Golden Retriever
Medium
Great Britain
Unlike many breeds, the development of the Golden Retriever in historical terms is fairly recent, and thanks to the painstaking research carried out by breed historians, firstly the late Elma Stonex, and latterly Val Foss and Frank and Anne Weekes, the history is quite defined and documented. The breed originated from a series of matings carried out by Lord Tweedmouth from 1864 onwards. The starting point was his acquisition of a good looking yellow coloured Flat Coated Retriever which he took to his estate at Guisechan, near Inverness in Scotland. He mated this dog to a Tweed Water Spaniel, a breed now long extinct, and then bred on from the offspring of this mating using the occasional outcross to an Irish Setter, a second Tweed Water Spaniel and a black Flat Coated Retriever. The dogs produced proved to be grand workers, biddable and attractive. Puppies from the matings were given to friends and family, notably his nephew, Lord Ilchester, who also bred them. The dogs bred true to type, and so the forerunners of the breed we know today were established. It was not until 1908 that the breed came into the public eye. Lord Harcourt had formed a great liking for the breed, and had gathered on to his estate at Nuneham Park, Oxford, a collection of the dogs descended from the original matings. He decided to exhibit them at the Kennel Club Show in 1908, where they created great interest. They were entered in a class for Any Variety Retriever, and described as Yellow Flatcoated Retrievers. The term 'Golden Retriever' was first coined around this time, and has been attributed to Lord Harcourt.
Goldens are active and fun-loving but also exceptionally patient, as befits a dog bred to sit quietly for hours in a hunting blind. Other characteristics related to their hunting heritage are a size suited for scrambling in and out of boats and an inordinate love for cool water. Like the Labrador Retriever, they are noted for their intelligence, their affection for people, and their tolerance of children. They are natural clowns, which characterizes them as great dogs to use in hospitals or retirement homes. Golden Retrievers make great pets for young children due to their nurturing instincts and gentle nature. The other side of this is that they require lots of companionship to be happy. They do well in obedience trials and make excellent guide dogs, however, like people, not all of these dogs are this way. While they might not do quite as well in field trials as Labrador Retrievers, they are excellent hunters that are famous for their outstanding scenting abilities. They are exceptionally eager to please their owners.
