Coming To Public Attention
The breed was developed mostly away from the view of the general public until, Lord Harcourt exhibited a collection of dogs from the breed at the Kennel Club show in 1908 and they proved very popular.
They were entered into a class available for Any variety of retriever as they were as yet unclassified, but it was at this time the term Golden Retriever was first used to described them and so the coining of the term is usually given to Lord Harcourt.
Two Presidents Enjoyed Golden Retrievers As Pets While In The White House
Both President Ford and President Reagan enjoyed Golden Retrievers while in office. President Reagans Golden Retriever, Victory, was one of six dogs the president owned. President Reagan also enjoyed a stable full of horses at his ranch.
President Ford had a Siamese cat and a mixed-breed dog in addition to Liberty the Golden Retriever and Libertys puppy, Misty.
Goldens are also popular as celebrity pets. Celebs who own Golden Retrievers include Miranda Lambert, Jimmy Fallon, Emma Stone, Adam Levine, and Oprah.
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Hunting & Companion Dogs
The Golden Retrievers were bred first in Scotland for hunting roles. Their soft mouth, swimming skills, and fast speed made them fit for retrieving game and delivering it to the hunter without damage.
Because there are fewer hunters today, the friendly nature of Golden Retrievers has made them famous family pets and service dogs, capable of saving the lives of both humans and other animals.
The original hunting traits of Golden Retrievers are still manifested in the breeds high-energy nature that requires them to engage in a lot of exercises daily. Besides, the Golden still lifts objects with its mouth and delivers them safely.
And when its lucky to be owned by a hunter, The Golden will still carry out its hunting duties of retrieving and flushing out game.
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Golden Retrievers Also Make Great Working Dogs
It’s not all fame and fortune for these pets. Many Golden Retrievers work as search and rescue dogs. Their tracking abilities and strong sense of smell help them find missing people. Perhaps the most well-known use of Golden Retrievers as rescue dogs was during 9/11, when a two-year-old trained rescue dog named Bretagne helped search for survivors. Bretagne went on to aid in the search and rescue efforts during Hurricanes Rita and Katrina as well.
How To Celebrate National Golden Retriever Day
If you have a golden retriever treat them to all their favourite things on this day. Take them for a run on their favourite park, play some fetch, and make them a special meal for dinner! Golden retrievers love company, so the best thing you can do for them today is to spend the whole day with them, playing and cuddling.
If youve been thinking about getting a golden retriever for a while, let this day inspire you to take the plunge. Always consider adoption first, do your research and visit different shelters to see if they can match you with your new best friend. If you cant find a golden retriever for adoption, make sure you get one from a reputable breeder who is registered with the American Kennel Club.
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Where Did The Name Golden Retriever Come From
A certain Lord Harcourt had purchased two of these yellow dogs from the Guisachan kennels, and in the early 1900s he began breeding and exhibiting his Golden Retrievers at Kennel Club shows.
Harcourt is often credited with giving the breed its name and was important in establishing the breed and promoting it to the wider public
What Is The Origin Of Golden Retrievers
Golden RetrieverDog breedThe Golden Retriever is a medium-large gun dog that was bred to retrieve shot waterfowl, such as ducks and upland game birds, during hunting and shooting parties. The name retriever refers to the breeds ability to retrieve shot game undamaged due to their soft mouth. Wikipedia
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Would They Make A Good Pet
Of course, a Golden Retriever can make a very good pet. This wavy-coated dog is a very sweet and calm-natured breed, and moreover, as family pets, they are very loyal, courageous, and affectionate towards their owners. Goldens are also easy to train. For this reason, these pets are also one of the most popular therapy and service dogs. So, if you want to have a dog as a pet then you can consider having a Golden Retriever. It is important to remember that regular exercise and grooming are very important for these dogs.
Humans Have Discovered The Friendly Personality Of Golden Retrievers
The Golden Retrievers we know today are friendly dogs, fond of both people and all types of animals. That makes them perfect companions, which explains why theyre so common in families as pets.
The friendly nature of Golden Retrievers has also made the breed famous in therapy and emotion support contexts. According to Wikipedia, Golden Retrievers are often used as therapy dogs due to their calm demeanor, gentle disposition, and friendliness to strangers.
In fact, the Golden Retriever is named among the top 10 therapy dogs. Therapy dogs are dog breeds that can be easily trained to provide love and affection to the sick and elderly in homes, hospices, retirement homes, disaster sites, and more. And clearly, the Golden is well-suited to this role.;
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Field Bred Golden Retrievers
Field golden retrievers embody what golden retrievers were originally bred to do: hunt.
Field bred goldens are on the smaller end of the spectrum as far as how big goldens get, theyre athletic, and theyre typically more driven than other styles of goldens.
Their coats are usually shorter and range from gold to red, and they have tons of energy.
They excel at hunting and agility, and make great family pets, as long as theyre trained properly and have a job to do.
They also may be rather mouthy, considering theyre bred to retrieve things with their mouth.
To be clear, field goldens are golden retrievers, theyre just a particular style of golden.
The opposite of field bred golden retrievers are conformation, or show golden retrievers
Children And Other Pets
The amiable Golden Retriever isn’t bothered by the noise and commotion of kids;;in fact, he thrives on it. He’s a large, strong dog, though, and he can easily knock over a small child by mistake.
As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he’s eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog’s food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
The Golden’s attitude toward other pets is the more the merrier. He enjoys the companionship of other dogs, and with proper introductions and training, can be trusted with cats, rabbits, and other animals.
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In The United Kingdom
Golden Retrievers were first accepted for registration by The Kennel Club in 1903, as Flat Coats Golden. They were first exhibited in 1908, and in 1911 were recognized as a breed referred to as Retriever .
In Scotland
In July 2006, the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland organized a gathering of Golden Retriever enthusiasts at the ancestral home, Guisachan House. A photograph taken by photographer Lynn Kipps to commemorate the occasion captured 188 Golden Retrievers, and so holds the record for the most Golden Retrievers in one image.
Golden Retrievers Are Record Holders
A couple of Golden Retrievers have made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. An Australian Golden holds the world record for the loudest bark, measured at 113.1 decibels — 3 decibels louder than a buzzing chainsaw. Another Golden Retriever holds the record for the most tennis balls held in the mouth, at five tennis balls.
Golden Retrievers are an impressive bunch, as any Golden lover knows. It’s no wonder they are the third most popular dog breed in the U.S.
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They Are Sporting Dogs That Need Plenty Of Exercise
As hunting dogs, Goldens had to run fast and walkfor long hours with their hunting asters. Today, these high-energy hunting dogs still require plenty of exercise.
They need an hour of exercise per day at minimum, though more is recommended if you can handle it.;The best way to go about this is to make it less of a chore, but more of a fun activity to build a stronger bond.
If Goldens dont get their allotted daily exercise, they can become moody and destructive. Exercises such as hiking, swimming and games like fetch and catch are perfect for the athletic and agile Golden Retriever.
Besides, Golden Retrievers are often involved in sporting competitions in high-energy games like flyball, dock diving, rally obedience, disc dog competition, and retrieving trials, among others.
The AKC conducts Retriever Field Trials every year to measure retrieving abilities of dogs. Their retrieving speed is measured at field distances longer than what Retrievers would have to cover in an ordinary hunting test.
The History Of Golden Retrievers
As legend has it, Lord Tweedmouth of Scotland wanted to create a hunting dog that could retrieve shot down birds from both land and water.
His solution was to breed a wavy-coated retriever with a Tweed water spaniel, thus creating the first litter of golden retrievers in 1868.
Now although theyre common family dogs today, the fact that golden retrievers were originally bred for retrieving birds all day in the wilderness has left some lasting physical and personality traits that we see in them today.
- They have lots of energy because they were bred to hunt all day
- They are athletic because they were bred to swim in lakes and rivers and run through fields
- They have a tendency to be mouthy because they were bred to hold birds in their mouths
So what does this have to do with the different types of golden retrievers?
Everything!
Knowing where golden retrievers came from can help us understand where we are today.
So now lets dive into the supposed 8 types of golden retrievers and discover the truth about each one.
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What Are Retrievers Used For
Generally gun dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage; retrievers are distinguished in that nonslip retrieval is their primary function.
Disagreement And Controversy Around The Breeds Origins
For many decades, the exact origins of the Golden Retriever breed was disputed, with many people asserting they originated from the purchase and development of a whole pack of Russian tracker sheepdogs from a circus that had visited.
But Dudley Marjoribanks journals being published in 1952 finally put an end to this popular myth.
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History Of Golden Retrievers In Akc Events
While the Golden Retrievers have been bred as bird hunting machines for the last 150 years or so, they have never enjoyed much success in the AKC bird events.
In fact, a Golden Retriever has not won an AKC Field Trial Championship since 1951. Since 1940, only four champions have been Goldens. Those champions were:
- King Midas of Woodend
- Shelter Cove Beauty
- Ready Always of Marian-Hill
The problem is the Labrador Retriever.
The most common reason that Labrador Retrievers seem to dominate the AKC events is due to sheer statistics. There are more Labradors registered with the AKC every year than any other dog breed.
When it comes to Hunt Tests, however, the dogs compete against a standard and so the overwhelming number of Labradors does not have any influence on the probability of earning ribbons.
Golden Retrievers typically perform very well in the Hunt Test situations.
On the obedience side of the AKC, however, Golden Retrievers are very successful. In 2019, six of the top ten dogs in the National Obedience Championship were Golden Retrievers.
In 2011 and 2014, nine of the top ten dogs were Golden Retrievers.
Going back ten years, Golden Retrievers have filled 59 of the top ten places. There is no other breed that even comes close.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
60% of the dogs that place in the top ten in the AKC National Obedience Championship are Golden Retrievers.
Behold The Golden Retriever: The Perfect Hunting Companion
The traits of agrarian societies were still prominent during the 19th century. By that, im referring to wildfowl hunting with shotguns, which was a common pastime of the most elite Scottish families.
But Scotland did not have hunting-friendly geography on every corner.;Shot wildfowl would often land on swampy spots, in rivers, or a long distance from the hunter. Some wild ducks were also shot right on the water where they swam.
Scottish hunters found themselves facing the dilemma of using dog breeds that were not up to the task of retrieving game from such places. Some werent capable swimmers while others werent athletic enough. Some hybridization had to be done.
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How Do They Communicate
These dogs use various vocalizations and gestures to communicate. A Golden Retriever can bark, whimper, howl, growl, and cry in order to express itself. Apart from these vocalizations, the Golden Retriever can make various gestures to express itself, such as nodding, turning away or wagging its tail.
The Tweed Water Spaniel
While most nineteeth and early twentieth century retrievers were black, occasionally two dogs carrying the yellow recessive gene would get together and some yellow puppies would be born.
Dudley Marjoribanks had such a yellow dog, probably a flat-coated or wavy-coated retriever, called Nous.
There is a photo of Nous taken in 1872 in Hutchinsons dog encyclopedia so we know that he was yellow. Marjoribanks records in his studbook that he crossed his retriever Nous with a Tweed Water Spaniel called Belle.
The Tweed Water spaniel is sadly now extinct as a breed but Belles legacy lives on in the Golden Retriever, and the breed has now become one of the most popular in the world.
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Facts About Golden Retrievers
ByZara Gaspar20 June 2021
Theyre the third most popular dog in the US. Discover 10 Facts about Golden Retrievers that make this no surprise
The name retriever originates from the fact that this breed was used to retrieve waterfowl during hunting parties. Today, the Golden Retriever still has these hunting instincts and loves to play fetch. They make great family pets as they have a pack mentality so they like being around people and are loving and playful. Young at heart, this dog matures slowly and loves to be silly, which makes them great with kids. This is one breed that needs lots of time and attention from its owners. Known for their temperament, a study of over 30 dogs showed that Golden Retrievers show the least aggression. They should make great watchdogs as they will bark when they see someone, but they warm to people too easily and would probably make friends with a burglar.;
Ideal Human For A Golden Retriever
A Golden Retriever is a high energy, active dog who needs daily exercise. The ideal pet parent for this breed of dog is also active and willing to be there for the daily exercise this dog craves. Golden Retrievers enjoy swimming, running, walking, and a good game of fetch.
Since theyre so active and crave time with their families, Golden Retrievers are ideal for similarly energetic owners who have plenty of time for a dog BFF.
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What Are Golden Retrievers Mostly Used For
The Golden Retriever, an exuberant Scottish gundog of great beauty, stands among Americas most popular dog breeds. They are serious workers at hunting and field work, as guides for the blind, and in search-and-rescue, enjoy obedience and other competitive events, and have an endearing love of life when not at work.7 days ago
How To Care For A Golden Retriever
A Golden Retriever puppy or adult dog may be friendly people-pleasers, but that doesnt make the breed low maintenance. They need daily exercise, regular brushing, and training. The good news is theyre so easy going, theyll adapt well to almost any home, especially homes with small children.
Golden Retrievers have a thick undercoat and long outer coat, but grooming is still relatively easy as long as you brush them consistently. They dont typically need a haircut for their flat coats, but they do need brushing every one to three days. Focus on the hind legs and the backs of the ears, where tangles and mats can develop quickly. While grooming needs dont vary for coat color, wavy-haired Retrievers are more prone to tangles than their straight-haired counterparts and may need a little more brushing.
A bit of mess comes standard with Golden Retrievers, so if you hate stray fur and dirt, look elsewhere for a canine companion. You can more or less make a new dog every week with the fur they shed, and they love to swim and get muddy. Just keep up with the regular grooming, being sure to rinse them off if they happen to take a dip in the water, and things wont get out of hand.
Of course, they have that mischievous side. So no matter how well-trained they are, youll still get an occasional moment when theyre more interested in goofing off. That just makes your Golden Retriever experience more fun!
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