Frequently asked Questions?
The breed standard is a set of written guidelines put together by the Golden Retriever Club of America, the parent club of all golden retriever clubs in the United States, our national club. These guidelines help all breeders to conform to certain character features when breeding. It helps us to stay within certain height measurements, eye color, pigment color, and general disposition of the breed. Without such outlines, we would have an array of golden retrievers and no common objective when breeding.
These guidelines also help to assist AKC judges make their selections in competition. In turn, it conveys to the breeders which dogs comes closest to their interpretation of the Breed Standard. Top winning dogs and show champions are then highly considered as high quality breeding stock. Of course, they are all critiqued and scrutinized a million times over, but it serves the purpose in choosing the right dog when breeding. Which is why showing dogs in conformation is so important if one would like to breed.
The breed standard helps to impose and perpetuate the true character and type of the Golden Retriever. It also maintains the importance of function and purpose, which is essential to its history and origin.
My definition of structure is the anatomy of the canine species that relates to the overall health of the dog. Depending on the purpose of each breed, structure plays a key role in its intended use. Golden retrievers were originally bred to retrieve game in field and water. It is important that this trait is not lost in haphazard breeding practices by so many profit seeking breeders who do not participate in any of the AKC events. These breeders lack vital knowledge in their dogs’ pedigree and ultimately do not know what they are breeding. If these self proclaimed high quality breeders do not participate in AKC events, how well can they truly understand structure? Their strategy to purchase dogs out of champions to then breed the same dogs over again limits their abilities as breeders to minimize certain faults and frailties in structure from the breed as a whole. There are too many unwanted dogs and puppies in this world to produce more puppies just for the sake of making money. Dogs should be bred as an enhancement of its predecessors, so that we can enjoy and entertain its intended purpose and other assets that is beneficial to its families.
Retrieving game on land or water requires more than just four legs, a tail, and teeth. There are so many specific anatomy traits that help the endurance level of a dog, as well as overall health. For example, a well sprung rib cage and depth of chest can actually allow for more lung capacity. A well placed shoulder can ease more comfort in a dog trotting all day. A thick tail base is an important rudder appendage. These are just a few examples of what is truly needed in the breed, which most self proclaimed breeders do not know. It is important to know that if your breeder does not know structure and the written standard, then your breeder is pretending to be a breeder and has made a lot of money with no regard to improving the breed, but their bank account.
Good and reputable breeders strive to convey an open and honest line of communication amongst other breeders. Because they love their dogs, they participate in activities such as field, obedience, and conformation show events to enhance their dogs’ highest points of characteristics. Granted, there is a distinct pride in achieving wins, but these events allow breeders, exhibitors, and participants to take note of accomplishments made by these dogs. Breeders are then able to use their observations to learn more of what each dog can offer. It is a cycle which was initiated by the American Kennel Club to improve or develop each breed to its full purpose and capacity.
Good breeders breed to improve the breed as a whole. They understand what the breed is currently lacking and keep track of profound faults in the majority of the golden retrievers. They study pedigrees, memorize dogs and converse with other breeders about dogs they do not know. (There truly is a fascination with delving into the history of past generations of golden retrievers.) Most importantly, good breeders consistently screen their breeding stock for health issues and eliminate a breeding program which may be a detriment to an entire generation of golden retrievers, if not their own.
Good breeders understand that they are not God. Too many breeders believe that they can breed whatever they want and that the end result will fix itself. Breeding requires a great deal of information, analysis, forethought, and luck. It is a science that has not proven to be infallible. (Although there are those who believe they are close to perfection.) There should never be an assumption that there will be a perfect breeding without study. Good breeders can only hope, through their endeavors, to produce beautiful, healthy, and long lived golden retrievers. They acknowledge limitations and boundaries in breeding. They particularly take on this enormous responsibility with the help and guidance of others, present and especially from the past.