All Ireland Golden Retriever Club

CLASSIFICATION FCI: Group 8 - Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs. Working Trials - Section 1 Retrievers

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.