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What Exactly Is An "English" Golden Retriever?
By Bev Brown
It seems to have become the custom for people in North America to describe
as "English" any Golden Retriever that looks like the Goldens bred
overseas, when in fact the dog might have been bred in Scotland, Holland,
Norway, Australia, Canada or even the United States, and not England at all.
All Goldens descend from the same foundations that originated in Scotland in
1868 and were further developed throughout the United Kingdom (UK).
However, in the United States and parts of Canada, the breed has developed a
somewhat different look than it did overseas.
To try and answer "What Exactly Is an English Golden Retriever?" let’s look
at the following questions:
1. What do people really mean when they refer to an "English"
Golden Retriever?
2. How do they differ from Goldens from American lines?
3. How do the Goldens in Canada fit into this?
4. How did this all come about?
 In
order to answer all of the above, we need to start with a few explanations
and some historical background. Let’s begin by defining "parent club"
and "breed standard."
Parent Club
A group of dog fanciers of one specific breed coming together to form a
national organization for the preservation and advancement of that specific
breed is known as that breed’s "parent club." A parent club must be
recognized and approved by the dog regulatory or registering body in that
country as the one official authoritative organization for that breed in
that country. Parent clubs often have local or regional chapter clubs
as members, as well as individuals who often belong to both the parent club
and their local club. Most parent clubs are initially responsible for
preparing the official "breed standard" for approval by the governing body.
Breed Standard
A "breed standard" is the official written description of the ideal specimen
of that breed. The standard is intended to guide breeders toward
maintaining the breed’s quality and to guide judges in evaluating dogs in
the show ring. Although the parent clubs are the authors of the
individual breed standards, the governing body is normally the actual owner
of them.
The Early Years in North America
The Golden Retriever breed was first recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club
(CKC) in 1927. In 1928, Foxbury Peter, owned by Mrs. Alex Maclaren,
became the first Golden Retriever to become a Canadian Champion.
Significant early kennels were the Gilnockie Kennel in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
owned by Mr. Bart Armstrong, and the Rockhaven Kennel in North Vancouver,
British Columbia, owned by Col. Sam Magoffin and home to Can.-Am. CH.
Speedwell Pluto. Imported from England at 15 months of age in 1930,
Pluto became a Canadian Champion in 1931 and the first American Champion
Golden Retriever in 1932. Then in 1933, he became the first Golden
Retriever to receive Best in Show honors in the US. Upon the death of
Bart Armstrong, Col. Magoffin acquired the Gilnockie Kennel and transferred
it to Englewood, Colorado. Pluto, along with the Rockhaven and
Gilnockie dogs, were a major part of the foundation for the breed in both
Canada and the United States.
The first organized Golden Retriever club in Canada was the Golden Retriever
Club of Ontario, which was established in 1958. By 1960, this club
became the Golden Retriever Club of Canada (GRCC) and was designated as the
parent club for the breed with CKC.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) officially recognized Golden Retrievers in
1932. Goldens imported from the historical English kennels of
Anningsley, Speedwell, Stubbings, Ottershaw, Wilderness, Donkelve, Woolley,
Aldgrove, Haulstone, Dewstraw, Yelme, and Elsiville, combined with the
Rockhaven and Gilnockie dogs, gave a broad base of bloodlines of similar
"type" (overall look) for further development of the breed in the U.S. in
the 1920s and '30s. By 1938 there were enough Golden Retrievers and
Golden Retriever fanciers in the U.S. to merit the establishment of the
Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA), which became the official parent
club for Goldens with AKC.
The breed standard adopted by GRCA and GRCC was essentially the same
as the British Standard, and the breed in the 1930s and 1940s in the U.S.,
Canada, and the UK looked quite similar and shared many close relatives. To
follow are some examples of early Goldens in the UK, Canada, and the U.S.,
with the dog's year of birth in parenthesis.
