The Golden Retriever is a breed of dog, historically developed as a gundog to retrieve shot waterfowl and upland game during hunting. As such they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and an instinctive love of water. Their intelligence and versatility sees them employed in a variety of roles including illegal drug detection, search and rescue, as hunting dogs and as guide dogs They possess a friendly, eager-to-please demeanor, and are one of the most popular family dog breeds in the world.
Some variations do exist between the British type Golden Retrievers prevalent throughout Europe and Australia, and those of American lines. The American muzzle is wider and shorter, and its forehead is blockier. It has shorter legs, with a slightly deeper chest, and shorter tail. Its features make it generally heavier than the Canadian type. Males are 56-61 centimeters (22-24 in) at the withers and females slightly shorter.
An American Golden is lankier and less stocky than a British Type. A male should stand 22-24 inch (58-61 cm) in height at the shoulders, and females should be 21.5-22.5 inch (55-57 cm). They range in weight from 65-75 lb for males and 55-65 lb for females. The coat is dense and water repellent, in various shades of lustrous gold, with moderate feathering.
As indicated by their name, their coat comes in light golden colors to dark golden colors and vary widely with some tending to extremely light or extremely dark.
The temperament of the Golden Retriever is a hallmark of the breed and is described in the standard as "kindly, friendly and confident". They are not "one man dogs" and are generally equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them. Their trusting, gentle disposition therefore makes them a poor guard dog. The typical Golden Retriever is calm, naturally intelligent and biddable, with an exceptional eagerness to please.
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