Golden Retrievers reach their full height around one year of age and full
weight around age two, though many owners comment that their dogs retain their
puppyish nature for life. This is a large breed very similar in appearance to
the yellow Labrador Retriever, especially when young. The most obvious
difference is the Golden Retriever's luxuriant coat.
The AKC standard states that the coat is a "rich, lustrous golden of various
shades", disallowing coats that are extremely light or paradoxically; extremely
dark. This leaves the outer ranges of coat colour up to a judge's discretion when
competing in conformation shows. Judges may also disallow goldens with brown
noses, though these are very rare. The Golden's coat can also be what people
call a 'mahogany' colour, or what people see as 'redheads' in people. Also people
think that their coat is red but their coat is never red, the darkest it can get
is dark blonde.
Temperament
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.
They are noted for 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.
The Golden Retriever loves to retrieve. Retrieving a thrown stick, tennis
ball, or flying disc can keep a Golden occupied and entertained for hours,
particularly if there is also water involved.
Today's Golden Retrievers fall into two groups: show dogs and
field dogs. The Goldens in the show group are generally bigger boned, longer, and heavier. The
champagne color and long flowing coat are highly prized in the show ring. On the
other hand, field Goldens tend to be smaller, longer legged, and be redder
golden. These two strains derive from famous goldens from the 1960s. Gold Rush
Charlie moved the show Goldens toward their present characteristics, while
Holway Barty greatly affected the field group. Presently, many breeders are
attempting to unite these two strains into the all-Purpose Golden Retriever.
History
The breed was originally developed in Scotland, at "Guisachan", near Glen
Afric, the highland estate of Sir Dudley Majoribanks (pronounced "Marchbanks"),
later Lord Tweedmouth. For many years, there was controversy over which breeds
were originally crossed; especially popular was a romantic story concerning the
purchase of a whole troupe of Russian sheepdogs from a visiting circus. In 1952,
the publication of Majoribanks' breeding records from 1835 to 1890 removed all
doubt.
The original cross was of a yellow-coloured dog, Nous, with a Tweed
Water Spaniel bitch, Belle. The Tweed Water Spaniel is now extinct but
was then common in the border country. Majoribanks had purchased Nous on 1865
from an unregistered litter of otherwise black wavy-coated Retriever pups. In
1868, this cross produced a litter that included four bitch pups. These four
became the basis of a breeding program which included Red Setter, sandy-coloured
Bloodhound, St. John's Water Dog of Newfoundland, Springer Spaniel, and two more
wavy-coated black Retrievers. The bloodline was also inbred and selected for
trueness to Majoribanks' idea of the ultimate hunting dog. This vision included
a more vigorous and powerful dog than previous retrievers but that would still
be exceptionally good with people and thus gentle and trainable. Russian
sheepdogs are not mentioned in these records, nor are any other working dog
breeds. The ancestry of the Golden Retriever is all sporting dogs, in line with
Majoribanks' goals.
Golden Retrievers were first accepted for registration by the Kennel Club of
England in 1903, as 'Flat Coats - Golden'. They were first exhibited in 1908,
and in 1911 were recognised as a breed described as 'Retriever (Golden and
Yellow)'. In 1913, the Golden Retriever Club was founded. The breed name was
officially changed to Golden Retriever in 1920.
The Hon. Archie Majoribanks took a Golden Retriever to Canada in 1881, and
registered Lady with the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1894. These are
the first records of the breed in these two countries. The breed was first
registered in Canada in 1927, and the Golden Retriever Club of Ontario, now the
Golden Retriever Club of Canada, was formed in 1958.
The AKC recognized the breed in 1932, and in 1938 the Golden Retriever Club
of America was formed.
| Picture of Cassie sent by Zoe - Many Thanks |
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This is
Cassie she is a lovely golden retriever, Cassie loves to go
walking and she hates chasing sticks. - Zoe
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Rescue efforts
The breed's prominence and prevalence has produced high demand for purebred
Golden Retrievers. As an unfortunate consequence, many Goldens are abandoned
each year by owners who can no longer care for them. These dogs, many of which
are old or in need of medical support, arrive in animal shelters. Puppy mills,
large-scale commercial breeding operations sometimes shut down for their
notoriously poor conditions, are another source of orphan Golden Retrievers.
In response, many volunteer organizations work to rescue, care for, and adopt
abandoned Golden Retrievers. These rescue groups usually accept dogs from owners
and establish agreements with local animal shelters to ensure that dogs will be
transferred to their care rather than euthanized. Once rescued, Golden
Retrievers are placed in foster homes until a permanent home is found. It is
common for rescue groups to screen prospective adopters to ensure that they are
capable of providing a good home for the dog.
Golden retriever rescue groups have relied heavily on the world wide web to
raise funds and advertise rescued goldens to adopters. In 1996, breed enthusiast
and rescue pioneer Helen Redlus founded Golden Retrievers in Cyberspace, a
website that sold merchandise to fund rescue operations. Many local groups
continue in this tradition, and rescue organizations can be found in most
regions of the United States and throughout the world.
Famous Golden Retrievers
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Alex from Stroh Brewery Company ads
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Air Bud
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Brandon, companion of Punky Brewster
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Shadow from the novel The Incredible Journey (and Homeward Bound,
a film adaptation)
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Tugboat, pet of Tyler Hamilton
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Liberty, pet of Gerald Ford
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Duke, from Bush's Baked Beans commercials
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Comet from Full House
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Speedy from The Drew Carey Show
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J.D. from Dead Like Me
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Shelby AKA 'Krypto' from Smallville
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Pictures
of Holway and Rosetta from Julie - Thanks |
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Life begins............ Ow how small |
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Holway Rosetta. Doing what they should & enjoying it. -
Regards - Julie |
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Wiki Source
Pictures of your dog wanted |
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Send a picture of your dog attached to this
Email,
tell us a little about him or her and we will show it here. |
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Comments |
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i have a golden retriever and he is very handsome i love him
very much and they are my favourite kind of dogs great nature and great around
kids and adults my dog is a great companion to me |
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hi, i love retrievers, my family has 2, & they are so loving |
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Goldens win your heart! I truly understand what their saying
from just a look in the eyes... |
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es muy linda esta pagina, me encantan los golden retriever y
tengo una preciosa llamada LUNA
(Roughly Translated from Spanish ~
This site is very nice, I love my golden retriever and a
beautiful call MOON)
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i think that golden retriever are very loving dogs but i also
recommend a rough collie |
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I LOVE GOLDEN RETRIEVERS!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE VERY CUTE... |
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hello i like golden retrievers too!! :P:P:D:D:) |
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they are very cute and the best |
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Thanks For the Info I LOVE GOLDEN RETRIEVERS SO MUCH |
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woo hoo goldens rule! i have 8 |
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!! I LOVE YOU GOLDENS!! |
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golden retrievers are the best |
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Thanks this information, it is a work of art, from now
on the golden retriever is my kind of dog |
