I'm wondering if someone can advise as this has been on my mind for months now. Why are so many of the golden retrievers breed by people who show pale coloured? The breed standard says a range from dark to pale golden, so I was wondering if there was any reason why pale over the darker. I notice in america some of them are even a red colour () - they also look really different.

I've scoured the internet for reasons why and I've not seen a really golden colour in any of the breeders that advertise on this site - and I reguarly look at what pups are around.

The Golden Retriever web site doesn't seem to shed any light either.

Anyone know?

Fashion. At the moment the pale ones are fashionable here (not in the US because they're actually a non-standard colour there!); the darker ones tend to be from working lines.

Fashion yes. Although like with all breeds, there are judges with different preferences, and you can certianly find ones that prefer darker dogs. Mine are dark. :) The US Goldens are actually TOO dark for our breed standard, ours says "Any shade of gold or cream, but neither red nor mahagony.".So cream is perfectly allowed and they can be very beautiful, indeed I've had 2, but personally I prefer a rich gold colour.

Some of the current top breeders certainly do NOT have mainly or all cream dogs, such as Stanroph.
Here are some examples of wellknown Golden breeders with darker dogs, click on affix for website:
Stanroph
Chinnordale
Millgreen

The US standard, however, says " Predominant body color which is either extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable." The very pale British ones wouldn't do well.

I know, they call them "English Goldens"! Almost gets referred to as anther breed. (Of course, the US Goldens could almost be another breed to ours as they are so different in type as well.....)

Someone (I think from Canada) once enquired on here asking for a 'British Creamy' Retriever!

Sounds like a cake! :D

I must admit, (hides :P) that for looks I love the foxy red goldens! I have a friend with one, from working lines, and he's just gorgeous.

One of the American sites also proudly offers Goldendoodles for sale. Wouldn't be interested in their breeding plans.!
It has to be remembered that the breed came from what was described as a 'yellow dog'.  Unfortunately we have a lot of predjudice in the breed about colours.  If it fits the breed standard then it is a Golden Retriever. Quite a lot of the working ones are so dark they are on the verge of mahogany which does not fit the breed standard.  There is no such thing as a white Golden Retriever no matter how pale they are.  At a seminar it was stated that if you were to put a piece of white paper against the coat it becomes impossible to describe any cream Golden Retriever as being 'White'. The other thing that is interesting is that the dog Ch Camrose Cabus Christopher was a pale dog that a lot of people have in the back of their pedigree was a pale dog.  Many people in the breed used him even on dark golden bitches as he was reknowned for bringing quality into the breed.

When my dog's breeder was approached by people looking for puppies they specifically asked for light creamy ones. Which is funny because mine is a real golden GR and I get loads of people stopping us to tell me how beautiful his colour is. I like the darker ones meeself and admit I like the red heads too.

What I feel sad about is being approached by people with cream Goldens, looking longingly at mine, saying things like "I wish MINE had that colour" or "That's the colour I had wanted". But of course, all it means is they didn't take enough time to look and wait for the right litter....... I always tell kitten buyers (not puppy buyers because my breed is so specialised anybody who comes for a malinois really do know what they want) that they are going to live with the cat for the next 12-15 years hopefully, so they should get one they REALLY want, even if it means waiting, not go for second best, even if it IS just the colour that differs.

Both mine are the darker colour and people stop me asking me what they are! are they red setter crosses so I have to explain that mine are from working lines etc etc. I love the darker ones myself ,and agree with you goldimali, people dont do their homework first before buying. I had to wait 12 months for my girl, because she was from my males breeder and the temprement was right, today watching them play, together, it was worth the wait..

Same here, I waited 18 months for my Simba (both mine are dual purpose bred) and it was worth it. :)

We were lucky with ours we only had to wait about 3 months.  Ours is a darker colour and just like you we get loads of people coming up and commenting on what a lovely colour she is.  It seems from the comments I get that most people prefer the darker ones.

While we're on the subject of Goldens ours has just developed a fear of going for a walk after dark, this seems to go back to a walk a couple of weeks ago when she was scared by a firework   She now seems to associate car lights etc with the fireworks, she even got spooked by an airplane last night (the noise and the flashing lights).

I've started taking her out for her evening walk a little earlier around dusk so the walk starts before it gets dark and ends as it's getting dark to try and get her used to walking in the dark.  Anyone got any other ideas I could try?

You are right that people don't do their homework.  I have creams/pales myself but that is because the ones I have kept from the litter have been the best constructed.  I would have kept a golden if it had been the best.  However, it has to be remebered that it is a working breed.  Some of the working lines are becoming very 'snipey' in the head.  The dog should be broad enough and powerful enough in muzzle to be able to carry a full sized pheasant.  The problem that has been creeping in is short legged dogs which are overdone in bone and head and therefore are incorrect.  However, as I say it shouldn't matter on colour as long as the dog fits the breed standard.  The one thing I have noticed in having creams, is the predjudice and I have to say it is mainly the darker coloured owners/breeders against the creams. I judged three shows over a two weekend period just recently and all my BOB's were golden to very dark golden in colour.  I know there would have been comments that I would probably only go for creams, however, those particular dogs 'in my opinion' were the best constructed/best movers on the day. No predjudice here. Shame that it isn't the other way round for the darker golden judges.

On a different breed I know - but I have seen some absolutely BEAUTIFUL leos that are golden ....almost daffodil coloured - and with the black mask, they are absolutely stunning!   I know its not a "correct" colour - but I think it is wonderful (have hinted to my friend that if she ever throws one like this in any of her litters, then I'm going to dognap it - but she tells me it won't happen because of the lines ;) )

Margot

On a recent camping trip to Derbyshire I couldn't get 20 feet with out people admiring Roxy - she's quite pale with a steak of golden running down her back - and people saying that they hadn't seen one so pale.

I'll be perfectly honest when I was looking for a pup I didn't really care what colour she was - I just wanted a golden retriever.

However, when (if, maybe) we get another golden, as someone suggested when I was talking about a possible second dog, I'd like one a different colour to Roxy - which'll happen to be darker.

I think that a golden looks absolutely lovely when they have the pale feathering to compliment the gold. They look just so eye catching. Have to say that when they are 'too' dark and without some pale feathering the 'gold' tends to look very dull and without any 'bloom' to the coat.

You'd live my by then, he has shreddies! LOL, his back legs are quite pale, looks likes he's wearing underpants. :-D I don't show, and wasn't planning on breeding so the most important things for me were temperament and health checks.

Well done for that opinion, that is the best reason to have them, good temperament is the most important thing in any breed but especially in a breed that is supposedly good with people.

>You'd live my by then, he has shreddies!<

I'm surprised you managed to translate that AG! LOL Good grief, I can't even blame it on drinking. :-D Supposed to be You'd love mine then - how on earth did I manage that one! Yes, I think the breeder was happy when I said I didn't give two hoots about his colour. I was more interested in where the puppies were raised.

A guy I know has a 'working goldie' and shes stunning. Much darker than the usual ones and more of a petite build too - shes lovely!

My male is quite dark but underneath a lot paler, my girl not as dark but again light underneath she is only 10 months old and her feathering is just growing on her front legs, temprement is spot on, I know the lady who runs the GR Rescue and help her if she has any fundraisers, I was helping at her latest show and all the goldens came were all colours, needles to say I was in 7th heaven a church hall full of goldens, and all getting on as well,....

I have bred a couple of litters of Goldies and the majority of them have been on the dark side - which is what I prefer.  Keep looking on the site - darker puppies are sometimes available.  I agree the fashion is for the paler type but what's wrong with tradition?