Early Goldens in the UK:
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| CH. Heydown Gunner (1921) |
CH. Rip of Kentford (1923) |
CH. Bruce of Dewstraw (1925) |
 |
 |
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| Gilder (1929) Sire of 8 champions. |
Field CH. Avishays Brush (1933) |
Dual CH. Noranby Destiny (1943) |
 |
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| CH. Alexander of Elsiville (1944) |
CH. Susan of Westley (1945) |
CH. Dernar of Yelme (1947) |
Early Goldens in the U.S.:
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 |
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| CH. Rockhaven Moonshine (1932) |
CH. Twin Hill Missy's Boy (1939) |
CH. Kettle River Cossack (1942) |
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| CH. Czar of Wildwood (1944) |
CH. Squawkie Hill Highlight (1946) |
CH. Prince Copper of Malibu (1948) |
 |
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| CH. Squawkie Hill Dapper Dexter (1948) |
CH. AFC Lorelei's Golden Rockbottom
UD (1948) |
CH. Golden Knoll's King Alphonzo (1949) |
Canada:
 |
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Am.-Can. CH. Speedwell Pluto (1928)
UK Import.
First GRCC Outstanding Sire, producing 10 Cana-
dian Champions; and first GRCA Outstanding
Sire, producing four American Champions. |
From the Rockhaven Kennel, Vancouver, BC, in 1938:
L-R, Canadian Champions Rockhaven
Lempi, Lassie, Harold
(also American Champion), Amber, and Maihi; Am.-Can. CH.
Speedwell Pluto
(UK import); and Am.-Can. CH. Wilderness
Tangerine (UK import). |
 |
 |
FC-AFC and Can. Dual CH. Rockhaven Raynard of Fo-Go-Ta (1948).
He
was the first Canadian Dual Champion, bred in Canada by Cyril Stone
and
owned by Col. Sam Magoffin of the Rockhaven Kennel in
Vancouver, BC.
Later owned by Torch Flinn of Tigathoe Kennels, Greenwich,
CT, where he
completed his American FC-AFC and qualified for the GRCA
Field Dog Hall of Fame. |
Then along came World War II (1939-1945) with food, gasoline, and tire
rationing. The war had a very negative impact on dog breeding and dog
shows. Championship dog shows were suspended in Great Britain, and dog
shows were severely curtailed in North America. Just keeping the
bloodlines going was difficult for all.
Post World War II
As things slowly returned to normal after the war, importing of Goldens from
the UK to North America resumed.
Dogs from the English kennels of Dewstraw, Elsiville, Yeo, Oakwin, Rosecott,
Westley, Camrose, Holway, Alresford, Boltby, Drexholme, and Janville were
brought over, making a broader base of bloodlines available. However,
by the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, the emergence of different influential sires
and dams in the U.S., Canada, and the UK helped bring about a more noticeable
divergence of type of the typical specimen in each
country.
As time went by, the breed standards in the U.S., Canada, and the UK were
modified independently, which may have further promoted a divergence in
type. However, it's not that the revised standards called for
different qualities. The differences in type that began to develop
between the U.S. and the UK are more likely a result of the more closed gene pools separated by the Atlantic
Ocean and the volume of quality dogs in the U.S. after the war. In Eastern
Canada, where a more British type of Golden already existed, a preference
for that type probably inspired more importation from the UK and judicious
use of those dogs.
As the breed became more popular and more successful in American dog shows
in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, trends developed and popular sires emerged
that descended from the American dogs of the 1950s and '60s and resembled
them in general type. No doubt assisted by the improvements in animal
air shipping and the advent of frozen semen and fresh chilled semen, stud
dogs from successful American lines were used in a wide variety of different
breeding programs across America. As these dogs dominated the American
show rings, there was less and less interest in importing dogs. The
various American bloodlines, with a variety of type, were firmly
established. Still, some interest remained in the dogs in the UK in
the 1970s and '80s and significant imports were successfully incorporated
into the bloodlines of the Gayhaven, Kyrie, Beckwith, Malagold, Starfarm,
Liberator, Cal-Vo, Beaumaris, Morningsage, Synergold, Hunts, Braeside, and
Trowsnest kennels. Probably due in part to this influence, a nice
variety of type could be seen in Goldens in the U.S. Much the same was
happening in the UK in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, with outstanding dogs of
their day having a strong influence and helping to further set the type
there.
