What Colors And Patterns Does A Golden Retriever Come In?

Golden Retrievers are among my favorite dog breeds. Whatโ€™s not to love about these super friendly, large, balls of fluff? I am not the only one who thinks they are awesome, with Golden Retrievers repeatedly ranking among the top 10 most popular dog breeds, according to the American Kennel Club or AKC.

Golden Retrievers get their name from the beautiful, golden brown coat they have come to be associated with. However, this is not the only aesthetic there is with these dogs.

In the sections below, we shall take a look at four aesthetic varieties of the Golden Retriever, including rare coat colors like the English Cream Golden Retrievers.

4. English Cream Or White

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The English Cream Golden Retriever is actually white in color despite the cream part of the name. They get their name from the comparison of their shade of white fur to an English delicacy known as English Cream.

For the most part, the English Cream Golden Retriever is every bit a true Golden Retriever. However, this rare and mesmerizing variety is not recognized by several kennel clubs around the world, including AKC.

3. Light Golden

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The light golden shade of Golden Retrievers is another common standard variation of the dog breed. There are further variations within this variety, with some light golden Golden Retrievers having paler coats than others.

Some may have coats so pale that they may look like a cream or off-white shade in very bright light.

The light golden type of Golden Retriever is ideal for dog owners who donโ€™t want Goldies with a coat that is too striking.

2. Golden

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The plain golden shade of Golden Retriever is the midpoint between the dark shade of the dark golden variation and the paler light golden variety. It is the closest shade to what is considered the standard golden shade of brown.

The shiny quality of golden coats on these Golden Retrievers that are comparable to the precious metal is best appreciated with plenty of natural light.

The lower surfaces of some golden-colored Golden Retrievers may have lighter featherings.

1. Dark Golden

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The Dark Golden variety of the Golden Retriever dog breed is one of the most commonly found standard variations.

The dark golden coat shade of Golden Retrievers is the darkest of the golden coat types and may have an earthy brown quality to it.

The dark golden coat could also have a rustic shade. These Golden Retrievers are sometimes referred to as Copper Golden Retrievers.

Dark Golden types of Golden Retrievers may have patches of lighter fur over the snout.

SPOTLIGHT: Check out your dogโ€™s weight with our very own puppy weight chart right here.



How Can You Tell How Dark A Golden Retriever Will Be? You may be able to tell how dark a Golden Retriever will be based on the darkness of the fur on the tips of their ears. Puppies with these darker tips tend to be a darker shade of golden brown, while those with lighter tips will have lighter shades of fur.

What Age Do Golden Retrievers Change Color? Golden Retrievers change color within the first year of their lives. This change just refers to the shade of golden brown fur settling into its final shade. By the time the Golden Retriever puppy is one year old, they should have their final coat shade. This may happen earlier in some.

Is There Such A Thing As An English Cream Golden Retriever? English Cream Golden Retrievers actually exist. This rare variation of the English Retriever dog breed has a shade of white fur compared to English cream, thus the name. However, the English Cream Golden Retriever is not recognized as a standard variety of the Golden Retriever breed according to the American Kennel Club.

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Pete Decker