More than likely you have heard people refer to the English Golden Retriever and you may have wondered what exactly they were talking about. After all, many people use this term wrong, referring to a specific look instead of talking about a specific part of the breed. First, it’s important to realize that the entire breed comes from the same basic foundation, which traces back to Scotland and later it would be developed further in the UK. Over time, in North America, including Canada and the United States, this breed has evolved into dogs that look a bit different than they do in other areas.
Throughout the early years of the breed in North America, the breed standards were very close to the same in North America as they were in the UK. In fact, these Goldens actually looked a lot alike and they even shared quite a few close relatives as well. However, once the Second World War came along, things began to change in North America and Great Britain. Dog shows were curtailed and simply keeping the bloodlines going was pretty tough. After the war, things began to get back to normal over time and English Golden Retrievers were being imported to the U.S. and Canada from the UK. However, different dams and sires became influential, which started to create a divergence in look between dogs bred in the different countries.
Eventually, breed standards were actually hanged within Canada and the United States and the UK also modified their own standards. This was all done independently, which helped to promote the divergence even more. As dogs with American lines began to start winning in dog show rings, more people were interested in breeding with these dogs than they were in importing English Golden Retrievers from the UK. This led to the establishment of the American bloodline, which was now significantly different from the bloodline of Golden Retrievers in the UK.
As you look at the general look of the English Golden Retriever you will find that it do look a bit different from the typical American breed. In the UK, the breed includes a dog that is heavier and that has a croup that is flatter. These dogs have a wider and deeper muzzle, a skull that is broader, and often their coats are wavier as well. However, there are still variations among the UK dogs as well. Today in the United States, the breed usually includes a dog that is lighter weight, one that has a profuse and straighter coat, and they are usually less angulated as well.
While the American look is very popular in Goldens, there are some today that really appreciate and like the look of the Goldens you are more likely to see in Great Britain. This has made the English Golden Retriever quite popular with some people and some like to go with bloodlines that have at least 25% English bloodlines. In some cases, since dogs aren’t brought over here as much anymore from the UK, dogs with bloodlines that trace back to England recently may sell at a premium price.