The American bloodlines were also very popular in Western and Central
Canada, which gave a more uniform look to the breed in much of North
America. However, dogs imported from overseas were used more
extensively by breeders in Eastern Canada, and their influence could easily
be seen there in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.
There have been a significant number of dogs exported from the UK to other countries all over
the world, most significantly to Europe and Australia, where the British
Breed Standard was maintained. These countries tended to import more
frequently from the UK in the post World War II era than did fanciers in the
U.S., and the imported dogs were often used more extensively. Since the
Goldens already living in these countries were already of similar overall type as
the British dogs, additional imported dogs were easily incorporated into
many existing breeding programs, and the type and trends continued generally
to follow the UK.
Overview of the Breed Today
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(UK) CH., & Irish CH. Linirgor Ever Hopeful JW (2001).
"Hope"
is a full champion, having also qualified in the field,
and
is the all-time top winning Golden Retriever bitch in
Scotland, having earned 16 Challenge Certificates (CCs) to
date. Hope is bred and owned by Linsey and Irene Dunbar
(Linirgor), Stirlingshire, Scotland. |
The perception among many of today's American Golden Retriever breeders is
that the "English type" Goldens are very different from the American
Goldens. And if they see an "English type" Golden that is extremely
light in color, an American fancier may assume that the color alone
eliminates it from consideration in the American show ring. They are unable
to appreciate anything else about the dog. Yes, in most of the rest of the
world, these light shades are well accepted. Extremes in color do not
distract judges and fanciers there from evaluating the many critical parts
of the rest of the dog - such as structure, overall balance, soundness, head
and expression, pigmentation, coat texture, temperament, and so on. Outstanding examples
of American Goldens and outstanding Goldens from overseas are not so terribly different from each
other, and carefully combining the types/bloodlines often blurs even the
most noticeable of differences, including the blending of color. The basic structure, head properties,
movement, soundness and temperament called for in the two standards are
quite compatible. Variations in type can occur even among littermates,
and selection greatly impacts the next generation.
A breeder's vision
and how they interpret the breed standard in their country, combined with the type
of Golden they are used to seeing, can greatly influence their selections,
both in the stud dogs they use and which offspring they keep for future
breeding.
Popular sires and dams can establish a different look in a
region, particularly when separated from another region by a vast ocean.
Also, a quarantine in one region encourages movement of breeding stock in
one direction only. Although the American and British Goldens are a
good example of this situation, both are Golden Retrievers through and
through and descend from the same foundations.
In Great Britain, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the breed appears
generally to be a heavier dog with a flatter croup; broader skull; a deeper,
wider muzzle; and with more wavy coats seen. Many Goldens overseas fit
this description, however, there are also variations in type among them.
 |
(UK) SH. CH. Gatchells Royal Orchid JW
(1998). The
JW suffix stands for Junior Warrant, which is earned for
competitive class wins between 6 and 18 months of age.
"Mia" is the dam of champions in the UK, Sweden, and
Belgium. She is owned by her breeders, Yvette and Dave
Mannings (Gatchells), Somerset, England. |
The breed in the U.S. today has a variety of types, but is generally a less
angulated and somewhat lighter weight dog, with a straighter and more profuse
coat than its British cousin. Many North American fanciers feel that
the overseas bloodlines excel in head properties, balance, and forequarter
structure; while the American bloodlines tend to excel in rear quarters,
movement, and showmanship.
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(U.S.) CH. Summits MR. Bojangles, OS, SDHF (1998).
A winner of 10 Best in Show awards, "Hobo" is also a
3-time
winner of Best of Breed at the GRCA National Specialty
(2003, 2004 and 2006), a member of the GRCA Show Dog
Hall of Fame, and a GRCA Outstanding Sire. Hobo is owned
by Susan Lusa (Gracious Goldens), Rev. Alan R. Klessig,
and
his breeder/handler, Beth Johnson (Summit). |
The Western and Midwestern Canadian Goldens still show significant influence
from the American lines. The Eastern provinces continue to reflect the
influence of early UK imports, and the many important additions from
overseas that followed.
