Males are 22-24 inches at the withers and females 20-22 inches. There is no weight restriction for the UK standard. This type of Golden can be cream to golden in color with a dark pigment to the nose and eyes. Retrievers of the 19th century were lighter in color than the UK standard first permitted.
A Golden bred by American standards is less stocky with a smaller head, a different expression, a slight rear angulation rather than a level top line as is UK standard. Both AKC and UK have the same height standard, the UK has no restriction on weight. The male height should be 22-24 inches at the withers, and females should be 20-22 inches at the withers. For AKC standard the males weigh 65-75 lb. and the females weigh 55-65 lb anything more or less would be disqualified in the show ring. The coat is dense and water repellent, in various shades of lustrous gold.
The temperament of the Golden Retriever is their crowning glory. "kindly, friendly and confident" Goldens are well known for their intelligence, workability, patience and eagerness to please. A long with their ability to focus on a task makes them excel at agility, obedience, conformation and their love of water, retrieving and endless patience in a hunt test. They make wonderful rehab dogs because of their friendly nature, eagerness to please and great ability to focus and train. They are compatible with children and adults and are good with other dogs, cats and most livestock. Golden Retrievers are particularly valued for their high level of sociability towards people, calmness, and willingness to learn. Because of this, they are commonly used as guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and search and rescue dogs They are excellent with children and this along with their other qualities has made them a favorite family pet. As with any dog, children should always be supervised when playing together.
