Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever was founded in the Scottish Highlands in the 1860s by Lord Tweedmouth, who wanted a retriever with a softer mouth and a calmer manner than the dogs of the…
About the Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever was founded in the Scottish Highlands in the 1860s by Lord Tweedmouth, who wanted a retriever with a softer mouth and a calmer manner than the dogs of the day. The result is one of the most trusted family and assistance breeds in the world, and the temperament is the breed's whole reputation.
Goldens mature slowly, often not settling until three or four, and a stud that is calm at two is worth noting. Dogs stand about 56 to 61 cm, with a flat or wavy coat in any shade of gold or cream and good feathering. Coat colour has become a fashion point in recent years; the standard allows the full range, and a stud should not be chosen on shade alone.
The screening to ask a Golden stud owner about is hips and elbows, an annual eye certificate with gonioscopy, and the breed's DNA tests: GR-PRA1, GR-PRA2, prcd-PRA and ichthyosis. Cancer is the breed's great sorrow, and while there is no test for it, a stud owner who will talk honestly about longevity in the line is giving you something the paperwork cannot.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Golden Retriever
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Good Practice — the Royal Kennel Club’s minimum before breeding
The tests the Royal Kennel Club says breeders should, at a minimum, complete before breeding.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — GR_PRA2 (Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Golden Retriever 2) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
| Gonioscopy (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Grade 1–3 on the certificate; 1 is normal or mild. |
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — GR_PRA1 (Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Golden Retriever 1) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| DNA test — ICT-A (Ichthyosis) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 11 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 5,432 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Golden Retriever stud dogs
No Golden Retriever studs are listed right now
When a Golden Retriever on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Golden Retriever litters
No Golden Retriever litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