Why "English" instead of UK or British?
Another question that occasionally comes up is why do people say "English
type" Golden Retrievers instead of "UK type" or "British type?" The
truth is that some fanciers do say "British type," but many people have
become accustomed to using the word "English" to describe the type of
Goldens bred overseas, or bred in North America from recent imports.
The large 1968 GRCA Yearbook includes a listing of conformation titled
Goldens from Great Britain, from the first one in 1914 through those in
1966, and refers to them as English Champions. But England, Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland have officially been the "United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (UK) since 1800, so why don’t we refer
to them as UK Champions or British Champions? The likely answer is
that, in the early days, the dog shows in the UK were all held in England,
and their kennel club and Golden Retriever parent club (called simply "The
Kennel Club" and "The Golden Retriever Club") were situated in England.
The championship system used in England ultimately became the system used
throughout Great Britain, but in the meantime the custom of calling them
English Champions developed here and seems to have stuck. (In the UK,
they simply call them champions!) The breed standard was developed by
the (UK) Golden Retriever Club, situated in England, and thus it would have
been the "English" Breed Standard to us in the early days. Today it
would be equally correct, or more so, to refer to their champions, type, and
breed standard as UK or British, but the terms English Champion, English
type, and English Breed Standard are deeply entrenched in our conversation,
books, documents, and k9data.com (an online Golden Retriever pedigree
database). This may also be why many people in North America call the
dogs bred around the world – with a similar look, similar bloodlines, and
bred to that same breed standard – as "English." However, the people
in those other countries simply call them "Golden Retrievers," or specify
them by the country in which they were bred, not by how they look. To
them, the type (or look) and bloodlines that are "different" are the
American Goldens.
About Color
The British Breed Standard
There tend to be more Goldens in the lighter shades of gold overseas than
seen in the U.S., including those through a very light shade known as "cream."
In fact, the British Standard specifies cream as an allowable shade.
However, Goldens still display the full range of color in the UK, as shown
in the photograph below of 10 Goldens bred and owned by Wendy Andrews, Catcombe
Golden Retrievers, Wiltshire,
England:
This photo is a vivid example of the range of color in the British Breed
Standard. It is from the book The Golden Retriever Breed Standard Illustrated,
courtesy of the author, Wendy Andrews, Catcombe Golden Retrievers,
Wiltshire, England.
The exact wording from the British standard is:
Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. A few white
hairs on chest only permissible.
The American Breed Standard
Although there is a wide range of shades of gold in the U.S. conformation
lines, from a rich, dark gold to quite light, the majority are in the
mid-gold range. The American standard considers undesirable a
predominant body color that is extremely pale or extremely dark. These
extremes are less than the ideal, but not disqualifications, and their
seriousness should be weighed against the dog's virtues and the faults and
virtues of the other dogs present in the ring. Theoretically, if you
have two Goldens of equal overall quality in competition, and one is
extremely pale or extremely dark, the dog that is somewhere within the
allowable range of color should receive the higher award. The
allowable spectrum is really quite broad, and only dogs
described as cream or dark red should be faulted. Also, other than the
undesirable extremes at both ends of the spectrum, there is no preference
for one shade of gold over another. Unfortunately, some judges seem to
lack sufficient knowledge in this area and tend to improperly penalize dogs
who aren’t medium gold. Some judges may even be uncomfortable with
light colored feathering, but this is described in the Standard and is an
attractive part of the Golden's appearance. The exact wording from the
American standard is:
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.
The Canadian Breed Standard
The Canadian Standard allows for all shades of lustrous gold. Although
the color cream is not specifically discussed, it seems to be well accepted
there, and cream dogs of good quality can excel in the show ring,
particularly in the Eastern provinces. The Canadian Breed Standard
addresses color as follows:
Colour lustrous golden of various shades. A few white hairs on
chest permissible but not desirable. Further white markings to be
faulted except for greying or whitening of the face or body due to age.
