photo by Brian Booth, courtesy of www.purbarn.co.uk 
                                                            Range of colour within the breed standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Symmetrical, balanced, active, powerful, level mover: sound with kindly expression.
CHARACTERISTICS: Biddable, intelligent and possessing natural working ability.
TEMPERAMENT: Kind, friendly and confident.
HEAD AND SKULL: Balanced and well-chiselled, skull broad without coarseness; well-set on neck, muzzle powerful, wide and deep. Length of foreface approximately equals length from well-defined stop to occiput. Nose preferably black.
EYES: Dark brown, set well apart, dark rims.
EARS: Moderate size, set on approximate level with eyes.
MOUTH: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissors bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK: Good length, clean and muscular.

FOREQUARTERS: Forelegs straight with good bone shoulders well laid back, long in blade with upper arm of equal length placing legs well under body. Elbows close fitting.
BODY: Balanced, short coupled, deep through heart. Ribs deep well sprung. Level top-line.
 

                                                                       Outline and Bone Structure of a Golden Retriever

HINDQUARTERS: Loin and legs strong and muscular, good second thighs, well-bent stifles. Hocks well let down, straight when viewed from rear, neither turning in nor out. Cow-hocks highly undesirable.
FEET: Round and cat-like.
TAIL: Set on and carried level with back, reaching to hocks, without curl at tip.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Powerful with good drive. Straight and true in front and rear. Stride long and free with no sign of hackney action in front.
COAT: Flat or wavy with good feathering, dense water-resisting undercoat.
COLOUR: Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. A few white hairs of chest only, permissible.
SIZE: Height at withers: Dogs 56-61cms (22-24 inches); Bitches 51-56 cms (20-22 inches).
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.