"Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. A few white hairs on chest only permissible."
The FCI or The Fédération Cynologique Internationale is comprised of 90 member countries that follow their breed standard. These 90 countries subscribe to this same standard for Golden Retrievers that they follow in the UK.
But the US, always the one to be different, says the following from the Golden Retriever Club of America about the color of a golden:
Color -- rich, lustrous golden of various shades. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. With the exception of graying or whitening of face or body due to age, any white marking, other than a few white hairs on the chest, should be penalized according to its extent. Allowable light shadings are not to be confused with white markings. Predominant body color which is either extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable. Some latitude should be given to the light puppy whose coloring shows promise of deepening with maturity. Any noticeable area of black or other off-color hair is a serious fault.
Even though today's judges are supposedly being told that a cream coat is not to be faulted, it is faulted all the time. You can only find a handful of American Kennel Club show champions in my country because this standard caters to the American Golden. No one knows why the standard was amended in the 1980's where they took the word "cream" out of the breed standard. If a golden is a golden no matter the type, the color standard should be what the rest of the world recognizes, and not anything different in the US! American Goldens came from the UK. They share the same DNA. It's time to start looking at all Goldens the same without prejudice!
Off of my soapbox now!
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