White Golden Retriever - A Modern Day Mythological Beast

     Stories abound in Mythology about the Unicorn, a mythological beast, that although it never existed people were so convinced it did, that some spent much of their lives in search of this so called rare but special animal only to find themselves penniless with nothing to show for their efforts. Today, many people find themselves ready to pay their hard earn money for another so called rare animal, a modern day mythological beast that only exists in the minds of men wanting to make a profit off something that isn't real. This modern day mythological animal is the White Golden Retriever.

The Name Says It All

The name of the Golden Retriever says it all. These dogs were so named because they were hunting dogs that retrieved game and they came in one standard color, gold. Now that is not to say that all these dogs are colored exactly the same; there are various shades of gold that make up this breed. Their colors can range from a creamy golden hue that is almost but, not quite white, to a beautiful reddish gold color and everything in between. But, make no mistake, a pure bred of this breed will not come in black, brown, brindle or white, never has and never will. The color is part of what makes this breed this breed.

In fact, any dog of this breed who enters the show ring spotting too much white in its markings will be automatically defaulted for color. So, if you are looking for a pure bred to show then the less white the better.

What About All Of Those Ads?

The ads you see for White Golden Retrievers are in most cases for what is called the English Goldens as these dogs are generally of a light creamy golden color and the closest to white that you will see. The use of the term White Golden Retriever to describe these dogs was more than likely a conscious effort on the part of some breeder to convince the general public that he was selling a rare colored dog of this particular breed. It obviously must have worked because more and more breeders have started using this term and charging higher rates for people wishing to buy these lighter shade dogs.

The plain truth however, is that these lighter shades are no more rare than the darker gold colors found in this breed and all things being equal these dogs should not command any higher price than the darker shades of this breed.

The problem is that people somehow believe that owning something rare whether it is a designer gown, a diamond necklace or an animal, brings them a certain amount of prestige, they will allow themselves to continue to be fooled into buying a White Golden Retriever at a premium price. When all one really has to do is look at the hundreds of ads on the internet for these dogs to realize that there is nothing real about them.

However, as long as there are people willing to be fooled, the White Golden Retriever will remain a mythological beast sought out by those who are willing to pay a fortune for something that doesn't exist.