About Golden Retriever Types - Appearance and Varieties

Golden Retrievers are beautiful dogs that were originally bred to be excellent hunters. Read on to learn about Golden Retriever variations in appearance, and the difference between the American, Canadian, and British types of Golden Retriever.

Originally bred in Scotland during the 1800s, with the goal of creating an excellent hunting dog. Their mouths were bred to be soft, and they were bred to love water, making them well-suited to their original careers retrieving downed waterfowl for their masters. In addition to their hunting suitability and their excellent, happy-go-lucky personalities, Golden Retrievers are also fairly large, beautiful dogs, with fur that may be any light or dark shade of lustrous gold. Feathering on the fur may be slightly lighter in color. Read on to learn more about dog types and variations in appearance.

The British Type: British Golden Retrievers may be any shade of cream or gold, but their coats may not show any mahogany or red. They have shorter, wider snouts, blockier foreheads, deeper chests, and slightly shorter legs and tail than the American type. Their eyes are rounder and darker than those of American Golden Retrievers. British Goldens are known for exceptionally good temperament (although excellent disposition is a characteristic of the breed as a whole) and good health, with lower cancer rates than found among American types.

The American Type: American Golden Retrievers tend to be slightly lankier than the British type. Their thick coats repel water, and can be any shade of gold, but tend to be darker than British Golden Retrievers. They exhibit a powerful but smooth and free gait, and good agility.

The Canadian Type: Canadian Golden Retrievers are a newer variation, and they are fairly close in appearance and measurements to their American cousins. The gold of their coats usually falls somewhere between the lighter British coats and the darker American ones.

Golden Retriever puppies are usually lighter in color than adults. Adult dogs fur may be either wavy or straight, but not overly long. To learn more about Golden Retriever types, research Kennel Club standards for the country of interest. These organizations keep careful records about Golden Retriever variations in color and form, and what is or is not allowable.

Obviously, infinite variations will occur among dogs that are not purebred, and while they may not be perfect breed examples, most retriever mixes can still make excellent family pets.