# How common are white markings on Golden's?



## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

My Emma Juliette!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Emma is absolutely adorable. 

My boy has white on his chest.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Are you sure she is pure breed. She looks like a mix with something.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Yes, I'm a 1000% sure. She's AKC registered with a 5 generation pedigree. Why would anyone think she's mixed?? 9/10 times someone stops me to adore her, they know she's a Golden on site.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

*sight corrected.


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## thorbreafortuna (Jun 9, 2013)

I think she looks all golden. It's my understanding that the white markings can happen. I wouldn't call them common but I wouldn't say they are extremely rare either. My boy has a small white spot on his chest and as a young puppy had a bit of white on one paw. The one in the paw disappeared, the one on the chest is still there but you can hardly see it with all his other golden hair (I know with certainly he's pure golden). They are considered a fault in conformation if they're over a specific size but who cares? She's super cute!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

And I've got her generation pedigree hanging on the wall. Cause I'm a dork and I love her.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

thorbreafortuna said:


> I think she looks all golden. It's my understanding that the white markings can happen. I wouldn't call them common but I wouldn't say they are extremely rare either. My boy has a small white spot on his chest and as a young puppy had a bit of white on one paw. The one in the paw disappeared, the one on the chest is still there but you can hardly see it with all his other golden hair (I know with certainly he's pure golden). Thy are considered a fault in conformation if they're over a specific size but who cares? She's super cute!


I just had never heard anything about white markings before. I love her markings.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

She has white spot above the nose, white chest patch, white on the tip of her back toes and a tiny white tip on her tail.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

There's another member who has a girl with white on her, she's a beautiful girl. 
Hopefully she'll see your post and share a picture of her.


ETA: Here's the girl I was thinking of, member Eclipse is her mom-

You can see more pics of her in this thread-

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-pictures/335986-show-me-your-golden-snow.html


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

White on the chest is not that uncommon. I have had puppies with a bit of white of their toes, but that is usually gone by 9 weeks or so. The white on the nose and tip of the tail is not common. I have never seen it although in the 70's I saw a field litter with huge patches of white on their chests.

It is possible though that as she grows, those patches will gradually disappear.


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

She is beautiful, and looks all Golden to me. Enjoy your precious girl!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> There's another member who has a girl with white on her, she's a beautiful girl.
> Hopefully she'll see your post and share a picture of her.
> 
> 
> ...


Wow. She does have a lot of white.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Tahnee GR said:


> White on the chest is not that uncommon. I have had puppies with a bit of white of their toes, but that is usually gone by 9 weeks or so. The white on the nose and tip of the tail is not common. I have never seen it although in the 70's I saw a field litter with huge patches of white on their chests.
> 
> It is possible though that as she grows, those patches will gradually disappear.


Perhaps. I wish I would have taken a picture of her mother, Daisy. She was a lighter golden. I do have a picture of her Dad, Max, he was a dark golden.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

This is her with her littermate. She has a white spot the top of the head and a white streak that ran between her eyes. These markings have faded.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

When we brought her home...the white on her nose was less prominent and her tail was more prominent than it is now.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

And her today. The white on her tail is a lot less obvious, as well as the white streak between her eyes and the white spot on top of her head are now gone. But her other markings are more prominent if anything.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

OK. Last pic, sorry. I just find hearing from more experienced owners about her makings very interesting. I think she is just so so gorgeous. I'm a little biased


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I have never seen that on a purebred golden either. She is a cutey.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Huh. Weird. I don't remember seeing a white much on her litter mates either except for maybe on the littlest girl. I was drawn to Emma immediately. She was the biggest and darkest colored girl they had. She's a lean, mean16lbs now.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

She looks 100% Golden to me.

My boy Jet has a spot of pure black fur in a front underarm area.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

I had no idea it was uncommon. It would probably be considered a fault for a show dog but to me it just makes her all the more special.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> She looks like a 100% Golden to me.


Thank you.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> She looks 100% Golden to me.
> 
> My boy Jet has a spot of pure black fur in a front underarm.


I've seen a couple of Golden's on Google searches with that little black streak. What causes that? Is it just inherited from way way back.?.


