Coat and Color
The coat is dense and waterproof, and may be straight or moderately wavy. It usually lies flat against the belly. The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard states that the coat is a "rich, lustrous golden of various shades" and disallows coats that are extremely light or extremely dark. This leaves the outer ranges of coat color up to a judge's discretion when competing in conformation shows. Judges may also disallow Goldens with pink noses, or those lacking pigment.
As a Golden grows older, its coat can become darker or lighter, along with a noticeable whitening of the fur on and around the muzzle. Puppy coats are usually much lighter than their adult coats, but a darker coloration at the tips of the ears may indicate a darker adult color.
American Type
The ideal Golden is athletic, and well balanced. It is a symmetrical, powerful and active dog. An American Golden is less stocky and lankier than a British. A male should stand from 23 to 24 inches in height and females should be 21 to 23 inches. The males weigh 65 to 75 pounds and the females weigh 55 to 65 pounds.
The coat is dense and water repellent, in various shades of lustrous gold, with moderate feathering. Excessive length, lightness, or darkness is undesirable. The gait should be free, smooth, powerful, and well-coordinated.
Field line Golden Retrievers tend to be smaller and have less coat than their show line counterparts.
English type
There is some variation between the English type Golden Retrievers, prevalent throughout Europe and Australia, and the American type. The English type is bigger boned, shorter, with a more square head and/or muzzle and are generally slightly heavier. Males should be between 22 to 24 inches at the withers and females slightly shorter, between 20 to 22 inches. Weight, however, is not specified in the United Kingdom standard.
The Kennel Club (U.K.) standard calls for a level topline and straight hindquarters without the slight rear angulation found in American lines. The eyes of American line dogs tend to be set further apart than those of English lines and can appear to be slanted and triangular in shape by comparison.
A Golden Retriever of English breeding can have a coat color of any shade of gold or cream, but red or mahogany are not permissible. Originally cream was not an acceptable color in the U.K. standard, but by 1936 the standard was revised to include cream. As with dogs of American lines, white is an unacceptable color.