Widespread in both Europe and North America, it is divided into two types, British and American. Sometimes the latter is further divided into American and Canadian. The breed is classified as unique and was included in an official register for the first time in 1903, in England. Its FCI code is 111 (28.10.2009), the Italian National Kennel Club (ENCI) classifies it, according to the standard of the International Kennel Federation, in group 8 section 1: retriever (with working trial), therefore a utility dog ​​(hunting dog), which by nature and characteristics is at ease both in and out of the water. They are dogs with a gentle nature, sociable with humans and other dogs, extremely docile and trainable, very voracious. Their ever-increasing and successful diffusion also lies in the fact that they also find the home environment comfortable. In fact, their nature, although playful and faithful, can also be lazy enough for an apartment. The dog is also quite long-lived and, if treated well, can live beyond 15 years of age.

Diffusion:

in Europe and North America and England

In England the first Golden Retriever dogs were accepted for official registration only in 1903 with the English name of Flat Coats or simply Golden. They were exhibited in public for the first time in 1908, but their current name was given to them only three years later, in 1911, with the variants: Golden Retriever and Yellow Retriever.

United States
In the United States, Golden Retrievers were only recognized in 1925 by the American Kennel Club and the first associations dedicated to this breed began in 1938.

Canada
The Honourable Marjoribanks brought a Golden Retriever to Canada in 1881, and registered her as "Lady" in 1894 with the American Kennel Club. These are the first records of a Golden breed in North America. In 1927, the Golden Retriever Club of Ontario was founded.[9]

Scotland
In July 2006, the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland held an event dedicated to this dog breed, gathering 188 specimens in their "place of origin". A photograph, taken by a certain Lynn Kipps, won the Guinness Book of Records for the most Golden Retrievers in a single photo.

Cloak

As their name suggests, the coat of this dog breed can vary from bright gold to darker, amber tones. Some exceptions tend towards brown and red, but these are isolated cases and are not officially recognized by the British standard. The coat hair is different:

the most visible hairs are water-resistant and slightly wavy, but fall out in tufts during the winter;
The undercoat is soft and keeps the retriever cool in summer and warm in winter, but it thins out considerably in autumn and spring and, although it continues to thin out, it is still more visible after the winter period.[15]
A Golden's coat should not be too long, both to avoid causing unnecessary discomfort to the animal and because this could hinder the dog's efficiency, for example by tiring him when retrieving a toy.

Colors

Golden retriever of different colors
The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard requires the coat to be "a rich, brilliant gold of varying shades", not allowing extremely light or very dark coats. Thus any shade even slightly outside the rules is left to the judge's discretion when the dog is in a competition or show. Therefore, white and red are unacceptable colors, as is black.[13]

The Kennel Club (UK) also accepts a cream coat color.[11] Judges may also not accept Goldens with pink noses. The coat may also be a mahogany color, called red, although this is not accepted in competition.[11]

As a Golden grows, his coat may become darker or lighter, along with a noticeable whitening of the fur on his head and face. Puppies' coats are usually lighter and softer than adult dogs, but if they have a darker color on their ears or tail, it may be a sign that the dog will be that color once he is fully grown.

Temperament:

The Golden Retriever temperament is a hallmark of the breed and is typically described as "gentle, friendly, and confident." Golden Retrievers make good family pets, particularly due to their patience and playfulness with children. They are not exclusively bonded dogs and are generally equally amiable to strangers as they are to familiar faces. Any form of unprovoked aggression or hostility toward people, dogs, or other animals, whether in the show ring or within a community, is considered unacceptable in a Golden Retriever and is not in keeping with the breed's personality. The typical Golden Retriever is calm, docile by nature, with exceptional enthusiasm. Goldens are also known for their intelligence. According to Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, Goldens are ranked fourth after the Border Collie, Poodle, and German Shepherd as the brightest dogs in the obedience-command-training rankings.

Typical Golden Retrievers are active, fun-loving animals with the exceptionally patient demeanor of a dog bred to sit quietly for hours on a lean hunt. Adult Golden Retrievers love to work and have a strong ability to concentrate on a task. They are willing to work until they drop if necessary, so care must be taken to avoid overwhelming them with a large amount of targets. Other characteristics include their proportions that allow them to climb into and out of a boat and an inordinate love of water, which is not always found in all dog breeds. Golden Retrievers are extremely trainable, given their intelligence, physical performance, and desire to please their owners. They are also very competitive in agility and other show events. It is not normally necessary to force a particular action on a dog, as they will only act on command with an optimistic and docile upbringing.

They are particularly appreciated for their high level of sociability towards people, calmness and willingness to learn. It is even known that in some cases they have become excellent surrogate mothers for different species.

Health

The average lifespan of a Golden Retriever is between 11 and 15 years, but if treated well, and if you are lucky enough to avoid the frequent tumors that particularly affect the breed, it can reach 15. Unfortunately, Retrievers are susceptible to particular disorders or diseases specific to the breed, often debilitating health problems. A responsible breeder must know how to minimize the risk factors of a certain disease and must take all the appropriate precautions to avoid possible contagion to other individuals, a general dilation of the problem or hereditary transmission, which can be assessed with visits to the vet during annual general check-ups. Often in Goldens, recurrent or genetic diseases are found, such as hip dysplasia, very common, often ignored and therefore easily heritable. Obesity is another common health problem in the Golden Retriever breed because they love to eat.