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## Tailchaser (Nov 22, 2013)

I was told it was not that uncommon in field type golden as a puppy here in the uk. I was under the impression that the colour exists from at some point being crossed with collie types when the breed was being created. At least that is what one breeder told me. It is then because of the selected breeding for the correct working attitude that has now made the White and/or black come back through because looks are not the primary goal. I believe it is a flaw in the show world to have as much white as your girl has but that certainly does not take away from her being a beautiful golden.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Tailchaser said:


> I was told it was not that uncommon in field type golden as a puppy here in the uk. I was under the impression that the colour exists from at some point being crossed with collie types when the breed was being created. At least that is what one breeder told me. It is then because of the selected breeding for the correct working attitude that has now made the White and/or black come back through because looks are not the primary goal. I believe it is a flaw in the show world to have as much white as your girl has but that certainly does not take away from her being a beautiful golden.


Interesting. And thank you .


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

A few years ago I went to a dog behavior seminar by Ian Dunbar and Brian Kilcommons and one of the things they both agreed upon, although they admitted they only had anecdotal evidence, is that dogs with a white splotch on their chests generally have really wonderful temperaments. 

So there's that...


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Depending upon the pedigree it can be as common as green on grass.

White markings were quite common in the 40's and 50's. Breeders usually breed to minimize the amount of white, but if you don't pay attention for a generation or two it can come back strong. The possibility of white markings exists because the founding dogs for the breed were not all one solid color. Some paintings even depict them as tri-colored dogs. Now 150 years later we still have to pay attention and manage the markings. 

Your pup is 100% Golden Retriever!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Noreaster said:


> A few years ago I went to a dog behavior seminar by Ian Dunbar and Brian Kilcommons and one of the things they both agreed upon, although they admitted they only had anecdotal evidence, is that dogs with a white splotch on their chests generally have really wonderful temperaments.
> 
> So there's that...


Ha! She is quite the catch..part angel, part gremlin.


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## MaureenM (Sep 20, 2011)

I think she's beautiful! I have seen on at least one breeder's litter questioner a question about whether white markings on your future puppy would be a problem. This was a breeder who's dogs are mainly field dogs.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Here is from the AKC breed standard:

*Color: *Rich, lustrous golden of various shades. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. With the exception of graying or whitening of face or body due to age, *any white marking, other than a few white hairs on the chest, should be penalized according to its extent.* Allowable light shadings are not to be confused with white markings. Predominant body color which is either extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable. Some latitude should be given to the light puppy whose coloring shows promise of deepening with maturity. Any noticeable area of black or other off-color hair is a serious fault. 


 
The breed standard acknowledges that there may be some white on many of the dogs. After all, the foundation breeds for the Golden included dogs with white in their standard. As a breeder I have seen white tipped toes, white dots on top of the head, white dots on the chest, white tipped tails, and yes, a little white on the nose. Like Swamp Collie said, if breeders are not managing the white on their dogs, it can increase dramatically in a few generations. For example, FC AFC Lacrosse Max Q Jake (Pedigree: FC AFC LaCrosse Max Q Jake JH OS FDHF) has a considerable white apron, well beyond the "white hairs" of the breed standard. Very talented dog, great pedigree and has been bred a lot. For breeders that want to include his talent in their next generation, it means accepting the out of standard hair color.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

She is a beauty, and I agree, 100% golden. Our first golden, Scooter had a tiny patch of white on his chest. Almost 2 years later we got a full brother, later litter, to him. Buck had a small patch of white on his chest, on the top of his head and toes on both back feet white with spots on them. They were red goldens, and both parents were there and we met them both. Neither had white on them. Yet pups from both of these litters had some white on them. Buck's white toes were so beautiful . We loved them and the look of them and didn't mind one iota that they were "a fault."


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

My girl is pure golden. Check out how much white she has! I included a picture that shows off her chin. It's really white, and her chest has some white too. Two of her sisters have white on their face, but not as much as her.

Everyone asks me what she's mixed with, I"m sure you'll get this question sometimes, at least.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

Our Zeke who was from field lines had a bit of a white chest patch even though overall his coat was reddish.

These kind of discussions always make me think of the breed standard. I know a lot of people aren't concerned about the standard but I think it's helpful for those who are learning about the breed to know what it says.

eta: Deleted provisions of breed standard because they are included in post above.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Even Gertrude Fischer noted in her book (The Complete Golden Retriever (1974)) that white markings were of significant concern in the post WWII era dogs.

As noted above, the Breed Standard recognizes the issue with white. It (white) is and has always has been present in the breed and is something breeders have to manage over time.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Jax has a large white mark on his chest and white tips on the toes of one of his feet. The toes are really hard to see in pictures, but the chest mark is gigantic. It's quite visible here.


