Hold up, you might say. How can you have a Black Golden Retriever? Isn’t ‘Golden’ in the name of the breed itself? And yes, you would be correct about that. Black Golden Retrievers are a subject of some controversy since they definitely aren’t purebred Goldens and might not even be Goldens in the first place. What exactly are these enchanting looking dogs? Let’s find out.
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What Exactly Is a Black Golden Retriever?
A Black Golden Retriever is essentially a Golden Retriever that is pure black in color. Not recogized by the American Kennel Club, these dogs, while beautiful, are quite controversial. They shouldn’t really be classified as Golden Retrievers because that’s not what they are.
With long, straight hair the color of ink, the Black Golden Retriever has the looks and personality of a traditional Golden Retriever in every way, except the color of its fur. Originating in the United Kingdom, you’ll definitely find yourself falling for these dogs. But it’s important to know what they really are.
They’re definitely not a purebred Golden Retriever with a genetic anomaly. So if that’s what you were thinking, you’d be wrong.
Do They Actually Exist?
If you find a breeder who claims to have Black Golden Retriever puppies, then you’re being fooled. Golden Retrievers come in various shades of gold, from very light cream to very dark red. But what they don’t come in is the black color.
Darker pigmentation in a Golden Retriever will manifest as a darker birth mark on some part of their body but not as a solid black color. They just don’t have the genes that give dogs like Labrador Retrievers the pure black coat. Black is caused by a dominant ‘E’ allele in dogs while red or gold is caused by the recessive ‘e’ allele. Golden Retrievers only have two recessive ‘e’ alleles which means that a purebred Golden Retriever just cannot be black.
Having said that, there might be mixed breed Golden Retrievers crossed with Labrador Retrievers or Flat Coated Retrievers that are being passed off as Black Golden Retrievers. Or else, you might have a purebred Flat Coated Retriever on your hands.
So no, pure Black Golden Retrievers don’t exist. But Golden Retrievers that are crossed with some other breed and thus black in color? Yes, they do exist.
What Might Be Passed Off As a Black Golden Retriever?
A Black Golden Retriever is typically a mixed breed dog. Some of the breeds that might be labelled as a Black Golden Retriever are:
- A Golden Retriever and Black Labrador Retriever mix
- A Golden Retriever and a Black German Shepherd mix
- A Golden Retriever and a Labrador with the recessive black coloring mix
- A purebred Flat Coated Retriever
- A purebred Black Newfoundland
- Any mix of retriever, spaniel or setter with a Golden Retriever
Let’s Talk About the Flat Coated Retriever
Now, let’s look at the purebred dogs that look most like a Golden Retriever if the Golden Retriever could be black in color. It’s the Flat Coated Retriever. Flat Coats come either in black or liver and have sleek, long coats. Playful, fun and a puppy at heart into their old age, the Flat Coat is an even more high energy dog than the Golden Retriever itself.
Historically originating in the United Kingdom, the Flat Coated Retriever was a gundog and shares a common ancestry with the Golden. Indeed, the Flat Coated Retriever played a part in the breeding of Golden Retrievers. No wonder they look and act in such similar ways.
With a long head, fluffy tails and a lustrous coat, these dogs are extremely handsome. They typically stand a little taller than Golden Retrievers and are slightly leaner. But other than that, the color is the only way to really tell the two breeds apart. Energetic hunters and water retrievers with feathered tails and legs, both love to run around, jump, chew on things and cuddle with their humans.
Together, they very often create the Black Golden Retriever that has recently begun to win hearts.
Origins of Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers, just like the Flat Coated Retriever, were bred to be gundogs. First developed in 1868 in Scotland, they are a mix of several hunting dogs. A rare yellow colored Flat Coated Retriever (then called Black Wavy Coated Retrievers) and a Tweed Water Spaniel had a litter with three golden puppies.
The breeder, Baron Tweedmouth, liked them so much he continued to develop a new breed of dogs that would be good water retrievers as well as excellent family dogs. Goldens have traces of Red Setter, Labrador Retriever and Bloodhound ancestry in addition to Flat Coated Retriever and Tweed Water Spaniel. All in all, Tweedmouth undertook a complex series of matings in order to develop his ideal dog and kept meticulous notes in his studbook.
Thus, black is actually a color that does exist in the Golden Retriever ancestry. But yellow was the color chosen for the breed and the yellow dogs were mated exclusively to each other to create the foundation stock. Black Golden Retrievers now have either Flat Coated Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers much more recently in their bloodline.
In the end, all dogs are mixed breeds. They’ve all been carefully bred to have certain traits and appearances. However, kennel clubs like the AKC do not accept Black Golden Retrievers as Golden Retrievers at all because they’re considered hybrids. Even if the black color came from a different breed a few generations removed, it’s still considered a hybrid.
In fact, the AKC is so strict about Golden Retrievers that only a certain kind of gold is acceptable. Even the pale cream or dark red color isn’t strictly acceptable and won’t be registered as such. These Golden Retrievers are completely purebred and still find it difficult to be accepted into shows and competitions.
