It just comes in gold only:
Golden retrievers retain much of the genetic and phenotypic diversity that existed in the early British retriever breed called a wavy-coated retrievers. Some of these dogs were nothing more than pure long-haired St. John’s water dogs that had been sent to England as ship’s mascots and for sale as “exotic pets.” The recessive long-haired type that appeared in the St. John’s breed was not preferred, so they were eager to ship them off to England and America. The British did cross their long-haired dogs with setters and other things.
In the early days of retrievers in the UK, it was common for smooth-coated and long-haired puppies to appear in litters of wavy-coated retriever. The smooths were not always called Labradors. Indeed, the term “Labrador” could also refer to a wavy-coated retriever that was free of the setter influence.
The flat-coated retriever has had most of the wave bred out of its coat, which is why it’s called the flat-coated retriever.
But the golden retriever breed retains much of its ancestor’s type. It still has the dense undercoat of the long-haired St. John’s water dog, which was purged from the gene pool through exportation in the early and middle decades of the nineteenth century.
Although it’s technically a new breed, it’s really an old-fashioned dog.
The dog pictured is a very handsome fellow.
In Goldens, the coats with a wave to them most often have the correct weatherproof texture and undercoat. The undesirable soft, water-absorbent coats are more often dead straight. The Golden’s breed standard allows either straight or wavy, without preference, but definitely requires a firm, resilient, water-resistant, weatherproof covering. Unfortunately, too many people at shows Goldens prefer the profuse straight soft coat that can be stylized and sculpted.
Really nice looking Golden. Enjoy reading your comments M.R.S.!