Breed Standard

Australia, the Golden Retriever is bred and judged according to the Breed Standard of the English Kennel Club.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Symmetrical, balanced, active, powerful, level mover, sound with kindly expression.

CHARACTERISTICS
Biddable, intelligent and possessing natural working ability.

TEMPERAMENT
Kindly, friendly and confident

HEAD AND SKULL
Balanced and well chiselled, 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. Nose preferably black.

EYES
Dark brown, set well apart, dark rims.

EARS
Moderate size, set on approximate level with eyes.

MOUTH
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, ie upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK
Good length, clean and muscular

FOREQUARTERS
Forelegs straight with good bone, shoulders well laid back, long in blade with upper arms of equal length placing legs well under body. Elbows close fitting.

BODY
Balanced, short coupled, deep through heart. Ribs deep, well sprung.

HINDQUARTERS
Loin and legs strong and muscular, good second thighs, well bent stifles. Hocks well let down, straight when viewed from rear, neither turning in nor out. Cowhocks highly undesirable.

FEET
Round and cat-like

TAIL
Set on and carried level with back, reaching to hocks, without curl at tip.

GAIT/MOVEMENT
Powerful and good drive. Straight and true in front and rear. Stride long and free with no sign of hackney action in front.

COAT
Flat or wavy with good feathering, dense, water-resisting undercoat.

COLOUR
Any shade of cream or gold but neither white nor mahogany.

SIZE
Height at withers: Dogs: 56-61 cms (22-24 inches)
Bitches 51-56 cms (20-22 inches)

FAULTS: Any departure from the forgoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree

 

 

 

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Say No To Animals in Pet Shops

Where Do Puppies Come From

A puppy mill or puppy farm is a large dog breeding facility created to mass produce puppies for profit.

Likened to battery hens, the breeding dogs are kept in cages or pens for their entire life with the sole purpose of producing puppies for the pet shop, internet and overseas markets.

Pet shops require a constant supply of cute, young puppies and individual shops can take more than 20 a week. Multiply that by the number of pet shops found in shopping centres throughout Australia and you have the perfect distribution network for an industry producing hundreds of puppies with little concern paid to quality, health or temperament.

Factory farmed dogs get no veterinary intervention when they need respite from their pain and suffering. They live in filth, sometimes without adequate food or water. Their coats are often matted with faeces and stained with urine. Ear infections and ear mite infestations are common as is painful dental and gum disease.

Many dogs slowly go insane. They spin in circles or pace back and forth in their cells, some never see daylight, and the outside world is a foreign place to them. Should any dogs be lucky enough to be rescued once outside in the open they still circle and pace as if they are still incarcerated.

They shy away from human hands as they have never known kindness. The dogs are deprived of even their basic needs as the current law is only concerned with food shelter and water. The dog's psychological and social needs are ignored on factory farms.

• Oscars Law