Legitimate Colors of Pure Golden Retrievers
The Golden Retriever is one of very few dog breeds that have the color in their name itself. This means that kennel clubs and competitions are extremely strict about what the color of the Golden Retriever needs to be. For example, red or cream aren’t accepted as proper colors. They have to be registered as pale gold or dark gold.
Some of the colors that a purebred Golden Retriever might come in are:
- Cream
- Light Golden
- Pure Golden
- Dark Golden
- Red
A lot of the color depends on the parents. Show dogs tend to be purer shades of gold while field dogs might be very dark golden or red in color. The cream color is distinctive to English Golden Retrievers and they’re pretty rare. They’re highly prized because of the pale color.
Sometimes puppies of various shades may be born in the same litter. It depends on the kind of recessive or dominant genes that they inherit.
Black Golden Retriever Size and Appearance
The Black Golden Retriever has become more and more popular because of its unique coat color. A lot of people who covet these dogs might not be aware of their ancestry and the fact that they’re technically not Goldens. Thus, it’s important to do due research before getting a Black Golden Retriever.
That said, the size of a Black Golden Retriever is normally about the same as that of an ordinary Golden Retriever. Given that the Black Golden Retriever might have some amount of Flat Coated Retriever, Labrador Retriever or German Shepherd mixed in, they tend to be slightly taller than the average Golden Retriever.
A fully grown adult male stands at about 24 inches or 61 cm while a female typically stands at about 22 inches or 56 cm. They can weigh anywhere between 55 and 75 lb (25 – 34 kg). Keep in mind that these are essentially hybrid dogs so we can’t exactly pinpoint their physical appearance.
They have lustrous, dense coats that are pure black in color. Given their origins, the coat of a Black Golden Retriever might lie flat against their body and give them a more streamlined appearance than the Golden Retriever. Neither the Lab nor the Flat Coat (where the black color typically comes from) have fur that is as floppy as the Golden’s.
Their profile might be long and lean or more blunt and muscular, depending on their ancestry. With dark brown eyes, the Black Golden Retriever usually has a loving, affectionate expression. Their tails and legs are typically feathered.
Black Golden Retriever Behavior and Temperament
The Black Golden Retriever is no different from typical Golden Retrievers in personality. Probably the friendliest dogs in the world, Goldens have never met a person they cannot befriend. Friendly, loyal and playful, they maintain their puppyish traits long into their adult years. There’s nothing they like better than to jump about and play. Mouthy dogs due to their retriever history, the Golden Retriever can be destructive if they don’t have a lot of chewtoys to distract them.
Golden Retrievers aren’t independent by nature. They suffer from separation anxiety and can get bored and destructive if left alone for long periods. They’re excellent family pets and need a lot of attention. They usually do well with children but depending on the percentage of Flat Coated Retriever DNA within your Black Golden Retriever, it might be just a bit too active for small children.
They’re very high on energy and need a big space to play around in. They’re sensitive and emotional dogs by nature and provide undying love and loyalty. They’re also very eager to please, which makes them easy to train. This is true of all the breeds that a Black Golden Retriever might be mixed with so be assured that with proper training and socialization, you can teach your dog to do basically anything.
Black Golden Retriever Health
Given that the Black Golden Retriever is essentially a hybrid dog, it’s a healthy breed. However, there are some health issues that might plague the breed, common to the Golden Retriever in general. Cancer like lymphoma or hemangiosarcoma, elbow and hip dysplasia, skin infections, hypothyroidism, heart problems and eye problems are some issues you might want to keep an eye out for with your Golden Retriever.
However, they’re a long-lived breed for big dogs, typically living for over 13 years. With proper exercise, a balanced diet and regular vet check-ups, you can prevent a lot of health issues for your dog. Cancer is often a genetic disease and getting your dog from a reputable breeder is essential to making sure that it isn’t vulnerable to inherited health issues.
Black Golden Retriever Exercise and Grooming Needs
Black Golden Retrievers are extremely high energy dogs. These dogs need daily walks, lots of playtime and preferably a large yard for them to play around in. They have a high prey drive, being a hunting dog historically, so they might chase squirrels and birds around as well.
If you’re an active person who likes the outdoors, a Black Golden Retriever is a good choice for you. They’re excellent swimmers so that can be another outlet for their energy. Take them swimming or hiking with you and your Black Golden Retriever will be perfectly content.
Unfortunately, Black Golden Retrievers do tend to shed quite a bit, especially in the spring and fall. Regular brushing will help but you can’t avoid dog hair all over your house and clothes. That’s just something you have to accept. These double-coated dogs have an undercoat that sheds all over the place.
Since Black Golden Retrievers have long fur, you need to keep it clean and brushed so that it doesn’t get tangled and matted. Cleaning their ears and teeth and clipping their nails every so often helps keep them healthy. These dogs shoulld be bathed at least once every four to six weeks.
Conclusion
And that’s all that you need to know about the Black Golden Retriever. I hope that this article was helpful and that you gained something valuable from it.