A symmetrical, powerful, active dog, sound and well put together, not clumsy nor long in the leg, displaying a kindly expression and possessing a personality that is eager, alert and self-confident. Primarily a hunting dog, he should be shown in hard working condition. Overall appearance, balance, gait and purpose to be given more emphasis than any of his component parts.

Size, Proportion, Substance

Males 23-24 (58-61 cm.)inches in height at withers; females 21  1/2 to 22  1/2 inches (55-57 cm.). Length from breastbone to buttocks slightly greater than height at withers in ratio of 12:11. Weight for dogs 65-75 (29-34 kg)pounds; bitches 60-70 pounds(27-33 kg).

Head

Broad in skull, slightly arched laterally and longitudinally without prominence of frontal bones (forehead) or occipital bones. Good sto . Foreface deep and wide, nearly as long as skull. Muzzle, when viewed in profile, slightly deeper at top than at tip; when viewed from above, slightly wider at stop than at tip. No heaviness in flews. Removal of whiskers for show purposes is optional. Eyes, friendly and intelligent in expression, medium large with dark, close-fitting rims, set well apart and reasonably deep in sockets. Color preferably dark brown, never lighter than colour of coat. Slant eyes and narrow, triangular eyes detract from correct expression and are to be faulted. No white or haw visible when looking straight ahead. Dogs showing evidence of functional abnormality of eyelids or eyelashes (such as, but not limited to, trichiasis, entropion, ectropion, or distichiasis) are to be excused from the ring. Ears, rather short, hanging flat against the head with rounded tips slightly below the jaw. Forward edge attached well behind and just above the eye with rear edge slightly below eye. Nose, black or brownish black, though fading to a lighter shade in cold weather not serious. Teeth,scissors bite, with the lower incisors touching the inside of the upper incisors. Full definition. Obvious gaps are serious faults.

Neck

Neck medium long, sloping well back into shoulders, giving sturdy muscular appearance with untrimmed natural ruff. No throatiness.

Body

Topline level from withers to croup, whether standing or moving. Well balanced, short coupled, deep through the heart. Chest at least as wide as a man's hand including thumb. Brisket extends to elbow. Ribs, long and well sprung but not barrel shaped, extending well to rear of body. Loin, short, muscular, wide and deep, with very little tuck-up. Croup slopes gently.

Forequarters

Muscular, well coordinated with hindquarters and capable of free movement. Shoulder blades wide, long and well laid back showing angulation with the upper arm to approximately 90 degrees. Shoulder blade and upper arm (humerous) should be approximately equal in length, setting close fitting elbows back beneath the upper tip of the shoulder blades. Legs, straight with good bone. Pasterns, short and strong, sloping slightly with no suggestion of weakness.

Hindquarters

Well-bent stifles with hocks well let down. Legs straight when viewed from rear. Feet medium size, rounbd and compact with thcik pads. Excess hair may be trimmed to show natural size and contour.

Coat and Colour

Dense and water-repellent with good undercoat. texture not as ahrd as that of a short haried dog not silky as that of a setter. Lies flat against body and may be straight or wavy. Moderate feathering on back of forelegs and heavier feathering on front of neck, back of thighs and underside of tail. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. The natural appearance of coat or outline should not be altered by cutting or clipping, other than the trimming of feet and neatening of stray hairs Clour may be lustrous golden of various shades. A few white hairs on chest permisable but not desirable. Further whit emarrkings to be faulted except for greying pr whitening of face or body due to age. Any noticeable area or other off colour to be faulted.

Gait

When trotting, gait is free, smooth, powerful and well coordinated. Viewed from front or rear, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward center line of balance.

Tail

Temperament

Friendly, reliable, and trustworthy. Hostility or aggresion towards other dogs or people, undue timidness or nervousness in normal situations is not in keeping with Golden Retriever character. Dogs displaying poor temperament should be excused from the ring

Faults

DISQUALIFICATIONS

1.Deviation in height of more than one inch from standard either way.
2.Monorchism or cryptochism
3.Undershot or overshot bite. This condition not to be confused with misalignment of teeth.
4.Trichiasis (abnormal position or direction of the eyelashes)

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