WHAT IS AN "ENGLISH" GOLDEN RETRIEVER?

While visiting my family-in-law in New Zealand, I have encountered several Golden Retrievers. I was impressed with the appearance of these Kiwi Goldens as they tended to be larger, had a blockier head and were lighter in color – they certainly looked different than most Goldens I had encountered state-side. It turns out that what I was seeing was a well-documented difference that exists between Golden Retrievers from the US (and certain parts of Canada) and those from most other countries. I became aware of these differences when we began looking into finding a new dog. I ran across the terms English Golden Retriever, English Cream Goldens, English White Golden and English Platinum Goldens, which caused me to investigate further what the differences were between these dogs and the Golden Retriever that we had for over 13 years. Here is what I found out.

Photo taken at the Golden Retriever Club Open Show in England. Note the differences between these dogs and the ones below. These three dogs are females, while the two below are males (males tend to be larger and more blocky than females no matter where the Goldens come from). (For those that might be interested, the dogs above are: BD - Ch Bramhills Blake JW, RBD - Pearlbarn Pele with Ritzilyn JW, BPD - Kerrien Rocco of Ritzilyn. Photo by Lynn Kipps.

Two champion dogs (males) from a US dog show. Males from any region tend to be larger and have a bigger head than females (side note: you see this same sexual dimorphism in bears as well!).

Color Differences

How does the US Golden Retriever differ from is the “English” variety? The most notable difference between regional bloodlines is coloration. It turns out that lighter-coated Goldens are more popular/prevalent outside of the USA. (The lighter type is also more abundant in certain parts of neighboring Canada.) That is not to say that you cannot find golden or even reddish Goldens in other countries – they are just not as ubiquitous. For example, in Europe cream coated Goldens are much more popular than the more honey or reddish color forms. This hue is also more common in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Russia and, of course, in the United Kingdom. (Bella’s lighter colored kin come from Spain, England and Finland, but you will see in future posts, she has some reddish gold in her lineage as well.)

In the book Golden Retrievers Today by Valerie Foss (published in 1994) she states, color “is one of the most controversial features – and it is a subject many people feel strongly about.” She goes on to say “There is …. a definite split between the two countries (that is, the USA and England), as the cream colour is popular among British Golden Retrievers.”

Apparently in the original Brit description, a creamy coat was not allowed. In 1936, the standard was modified. It now reads “Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany.” So the red, almost Irish setter-like specimens that you regularly encountered here in the US do not conform to the Brit standard. In fact, in 2000 the Golden Retriever Breed Council in the United Kingdom decided to only accept the colors cream, gold or golden for their Golden Retriever registrations – no red dogs.

What about the US standard for coat color? It states, “Rich, lustrous golden of various shades. Predominant body color which is extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable. Some latitude should be given to the light puppy whose coloring shows promise of deepening with maturity.” Reading the US standard, it would appear that the light (white) individuals that we see in other parts of the world (like the one below) would not fit within the standard, while red individuals (as long as they were not too dark) would be OK.

Goldmarker Blue Rhine was the best in show in the veteran category and is an excellent example of the English-type Golden. Photo by Lesley Durant.

Big and Blocky

As I mentioned above, one thing that attracted me about the New Zealand is the larger, blockier head – not that you don’t see US Goldens with big heads- but there is a trend that Goldens from regions outside of the US more often have a larger, more square head. (Once again, this is a trend, not a rule - not all English or non-US dogs have a larger head.) The square look is so pronounced in English and European bloodlines that they are sometimes mistaken for Labrador Retrievers – at least until the coat is fully expressed.

Here is the English standard for the ideal head and skull:

“Balanced and well chiseled, 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.”

Golden Retrievers outside the USA also tend to be bigger dogs. The standard for height in both the English and US standard are similar, but English retrievers tend to be of a more robust frame and thus are heavier. The US standard is 55-65 pounds for bitches and 65-75 pounds for dogs. The UK standard does not include a weight range, but concentrate more on balance – that the dog is properly proportioned – then the exact weight.

Another example of an American champion that represents the characteristics most often seen in the bloodlines here in the US. What a beauty!

In Conclusion

I will leave it to others to make simple what I have made more complicated. This is what Golden Retriever expert Bev Brown wrote about the differences between Goldens from different regions (For a real in depth look at the potential differences in US and golden from other regions, I strongly recommend her informative treatise at the web address http://www.starcrowned.com/egnatest/. )

“ In Great Britain, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the breed appears generally to be a heavier dog with a flatter croup; broader skull; a deeper, wider muzzle; and with more wavy coats seen. Many Goldens overseas fit this description, however, there are also variations in type among them. The breed in the U.S. today has a variety of types, but is generally a less angulated and somewhat lighter weight dog, with a straighter and more profuse coat than its British cousin. Many North American fanciers feel that the overseas bloodlines excel in head properties, balance, and forequarter structure; while the American bloodlines tend to excel in rear quarters, movement, and showmanship. The Western and Midwestern Canadian Goldens still show significant influence from the American lines. The Eastern provinces continue to reflect the influence of early UK imports, and the many important additions from overseas that followed. ”

Whether US or English bloodlines, Goldens are wonderful dogs that can make amazing canine companions. (When choosing any puppy, make sure you buy from a reputable breeder!) As far as the appearance of the different "types" of Goldens is concerned, it's all a matter of personal preferences. Its our different tastes that makes life so interesting!