Dog Lover Q - Golden Retriever

[FannyHeartsVanillaThunder]

When I was up at the hospital visiting my aunt today, a guy came in with a therapy dog. A beautiful Golden named Willow (she even had her own hospital ID)! I've never seen a Golden with as pale a coat as she had, it was almost Husky levels of white. The guy said what her particular breed was which had paler coats, but I can't remember exactly. I think it was British (something) Golden Retriever.

Anybody familiar with the breed know what the full name would be and the reason for the white coats?

She was a total sweetheart and got up into the hospital bed with my aunt (only after being told to, of course). I just love therapy dogs, and bless the people who work with them.

[tlynn78]

I googled and found this:
"The English Cream/British White Golden Retriever: These Goldens are mostly of the Light Golden color scheme. These dogs are often white or cream. Some are referred to as Platinum Blonde. These dogs are usually larger than the AKC standard, often weighing close to 100 pounds. They are big-boned, have larger, blocky heads, and dark pigmentation to the skin and around the eyes. These dogs have a calmer disposition compared to the American Golden (and especially compared to the Field Golden) and are often referred to as laid-back or big babies. While still referred to as "rare" here in the US, the English type of Golden Retriever is gaining popularity in America. For more informartion on English Goldens, please read this very informational article."

[silvercamaro]

When I was up at the hospital visiting my aunt today, a guy came in with a therapy dog. A beautiful Golden named Willow (she even had her own hospital ID)! I've never seen a Golden with as pale a coat as she had, it was almost Husky levels of white. The guy said what her particular breed was which had paler coats, but I can't remember exactly. I think it was British (something) Golden Retriever.

Anybody familiar with the breed know what the full name would be and the reason for the white coats?

She was a total sweetheart and got up into the hospital bed with my aunt (only after being told to, of course). I just love therapy dogs, and bless the people who work with them.

I'm not an expert on the breed, but I do know that the breed standards in Great Britain and the U.S. (the guidelines to be followed by judges at dog shows) are different. In addition to some size and body confirmation differences, for shows in the United States, "cream" is not an acceptable fur color, while it is very much acceptable in England. That said, British breeders figured out that light-colored puppies with dark eyes are among the cutest critters on the planet and, therefore, are very quick to sell. So, the encouragement of cream-colored and pale yellow puppies was adopted as a simple business decision by many breeders. The availability of British-type goldens has been growing in North America over the past decade or so.

Theoretically, pure white fur is ruled out by the breed standards on both sides of the Atlantic, but that only matters if the prospective owner is hot for dog shows.

Here's some evidence for the cuteness factor: http://www.sunbuddiesgoldens.com/Availa ... uddies.php

I still believe that dalmatian pups are even cuter, but I admit to some personal bias.

[SportsFan68]

I googled and found this:
"The English Cream/British White Golden Retriever: These Goldens are mostly of the Light Golden color scheme. These dogs are often white or cream. Some are referred to as Platinum Blonde. These dogs are usually larger than the AKC standard, often weighing close to 100 pounds. They are big-boned, have larger, blocky heads, and dark pigmentation to the skin and around the eyes. These dogs have a calmer disposition compared to the American Golden (and especially compared to the Field Golden) and are often referred to as laid-back or big babies. While still referred to as "rare" here in the US, the English type of Golden Retriever is gaining popularity in America. For more informartion on English Goldens, please read this very informational article."

One of my bridge friends has what she calls a White Golden because she thinks it sounds cool, and she describes the pooch exactly as above. Her doggie weighs "only" 75 pounds because she's a she. I'd love to meet her, but except for guide dogs, canines aren't allowed where we play bridge.