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.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Biddable, intelligent and possessing natural working ability; kindly, friendly and confident.
HEAD: Balanced and well chiselled.
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.
COLOUR: 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.
