The Golden Retriever is a beautiful dog. It makes a wonderful family dog, as it is eager to please people and very friendly. For those who want their dog to meet the Golden Retriever standard set by the American Kennel Club, the expectations are clear. The Golden Retriever standard has very specific qualifications. There are many aspects of the physical characteristics the dog must meet, and each are clearly defined. They are broken down into many categories such as general appearance, coat, color, forequarters, hindquarters, head, neck, topline, body, gait, temperament, size, proportion and substance. Other than meeting the specifics of each category, there are also a couple of things that will automatically disqualify a particular Golden Retriever. The first is if it deviates by more than an inch from the standard height either way. The second is if it has an undershot or overshot bite. Other than that, there are no automatic disqualifiers, just things that, if not met, are considered faults.
The American Kennel Club has laid out specifically how the Golden Retriever should look and behave. You can look up the specifics of the standards at the AKC website. They include many specific items. For example, when the Golden Retriever is trotting, it should be free, smooth, powerful and well coordinated, showing good reach and the legs should not cross each other. The eyes of the Golden Retriever should be intelligent and friendly in expression, and medium large. The preferred color for the eyes is dark brown, but medium brown is okay. The nose should be black or brownish black.

The coat should be a lustrous golden color. The mid-gold range is best, though it can range from lighter to darker. There can be feathering on the lack of the forelegs and underbelly, front of the neck, behind the thighs and underside of the tail. The natural appearance of the coat should be maintained, without any clipping or cutting of the fur, but too long a coat is undesirable.
The American Kennel Club has set out the specifics of the Golden Retriever standards. All breeders are aware of the standards and should be selling dogs that meet these standards. All Golden Retrievers that do meet the AKC standards will have some things in common. They will be active, alert dogs that stay involved in the world around them. As typical of a hunting dog, they will be hard workers, and not content to just lie around. They will be muscular, friendly, and love to interact with people. The coat will be a beautiful mid-gold color, with a firm and resilient outer coat, either straight or wavy. The tail will be held proudly, and the eyes will be intelligent and friendly. A dog that meets the Golden Retriever standard will be a dog that anyone could be proud to own and show. To get the specifics of the American Kennel Club Golden Retriever Standards, one should check the AKC website.

There are several specifics for the American Kennel Club standard, as it pertains to the Golden Retriever. They include things like how the tail should be held and whether or not the fur should be trimmed. Those who want Golden Retriever information about the AKC standard can find it in this article.

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