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

Hmmm...never seen that before. No, its not at all normal. You can tell its a golden, but she also looks like a toller. She cannot be a show dog though--no white markings are permitted. She's pretty cute! Piper has a black spot on her chin, and used to have pale marks (she's a red) but they have since faded. Maybe yours will too?


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Well no worries about any kind of breed standards. She's not a show dog and I won't be breeding her. White markings might not be "common" but to me it just makes her more special.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Eclipse said:


> My girl is pure golden. Check out how much white she has! I included a picture that shows off her chin. It's really white, and her chest has some white too. Two of her sisters have white on their face, but not as much as her.
> 
> Everyone asks me what she's mixed with, I"m sure you'll get this question sometimes, at least.


What a pretty girl!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

The life of Piper said:


> Hmmm...never seen that before. No, its not at all normal. You can tell its a golden, but she also looks like a toller. She cannot be a show dog though--no white markings are permitted. She's pretty cute! Piper has a black spot on her chin, and used to have pale marks (she's a red) but they have since faded. Maybe yours will too. Some have faded. But I don't care if they ever fade. She's my baby and I have zero interest in showing or breeding.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

White markings are common. Here is an AWESOME boy whom I will take any day, any minute, any second with a bit of white marking on the head and marking on the chest. 

Pedigree: FC AFC LaCrosse Max Q Jake JH OS FDHF


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## Rkaymay (May 12, 2014)

Noreaster said:


> A few years ago I went to a dog behavior seminar by Ian Dunbar and Brian Kilcommons and one of the things they both agreed upon, although they admitted they only had anecdotal evidence, is that dogs with a white splotch on their chests generally have really wonderful temperaments.
> 
> So there's that...


I'd have to agree. Zelda has a white spot on her chest (she's not purebred though), and she is the sweetest dog I've ever met.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Claudia M said:


> White markings are common. Here is an AWESOME boy whom I will take any day, any minute, any second with a bit of white marking on the head and marking on the chest.
> 
> Pedigree: FC AFC LaCrosse Max Q Jake JH OS FDHF


Oh how gorgeous. That looks a lot like Emma's dad except he didn't have any white. He was the most beautiful golden I had ever seen.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

tippykayak said:


> Jax has a large white mark on his chest and white tips on the toes of one of his feet. The toes are really hard to see in pictures, but the chest mark is gigantic. It's quite visible here.


He has angel on his chest!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Oh, please post more pictures! She is adorable and I just want to hug her.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Claudia M said:


> White markings are common. Here is an AWESOME boy whom I will take any day, any minute, any second with a bit of white marking on the head and marking on the chest.
> 
> Pedigree: FC AFC LaCrosse Max Q Jake JH OS FDHF


I am drooling over that boy, stunning.


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

Your little girl has the most beautiful face and gorgeous eyes. It will be interesting to see how the amount of white changes as she grows up. My Harley has a tiny patch of white hair on the top of his head and he is four.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Depends on what's behind the dog.... it can be very common with some pedigrees. Not all breeders are trying to avoid breeding dogs like this as well, and again why it can be pretty common....


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## jenspup (Jan 2, 2015)

Emma is gorgeous...I love the little white patch on her nose. Adorable.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

The life of Piper said:


> Hmmm...never seen that before. No, its not at all normal. You can tell its a golden, but she also looks like a toller. She cannot be a show dog though--no white markings are permitted. She's pretty cute! Piper has a black spot on her chin, and used to have pale marks (she's a red) but they have since faded. Maybe yours will too?


Well, she doesn't look anything like a Toller. Proportions, pigment, eye color, head, etc. is very very different from a Toller.

One other thing. White markings are not a disqualifying fault in the ring, although all things being equal, they will be cause for a lower score.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Swampcollie said:


> The life of Piper said:
> 
> 
> > Hmmm...never seen that before. No, its not at all normal. You can tell its a golden, but she also looks like a toller. She cannot be a show dog though--no white markings are permitted. She's pretty cute! Piper has a black spot on her chin, and used to have pale marks (she's a red) but they have since faded. Maybe yours will too?
> ...


I agree, I looked up Toller's (had to google it, didn't know what it was) and while there may be some similarities, she still definitely looks all golden to me. Her white markings are special to me and I love them. I have no doubt that she's going to be a real.beauty.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Harleysmum said:


> Your little girl has the most beautiful face and gorgeous eyes. It will be interesting to see how the amount of white changes as she grows up. My Harley has a tiny patch of white hair on the top of his head and he is four.