Any noticeable area of black or other off-colour hair is to be faulted.
However, most knowledgeable Golden Retriever fanciers know that
"It's not all about color." The breed came to prominence
first and foremost because of its disposition and worth as a gun dog and
family dog. Soundness of mind and body, and being a credit to its
heritage, are of far more importance than the shade of gold. Although
people may have their personal preferences, color is not something that
should be overemphasized. However, it behooves breeders to remember
that the breed was founded as a gold-colored retriever, hence the name
Golden Retriever, and maintaining some golden coloring in the breed's coat
color is worthwhile, regardless of where it is in the world.
And please remember…
-
Although some people refer to pale-colored
Goldens as white, they are merely a very light version of the
breed’s normal yellow color range.
-
Just because a dog is cream or very light
doesn’t mean that it’s rare or more valuable.
-
It's not true that all overseas Goldens
are cream. There are some excellent specimens abroad that are
decidedly gold in color:
 |
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(UK) CH. Catcombe Corblimey JW.
Pup of the Year in the UK in 2003.
Show Gundog Working Certificate and
9 CCs to date. Top winning Golden
Retriever in the UK 2007. Bred and
owned by Wendy Andrews (Catcombe). |
(Sweden) Multi CH. Dewmist Silkventure.
Group and Best in Show winner.
Bred by Henric Fryckstrand (Dewmist).
Owned by Henric Fryckstrand and
Kerstin Eklund (Silkventure). |
 |
 |
(US) CH. Happy HR Malagold Dust
Storm (1999). Bred by Maura Phelan
(Happy Hour) and owned by Teri Kocher
(Tango). |
(US) CH. Laurell’s Hooked On Clasix
(2002). Bred by Tom and Laura Kling
(Laurell) and owned by Jean Ettinger
(Jett's). |
The English Background Goldens in North America Website
There are many fanciers in North America who have a great appreciation for
the type of Golden most commonly seen today in Great Britain, Europe,
Australia, and New Zealand. Imports from overseas to the U.S. and Canada
have increased in the last ten years. Many American and Canadian
fanciers have joined forces via the Internet through the English Background
Goldens in North America (EGNA) website to provide the public with
information about Golden Retrievers in general and this "English" persuasion
in particular. Many of these North American breeders "blend" the
overseas pedigrees with their own North American lines to produce a lovely
"blended type" that takes advantage of the different virtues of each and
also improves their genetic diversity. The litters and stud dogs seen
on the EGNA website should represent pedigrees that are at least 25 percent
overseas bloodlines.
In conclusion, the word "English" is often used in North America to describe
a general type of Golden Retriever currently popular in Great Britain, and
which is also well established in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where Goldens are largely based on dogs from Great Britain.
The term might be used when the specific country in which it was bred was
not referenced or not known, thus really meaning that the dog is of "English
type." However, as mentioned above, it would be equally correct, or
more so, to say the dog is of "British type." And it might not be a
dog from overseas, but rather one that was bred in North America from modern day
imported dogs, imported frozen semen, or recent descendents thereof, thus
generally maintaining the post-war British type and background. The
expressions "English Golden," "English type," and "English Champion,"
rightly or wrongly, are commonly used in North America. However,
customs can change, and expressions such as "British type," "British
Champion," or "UK Champion" may be heard more in the future.
* * * * *
Acknowledgements
Special thanks go to:
Diane Roman, Angela Alberts, and Joanne Cava for their advice
and encouragement in the
development of this article.
Janet Barrow in the UK for some historical perspectives.
Photographers Michael Stanley, Lynn Kipps, and Ulrika Zetterfeldt for the
use of their photographs.
Dog owners: Mervin Philpott, Linsey Dunbar, Yvette Mannings, Susan Lusa,
Rev. Alan Klessig, Beth Johnson, Wendy Andrews, Henric
Fryckstrand, Kerstin Eklund, Teri Kocher, and Jean Ettinger for permission
to use photographs of their dogs.
Marcia Schlehr for her invaluable insights.
Karen Webb for minor editing.
The author may be reached at: LochinvarStudio@aol.com.
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