The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard states the coat is a 'rich, lustrous golden of various shades', disallowing extremely light or extremely dark coats. This leaves the outer ranges of coat colour up to a judge's discretion when competing in conformation shows. Therefore, 'pure white' and 'red' are unacceptable, as is black. The Kennel Club (UK) also permits cream as an acceptable coat colour. Judges may also disallow Goldens with pink noses, or those lacking pigment. The Golden's coat can also be mahogany, referred to as 'redhead', although this is not accepted in the British show ring. Golden Retriever litters typically contain five to ten puppies. The average lifespan for a Golden Retriever is about 11 to 12 years. The breed is susceptible to specific ailments, so pets should be taken to a veterinarian for yearly checkups.