Want to know how many colors a Golden Retriever has?
Great! You’ve come to the right place.
According to the Golden retriever club of America, there’s only 1 recognized breed of Golden retriever.
But there are different “types” that have different styles and looks.
In this Digdoggy.com guide, you’ll learn:
- The three types of Golden Retriever
- The different colors of this breed
- The truth behind the Platinum Golden Retriever
And much more!
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Types Of Golden Retrievers
There are three variants of the Golden Retriever but they all come from a lineage that hailed from Scotland.
American Golden Retrievers
🐕 Size
The American Golden Retriever is less muscular compared to the British variant, but he is taller.
An average male stands between 23 to 24 inches at the withers, while most females are between 21 and 22 inches tall.
🐕 Skull Shape
The American standard has a pointy head and a narrow muzzle.
🐕 Coat
In comparison to the English and Canadian sub-types, the American Golden Retriever comes with a longer, denser, and straighter coat.
They also have heavy feathering around the neck, chest, thighs, and tail.
You will need to learn how to groom a Golden Retriever if you wish to own this breed because they shed like crazy, especially when temperatures finally rise in the spring.
As for coat colors, the American Golden Retriever comes in various rich shades of gold but anything too dark is unacceptable.
🐕 Eyes
The American-standard Golden retriever has light brown, almond-shaped eyes that almost look triangular when observed from the side.
English Golden Retrievers
The English Golden Retriever, also known as the British Golden Retriever, is another sub-type of the Golden Retriever. For easy distinction, some people would refer to him as the “White Golden Retriever” or “English Cream Golden Retriever.”
🐕 Size
The English Golden Retriever appears bigger-boned and stockier than the American Golden Retriever. This good boy, however, is the shortest.
The breed standard height at the withers for the male English Golden Retriever is 22 inches. A female White Golden has an average height of 20 inches.
🐕 Skull Shape
The English Golden retriever has a broader skull complemented with a balanced and chiseld muzzle. These features are believed to be the remnants of the Nous.
🐕 Coat
The English Golden Retriever features a soft, silky medium-length coat with wavy feathering around the ears, neck, and tail. These British variant is also notable for having a prominent ruff around the neck.
White Golden Retrievers are prolific shedders just like their North American counterparts.
In the spring, these doggos shed their dense winter coat and the process happens in reverse come autumn.
Despite being called “White Golden Retriever,” he also comes in cream and pale shades of gold.
However, the American Kennel Club does not accept these colors. The AKC show ring prefers rich and lustrous golden hues.
🐕 Eyes
These British doggos have a rounder eye shape and darker coloration, both of which can be stressed when they sit side by side with an American standard Golden Retriever.
Canadian Golden Retrievers
The Canadian Golden Retriever is another sub-type. While this good boy may have a few physical traits that also makes him different from the other varieties, his temperament is just the same.
🐕 Size
For male Candian Golden Retrievers, the average height at the shoulder is 24 inches. Meanwhile, females have an average height of 22 inches.
In terms of size,. these doggos outgrow the American and English Golden variations by as much as two inches.
🐕 Skull Shape
The Canadian sub-type features a narrow head, not a blockhead that British ones have. Both the shape and size of the head have to do with the bone structure of the dog’s skull.
🐕 Coat
Canadian Golden Retrievers are the easiest to groom among the three as they sport a shorter and thinner coat.
They have less feathering on the back of the neck, forelegs, and tail compared to the other two.
As for coat colors, this sub-type boasts of deeper tones of golden yellow. The colors are a lot darker compared to the American standard.
🐕 Eyes
The Canadian Golden Retriever has dark, slightly tapered eyes.
Different Colors Of Golden Retrievers
The Golden Retriever stays within a limited color spectrum which is categorized in three general colors: light golden, golden, and dark golden.
English Golden Retrievers often sport the lightest shades of gold.
In the meanwhile, the AKC prefers rich shades of gold. Retrievers that are too dark, such as the Canadian variety, could not compete in AKC show rings.
Despite the desirability of the golden color, some Golden Retrievers fall outside of this range.
Some dogs can look nearly white and red mahogany, but both the AKC and UKC consider these colors unacceptable.
Golden Retrievers with reddish coats are not permitted for showing, as well.
What Is The Rarest Color of A Golden Retriever?
You may have heard of the “Platinum Golden Retriever,” that some breeders would advertise as rare.
However, these white dogs are English Golden Retrievers, which are the same breed as the American Goldens.
While you may seldom see this pale-coated variety in the United States, these dogs are common in the United Kingdom.
Final Thoughts On Different Golden Retriever Colors
The American, English, and Canadian Retrievers are all purebred canines despite their subtle cosmetic differences.
- English Goldens, also known as the British variety, often sport the light golden shades. Some may look white or cream in color, but these doggos will still have gold highlights running throughout their coats.
- While the English variety is the shortest of the three, he is the stockiest and he has a large blocky head reminiscent of its ancestor.
- American Goldens are lankier compared to their British counterparts, but they are no less impressive. These dogs boast the richest shades of gold.
- Canadian Goldens are the tallest of the three. This variety sports the darkest shades of gold.
- The cream color is acceptable in the UKC standard, but the AKC standard finds pale and dark colors undesirable in the show ring.
Regardless of the type, a Golden Retriever will always be a Golden Retriever.