Thank you. We are all in love with the little gremlin. She's doing really well; her puppy murmur is gone! So we have all been in a very celebratory mood.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Emma is a doll! I think her white markings make her all the more special!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

She's our little monster.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

She's over my photo sessions.


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

She is cute. 

I sent you a pm.


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

mrsamylhurt said:


> She's over my photo sessions.


Ha ha! Don't you love "the look"!


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

The white markings do occur. Doesn't make the dog any less a golden retriever unless you'd like to go into the conformation ring.


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> Well no worries about any kind of breed standards. She's not a show dog and I won't be breeding her. White markings might not be "common" but to me it just makes her more special.


Yeah. I don't think pipers gonna be a show dog. If I were you, I would get those akc papers recognized. We don't officially know if piper is pure, but she has all proper traits.


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> She's over my photo sessions.


She's a cutie!!


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> The life of Piper said:
> 
> 
> > Hmmm...never seen that before. No, its not at all normal. You can tell its a golden, but she also looks like a toller. She cannot be a show dog though--no white markings are permitted. She's pretty cute! Piper has a black spot on her chin, and used to have pale marks (she's a red) but they have since faded. Maybe yours will too. Some have faded. But I don't care if they ever fade. She's my baby and I have zero interest in showing or breeding.
> ...


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

@Piper. No worries! Not upset about the comparison. Just having two people remark on her markings in the last 24 hours made me wonder and want to know why someone would mistake her as mixed. I didn't know what a Toller was, lol.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

She doesnt look like a mix. I was just asking because I had never seen that. Sorry if I upset you. She is beauthiful and very unique.


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

There's a Toller in my Rally class, and her owner asked me if Penny was a Toller when we first met. I can understand why Toller people would think Goldens with white markings are Tollers at a distance, but not up close.


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> @Piper. No worries! Not upset about the comparison. Just having two people remark on her markings in the last 24 hours made me wonder and want to know why someone would mistake her as mixed. I didn't know what a Toller was, lol.


OK! Every dog is different, so don't take what people say personally.


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## SunnynSey (Jan 17, 2015)

She is a cutie, but agree that she is purebred just not from conformation lines, enjoy her!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

I paid to have her fully AKC registered along with the 5 gen pedigree. I don't know what "recognized" means. She's my first purebred dog ever.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Cpc1972 said:


> She doesnt look like a mix. I was just asking because I had never seen that. Sorry if I upset you. She is beauthiful and very unique.


No, I'm.not upset. Just confused because two people mentioned the markings at the vet yesterday. Which caught me by surprise.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Eclipse said:


> There's a Toller in my Rally class, and her owner asked me if Penny was a Toller when we first met. I can understand why Toller people would think Goldens with white markings are Tollers at a distance, but not up close.


I can see that. Especially as puppies!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

SunnynSey said:


> She is a cutie, but agree that she is purebred just not from conformation lines, enjoy her!


Gotcha. No. She's purebred and registered but her parents are family pets.


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

mrsamylhurt said:


> I can see that. Especially as puppies!


Definitely. I think puppy Penny could have passed as a Toller.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> Jax has a large white mark on his chest and white tips on the toes of one of his feet. The toes are really hard to see in pictures, but the chest mark is gigantic. It's quite visible here.


Jax's white mark looks _just_ like a bird to me. How cool...


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> I paid to have her fully AKC registered along with the 5 gen pedigree. I don't know what "recognized" means. She's my first purebred dog ever.


I have been told my multiple people to do so. Simply means to get akc to validate that they are real, not fake. Were did you get her? Was it a byb or a really good breeder?


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Eclipse said:


> mrsamylhurt said:
> 
> 
> > I can see that. Especially as puppies!
> ...


Oh my goodness, so beautiful! She's one of a kind.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

The life of Piper said:


> mrsamylhurt said:
> 
> 
> > I paid to have her fully AKC registered along with the 5 gen pedigree. I don't know what "recognized" means. She's my first purebred dog ever.
> ...


There is no way it is fake. Like I said, I personally registered her with AKC myself and her pedigree goes back 5 generations plus.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Certified AKC pedigree, hand signed and with the AKC gold seal.


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> Certified AKC pedigree, hand signed and with the AKC gold seal.


Ah! I see. Well, your puppy is just special then. Embrace what is unique to her! Like I said, I don't care what piper looks like, I will always love her, especially her personality! I will post pics as soon as I can figure out how!


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

mrsamylhurt said:


> Oh my goodness, so beautiful! She's one of a kind.


