Breed Standard

Breed Standard

FCI-Standard N°: 111 / 29. 01. 1999/ GB ORIGIN: Great Britain DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 24.06.1987 UTILIZATION: Gundog CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Group 8 Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs. Section 1 Retrievers. With working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Symmetrical, balanced, active, powerful, level mover; sound with kindly expression BEHAVIOR / TEMPERMENT: Biddable, intelligent and possessing natural working ability; kindly, friendly and confident HEAD: Balanced and well chiseled CRANIAL REGION: - Skull: Broad without coarseness; well set on neck - Stop: Well defined FACIAL REGION: - Nose: Preferably black - Muzzle: Powerful, wide and deep. Length of foreface approximately equals length from stop to occiput. - Jaws/Teeth: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. - Eyes: Dark brown, set well apart, dark rims. - Ears: Moderate size, set on approximate level with eyes NECK: Good length, clean and muscular BODY: Balanced Back: Level topline Loins: Strong, muscular, short-coupled Chest: Deep through heart. Ribs deep, well sprung TAIL: Set on and carried level with back, reaching to hocks, without curl at tip LIMBS: FOREQUARTERS: Forelegs straight with good bone Shoulders: Well laid back, long in blade Upper arm: Of equal length as the shoulder blade, placing legs well under body Elbows: Close fitting HINDQUARTERS: Hindlegs strong and muscular Stifles: Well bent Second thigh: Good Hocks: Well let down, straight when viewed from rear, neither turning in nor out. Cow-hocks highly undesirable FEET: Round and cat-like GAIT / MOVEMENT: Powerful with good drive. Straight and true in front and rear. Stride long and free with no sign of hackney action in front COAT HAIR: Flat or wavy with good feathering, dense water-resisting undercoat COLOR: Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. A few white hairs on chest only, permissible SIZE: - Height at withers: Dogs 56 - 61 cm (22-24 ins); Bitches 51 - 56 cm (20-22 ins). FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum