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Golden Retriever
Other names	Flat-coated Retriever, Golden Yellow or Golden Retriever
Origin	Scotland
Foundation stock	Flat-coated Retriever Tweed Water Spaniel Red Setter Bloodhound Labrador Retriever
Traits Height Males 22–24 in (56–61 cm) Females 20–22 in (51–56 cm) Weight 55–75 lb (25–34 kg) Coat Flat or wavy double coat with good feathering, dense water-resistant undercoat Colour Any shade of gold or cream
Kennel club standards The Kennel Club standard Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of retriever developed in the United Kingdom. The Golden Retriever's gentle and affectionate nature and its striking golden coat has made it one of the Western world's most recognisable and popular dog breeds. The breed is also still employed as a gundog, is a popular competitor in obedience trials, is sometimes trained for use as guide dogs as well as being widely kept as a pet.

The Golden Retriever was created by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks at his Scottish estate Guisachan in the late 19th-century. The breed was developed by crossing Flat-coated Retrievers with Tweed Water Spaniels along with some infusions of Red Setter, Labrador Retriever and Bloodhound blood. Achieving separate kennel club recognition in 1913, the breed spread throughout the world during the interwar period and today it regularly features in the top five most popular dog breeds by registrations in several Western countries.

History

The Golden Retriever was developed in Britain in the 19th century by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, later to become Baron Tweedmouth, from Flat-coated Retrievers judiciously crossed with Tweed Water Spaniels and some other British dog breeds. Prior to the publication Marjoribanks' meticulously maintained and very detailed stud book in 1952, a number of romantic tales were published stating the breed descends from among other things a troupe of Russian circus dogs that performed in Brighton in the 1860s, but the records tell a different story.

In the 1860s Marjoribanks set out with a complicated line breeding plan in mind to create what to his mind was the ultimate breed of retriever at his Scottish estate Guisachan. He acquired a yellow coloured Flat-coated Retriever dog called 'Nous'; Nous had been whelped in June 1864 and was the only yellow pup in an otherwise all-black litter. Whilst uncommon, occasionally liver, brown, golden or yellow coloured purebred Flat-coated Retriever pups are whelped to matings of two black parents. It is the pedigree of Nous that became the source for the romantic tales of the Golden Retriever's heritage, one early account claimed he was purchased from a Russian circus trainer in Brighton, another account claimed a cobbler in Brighton, and yet another claimed a gypsy; but Marjoribanks' stud book states Nous was a Flat-coated Retriever bred by Lord Chichester on his nearby Stanmer Park estate.

In 1868 Nous was mated to a Tweed Water Spaniel bitch named Belle, who is recorded in the stud book as being whelped in 1863 and of "Ladykirk breeding". The litter from this mating consisted of four yellow pups, Primrose, Ada, Cowslip and Crocus. The best bitch from this litter was Cowslip who was mated to a Tweed Water Spaniel called Tweed with the mating producing a bitch pup called Topsy. Cowslip was subsequently mated to a Red Setter called Sampson, that mating produced a dog pup called Jack. Topsy was mated with a black Flat-coated Retriever called Sambo and a bitch pup from that litter, Zoe, was mated back to Jack and two pups from that mating were retained, a dog called Nous II and a bitch called Gill. Gill was mated to a black Labrador Retriever called Tracer, and a bitch pup from that mating, Queenie, was mated back to Nous II; all Golden Retrievers descend from this mating. The progeny from these various matings varied in colour from pure black to light cream, but it was the golden coloured ones that were retained and mated to each other, forming the foundation stock of the Golden Retriever breed. Marjoribanks is also known to have used a sandy-coloured Bloodhound and another Labrador in subsequent years of the breeding program.

In 1952 Marjoribank's great-nephew, Giles Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester, teamed up with Mrs Elma Stonex, who had been researching the Golden Retriever's foundations, and together they studied Marjoribank's stud book. In 1960 their research was published, presenting all of the evidence required to counter all tales of Russian ancestry. The stud book, which covers the period from 1868 to 1890, is preserved in the library of the Kennel Club in London.

In the early days Golden Retrievers were called the 'Flat-coated Retriever, Golden', initially the Golden Retriever was considered a colour variety of the former breed. In 1903 the Kennel Club recorded the first examples under that first name, they were recorded in the same register as the Flat-coats, in the 1904 a Golden Retriever won a field trial and in 1908 the first examples were exhibited at conformation shows. In 1911 a breed club was formed for the breed and they were retitled the 'Yellow or Golden Retriever', from this point they were seen as a separate breed from the Flat-coat but it was not until 1913 that the Kennel Club began recording them on a separate breed register under another new name, the 'Retriever (Golden or Yellow)'. In 1920 the 'Yellow or' was dropped from the breed's became known as the 'Golden Retriever' colloquially, or the 'Retriever (Golden)' to the Kennel Club.

One early enthusiast of the breed, Mrs Winifred Charlesworth, was instrumental in the establishment of the breed club as well as the breed's separate Kennel Club recognition; it was Mrs Charlesworth who drew up the first Standard of Points for the breed, this standard was adopted by The Kennel Club and with only some very minor amendments remains largely unchanged to this day. Mrs Charlesworth bred and exhibited the first Golden Retriever Show Champion, she was a strong advocate for maintaining the breed's working instincts and she is credited with popularising the breed at field trials and so introducing it to many shooting sportsmen.

In the years after the First World War the Golden Retriever’s good looks and sanguinity contributed to the breed’s popularity increasing markedly and throughout the 1920s and 1930s in spread throughout the western world. The Canadian Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1927, the American Kennel Club in 1932, the first examples were registered in France in 1934 and Australia in 1937. The worldwide popularity of the breed meant it did not suffer the misfortunes many British dog breeds did during the Second World War, with ample quality breeding stock available globally to ensure none of its characteristics were lost.

Since the 1940s the breed's popularity has continued to grow with it becoming one of the western world's most recognised and most popular dog breeds.

Description

Appearance

The Golden Retriever is a powerfully built, medium-sized breed of dog; according to the Kennel Club's breed standard dogs stand from 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) and bitches from 20 to 22 inches (51 to 56 cm). Healthy adult examples of the breed typically weigh between 55 and 75 pounds (25 and 34 kg).

The Golden Retriever has a broad head with dark eyes that are set well apart, a wide muzzle that is powerful and has a well defined stop, a large black nose, flews that are dark-pigmented and slightly drooping, and moderately sized ears that are set high and hang with a slight fold. The breed's neck is muscular and fairly long with loose fitting skin, they have well laid-back shoulders that have long blades and their body is deep through the chest with well-spring ribs. Their backs are usually level from withers to croup and their long, straight tail is usually carried flat, roughly in line with their back. The breed's forelegs are straight with good bone, their hind legs are powerful with well bent stifles and muscular thighs, and their feet are cat-like.

The Golden Retriever's coat is one of their most recognisable and striking features. Double coated, the breed's long, flat or wavy outer coat has good feathering on the forelegs, their undercoat is dense and provides excellent weather resistance. The coat's colour can be any shade of cream, yellow or golden, the Kennel Club's breed standard states red or mahogany are prohibited but a few white hairs on the chest are permitted. Originally only yellow or golden coloured examples were permitted, this excluded many outstanding cream coloured dogs so in 1936 the Kennel Club's standard was amended to include the cream colour. The cream colour, which in more modern times can be almost white, has become the dominant colour and is particularly favoured by conformation show exhibitors. As Golden Retrievers age their coats typically lighten in colour. Golden Retrievers that are bred for conformation shows tend to have longer and finer coats than those bred for working as gundogs.

The Kennel Club's breed standard is accepted by every kennel club in the world except those of Canada and the United States. Compared to the Kennel Club's breed standard, North American kennel clubs state the breed should be slightly taller and the cream colour is not permitted.

Temperament

The Golden Retriever is considered an intelligent, gentle natured and very affectionate breed of dog. As is typical with retriever breeds, the breed is generally calm and biddable, being very easy to train and extremely keen to please their master. The breed is known to make excellent pets and family dogs, being generally extremely tolerant of children and keen to accompany any member of the family in a range of activities. They usually retain many of their gundog traits and instincts including an excellent scent of smell and a strong instinct to retrieve; even among those not trained as gundogs it is typical for Golden Retrievers to present their owners with toys or other objects. Due to their affable natures, the breed is often completely devoid of guarding instincts.

Compared to other retriever breeds, particularly the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever is typically quite slow to mature. This means they are typically a year older than Labradors when they are ready to be used as gundogs in the field.

Popularity and uses

The Golden Retriever is one of the Western world's most recognisable and poplar companion dog breeds, regularly being ranked in the top of five dog breeds by registration in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada. In addition to its popularity as a pet, the Golden Retriever is an extremely popular breed with dog fanciers competing at conformation shows, with separate lines of the breed having been developed to suit the fancies of the dog show judges. Due to their stable temperament and biddable natures, Golden Retrievers have also successfully been trained as guide dogs and therapy dogs. The breed also frequently competes in obedience trials and other dog sports.

The Golden Retriever is still used as a gundog by sportsmen, both as a hunting companion in the field and for competing in field trials. Those used as gundogs are usually from working lines specialising in breeding dogs for field use, those from pet or show lines rarely being suited for field use. A Golden Retriever with a traditional, dense double coat is very well suited for working in very cold and wet conditions as their coats provide them a great deal of water resistance and insulation. Compared to other retriever breeds, the Golden Retriever is not considered a particularly strong swimmer, because of their long coats they tend to sit quite low in the water and they are considered less suited as a wildfowl hunting dog than it is for retrieving land-based gamebirds like grouse and partridge. The breed is much less commonly used by sportsmen as a hunting companion than the Labrador Retriever. One reason the breed is less popular than the Labrador for field use is they are generally slower to mature; when a Golden Retriever is still in basic training a Labrador may have already had a season in the field. Another is the breed's long coat which requires a great deal more maintenance and grooming than that of the Labrador's, particularly after working in muddy conditions or close cover, as the long hair is more prone to picking up dirt and burrs. Additionally it can be hard for sportsmen to find pups bred from proven working lines because of the far greater numbers Golden Retrievers bred as pets or for the show ring.

Health

Golden Retrievers are a generally healthy breed, they have an average lifespan of 12 to 13 years. Unfortunately, due to the breed's popularity and irresponsible breeding by some breeders to meet demands, some inherited health problems are encountered in some breed lines, these include allergic skin conditions, eye problems and sometimes snappiness. These problems are rarely encountered in dogs bred from responsible breeders.

Specific diseases and disorders that can afflict Golden Retrievers include elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, retinal dysplasia, subaortic stenosis, atopy, cataracts, corneal dystrophy, diabetes mellitus, entropion, eyelash abnormalities, histiocytosis, hydro-dysmyelinogenesis, hypothyroidism, idiopathic epilepsy, portosystemic shunt, von Willebrand disease and X-linked muscular dystrophy.

Notable Golden Retrievers

• Liberty, the presidential pet of President Gerald R. Ford and Bailey, pet of US presidential nominee Elizabeth Warren.
• Orca, a male awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for animal bravery.

See also

• Dogs portal
• List of dog breeds

Notes

1. 'Nous' means wisdom in Gaelic. Accounts vary as to whether Sir Dudley Marjoribanks acquired Nous in 1865 or 1868.
2. In the 19th century, the Flat-coated Retriever was frequently called the Wavey-coated Retriever, and accordingly the Golden Retriever was often called the 'Wavy-coated Retriever, Golden'.
3. The Kennel Club still calls the Golden Retriever the 'Retriever (Golden)'.
4. Mrs W. M. Charlesworth was still exhibiting and running her dogs in field trials after the Second World War, she was very outspoken in her views that Golden Retrievers should not be shown without also competing in field trials, calling any handler who did so a "show-bench lounger".
5. The American Kennel Club's Golden Retriever breed standard states dogs should stand from 23 to 24 inches (58 to 61 cm) and bitches from 21+1⁄2 to 22+1⁄2 inches (55 to 57 cm).

References

1. ^ Morris, Desmond (2001). Dogs: the ultimate dictionary of over 1,000 dog breeds. North Pomfret, VT: Trafalgar Square Publishing. pp. 288–289. ISBN 1-57076-219-8.
2. ^ Hancock, David (2013). Gundogs: their past, their performance and their prospects. Ramsbury, Marlborough: The Crowood Press Ltd. pp. 102–105 & 196–197. ISBN 978-1-84797-492-1.
3. ^ Wilcox, Bonnie; Walkowicz, Chris (1995). Atlas of dog breeds of the world. Neptune City, N.J.: TFH Publications. pp. 450–452.
4. ^ Sampson, J.; Binns, M. M. (2006). "The Kennel Club and the early history of dog shows and breed clubs". In Ostrander, Elaine A.; Giger, Urs; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin (eds.). The dog and its genome. Cold Spring Harbor: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. pp. 27–29. ISBN 0-87969-742-3.
5. ^ Jones, Arthur F.; Hamilton, Ferelith (1971). The world encyclopedia of dogs. New York: Galahad Books. pp. 233–237. ISBN 0-88365-302-8.
6. ^ Alderton, David (1987). The dog: the most complete, illustrated, practical guide to dogs and their world. London: New Burlington Books. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0-948872-13-6.
7. ^ Douglas, James (2003). The complete gundog training manual. Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press. pp. 28–30. ISBN 978-1-904057-05-5.
8. ^ "Retriever (Golden) breed standard". The Kennel Club. The Kennel Club Limited. March 1994. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
9. ^ Fogle, Bruce (2009). The encyclopedia of the dog. New York: DK Publishing. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7566-6004-8.
10. ^ Fiorone, Fiorenzo (1973). The encyclopedia of dogs: the canine breeds. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-690-00056-6.
11. ^ Hudson, David (1995). The shooting man's dog: a complete guide to gundogs. Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press. pp. 32–34. ISBN 1-85310-560-0.
12. "Official Standard for the Golden Retriever" (PDF). American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club, Inc. 13 October 1981. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
13. Joyner, Lisa (22 July 2021). "The UK's 10 most popular dog breeds in 2021". Country Living. London. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
14. "Most popular dog breeds – full ranking list". American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club, Inc. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
15. MacSmith, James (17 August 2021). "Australia's most popular dog breeds". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
16. Vandertogt, Alysha (6 July 2020). "Canada's most popular dog breed of 2020 is…". Cottage Life. Toronto. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
17. Crook, Alice; Dawson, Sue; Côté, Etienne; MacDonald, Shelagh; Berry, Jim (2011). "Golden retriever". University of Prince Edward Island: Canine Inherited Disorders Database. Canine Inherited Disorders Database. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
18. Berkowitz, Bonnie (30 January 2021). "'Who pours the kibble?' And other answers about daily life for dogs in the White House". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
19. Behrmann, Savannah (5 March 2020). "'We are all Bailey': Elizabeth Warren's dog goes viral after stealing a burrito". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
20. "PDSA Gold Medal - Dogs" (Canine partner - Orca). PDSA. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

External links

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• Dog breeds originating in Scotland
• FCI breeds
• Gundogs
• Lifesaving
• Retrievers