Yours is too! I think of Goldens with white markings as "designer dogs". I love their uniqueness, even if they don't conform to breed standard.


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## The life of Piper (Feb 24, 2015)

mrsamylhurt said:


> OK. Last pic, sorry. I just find hearing from more experienced owners about her makings very interesting. I think she is just so so gorgeous. I'm a little biased


Oh she is gorgeous! Just a little unique! That's what makes them special. Piper has the personality of a husky/golden/boarder collie and I love it!!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

We have a 9 year old beagle dauschund mix that we rescued from a high kill shelter when he was two. He's been the best dog.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

This is Emma's Dad Max with all of the puppies.


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

Your pup is adorable!

Here is a picture of my Bridge boy Snapper (like the turtle, not because he was a biter! ). We adopted him years ago from a local shelter and they told us he was purebred because his owners surrendered him with his AKC papers. Snapper had a bit of white on the top of his nose and some white on his chest.

Please excuse the awful picture quality - it's a picture of a picture.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

brianne said:


> Your pup is adorable!
> 
> Here is a picture of my Bridge boy Snapper (like the turtle, not because he was a biter!
> 
> ...


He's beautiful! Golden's are just so special don't you think??


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## Bwilson (Mar 25, 2014)

She is a beautiful girl can wait to see her grow up. Don't stress to much on people guessing the breed wrong we have post after post with young goldens being confused with other breeds. For being a highly popular breed it seems people don't know what they look like especially when they leave the puppy fuzz and don't have there full adult coat. I was guilty of this myself and didn't know the drastic changes in coats during the stages.


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## Holly's Mum (Oct 4, 2014)

She's gorgeous! My 2 1/2 year old has always had white markings too. She has angel wings in her shoulders, her tummy is lighter than her back and there is a definite line along her flanks where her coat lightens. The underside of her tail is very white!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

undefined said:


> Eclipse said:
> 
> 
> > There's a Toller in my Rally class, and her owner asked me if Penny was a Toller when we first met. I can understand why Toller people would think Goldens with white markings are Tollers at a distance, but not up close.
> ...





Holly's Mum said:


> She's gorgeous! My 2 1/2 year old has always had white markings too. She has angel wings in her shoulders, her tummy is lighter than her back and there is a definite line along her flanks where her coat lightens. The underside of her tail is very white![iurl="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=502874&d=1425240980"]
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I want to say that Emma's mom, Daisy, had some white. But I just can't recall. I know.she was pretty light and was as sweet as an angel. Her Dad was dark gold, almost red gold and was very mischievous. The breeder told me he loved to chase and kill birds. They had a chicken coop and peacock coop that he was always trying to get into. His father in law thought it would be a good idea to bring over some ducks for the pond. Bad move, Max killed them all within hours. Poor ducks.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Bwilson said:


> She is a beautiful girl can wait to see her grow up. Don't stress to much on people guessing the breed wrong we have post after post with young goldens being confused with other breeds. For being a highly popular breed it seems people don't know what they look like especially when they leave the puppy fuzz and don't have there full adult coat. I was guilty of this myself and didn't know the drastic changes in coats during the stages.


Emma's definitely already lost her fluffiness.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Here's my lovely girl today showing off her awesome leash skills...not.


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## MyMaggieGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

She really is adorable!


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## Sanna Fase (Jun 5, 2014)

Bailey's feathers have white in them, and she has white-ish "angel wings".


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## Garou (Oct 20, 2014)

*Your pup is adorable!*

My pretty red boy before Crosby had the most beautiful white chest. My current little guy has white bloomers and white on part of his tail.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Swampcollie said:


> One other thing. White markings are not a disqualifying fault in the ring, although all things being equal, they will be cause for a lower score.


Yep, what he said. Dogs can still be shown with white spots, they are just penalized for them (and therefore unlikely to win). My boy, on the other hand, has a fault that would not allow him to even be in the ring. Doesn't matter an ounce to me, he's perfect and "all golden" in my eyes!


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Garou said:


> My pretty red boy before Crosby had the most beautiful white chest. My current little guy has white bloomers and white on part of his tail.


How beautiful. I can't wait to see how dark her adult coat is.


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## mrsamylhurt (Jan 26, 2015)

Loisiana said:


> Swampcollie said:
> 
> 
> > One other thing. White markings are not a disqualifying fault in the ring, although all things being equal, they will be cause for a lower score.
> ...


He's beautiful. Golden's just have the sweetest faces.


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## oakley95 (Feb 20, 2015)

my boy has a white chest.


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

Well...they get white when they get old. There must be something natural about Goldens and white! (My girl had no white markings until she aged...but then she did!)

NewfieMom


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## NewfieMom (Sep 8, 2013)

Loisiana said:


> Yep, what he said. Dogs can still be shown with white spots, they are just penalized for them (and therefore unlikely to win). My boy, on the other hand, has a fault that would not allow him to even be in the ring. Doesn't matter an ounce to me, he's perfect and "all golden" in my eyes!


He is just beautiful! (What disqualifies him? Was he neutered?)

NewfieMom


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

mrsamylhurt said:


> So I took my 11 week old Golden, Emma, for her vet visit yesterday. Well, one woman was admiring her in the waiting room and she wanted to know if she was a Golden Retriever and I said yes and she said "I'm just not used to seeing white on them". I thought it was funny so I mentioned it to the vet and she said the same thing. Hmmm.....are white markings not common? My baby has a white spot right above her nose and a white patch on her chest.


Hi there! You've got an adorable girl and great taste in picking her name. (My baby girl who is coming home next week has a similar name, Emma Rose!) My Max has a litter mate with two adorable toes on her foot. And the breeder is a respected conformation breeder. So the white happens. The definition of "common" can be subjective, but it certainly happens. 

Sometimes there is a recessive gene that presents itself. Or a marking from the foundation stock. 

Here is something I would have love to have had....a black and tan labrador. I think they're stunning. I would actually *prefer* a naturally occurring black and tan than a "normal" lab. I just wouldn't try to go to someone who tries to breed for it. 

https://www.guidingeyes.org/21268/black-and-tan-labrador-retrievers/
B/b, E/e, and Beyond

But see.....I love "mismarked" dogs. My Cassie girl was an all white border collie.


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

Wow, that black and tan lab is stunning! It's cool to see how other breeds have recessive genetics too.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Eclipse said:


> Wow, that black and tan lab is stunning! It's cool to see how other breeds have recessive genetics too.


Yah I LOVED that look. I had once been looking to adopt a lab before I decided to go back to Max's breeder for my next golden, and there was a STUNNING black and tan lab up for adoption. He didn't last!!! Adopted immediately.

And my Cassie was the result of two white factored border collies. It's not the lethal white gene that happens when a merle is crossed with a merle; she was only deaf when it suited her and her eyes were perfect when finding sheep 600 yards away and only failed when I pointed to her crate to get in it in hotel rooms.


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

Your collie sounds gorgeous! I've never seen a pure white one before.

I think people tend to gravitate towards rarer coloration. I read something about a lab breeder once, and he/she said that when there was the fewest amount of x color puppies, those were the ones future puppy owners said they liked most. Black, white, chocolate; it didn't matter.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

NewfieMom said:


> He is just beautiful! (What disqualifies him? Was he neutered?)
> 
> NewfieMom


He's too small


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

If I understand correctly white markings on the chest are not a disqualifying trait in the ring, just penalized but on the face only age graying is allowed, no markings.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Eclipse said:


> Your collie sounds gorgeous! I've never seen a pure white one before.
> 
> I think people tend to gravitate towards rarer coloration. I read something about a lab breeder once, and he/she said that when there was the fewest amount of x color puppies, those were the ones future puppy owners said they liked most. Black, white, chocolate; it didn't matter.



True. What's rare is often very appealing. 
I think the white blaze in your golden is GORGEOUS.


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## Jesse'sGirl7407 (Jan 17, 2013)

Charlie is almost 3 and is a darker reddish golden and he has a white patch on his chest. It's hard to see though due to all his chest hair


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## Kaj7777 (May 30, 2020)

mrsamylhurt said:


> So I took my 11 week old Golden, Emma, for her vet visit yesterday. Well, one woman was admiring her in the waiting room and she wanted to know if she was a Golden Retriever and I said yes and she said "I'm just not used to seeing white on them". I thought it was funny so I mentioned it to the vet and she said the same thing. Hmmm.....are white markings not common? My baby has a white spot right above her nose and a white patch on her chest.


Hello!... I have a golden retriever named Thor who has white markings on his back toes, chest and on top of his nose... we ran a DNA test with the wisdom panel and came out 100% golden retriever so don’t worry this some times happens although not common. Here are some pics... also he has a Instagram page: _my_life_is_golden_ 
If you want to see His adventures and more pictures 🐾❤


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