This dog has become one of the darlings of the dog fanciers. And yet, no more than 20 years ago, only a few devoted hunters were interested in the Golden Retriever. What kind of miracle happened to bring it back under the spotlights?
The history of the Golden retriever was surrounded by mystery for a very long time. Sir Marjoribanks told that he had discovered large yellow dogs in a circus coming from Caucasus, and that he had bough them to select and breed them. Some 50 years later, the swindle was discovered. His archives, unveiled by his grandson, clearly showed that the Golden Retriever was in fact issued from crosses between English retrievers with diverse water dogs and the Irish Setter.The hunting abilities – notably for retrieving game – and the characteristic golden coat are the distinctive peculiarities of the breed, which the fanciers discovered to the famous Crufts show in 1909. Its breeding began, and the Golden did brilliantly both in beauty exhibitions and in working trials. The breed first appeared in France in 1925, thanks to Count Jean de Bonvouloir, who was a devoted retriever fans. However, the breed really started to develop and grow after World War II. In the 1990’s, the Golden Retriever became real star, and there is an incredible booming in the births. Maybe this growth was even too quick… It is indeed quite hard to remain excellent when you are in the front row!
People often compare the Golden retriever to the Labrador. This is a big mistake. If the Golden does also belong to the retriever family, and both breeds have common ancestors, they are not built the same way. And the difference does not come simply from its golden coat and its long hairs. First of all, the Golden Retriever is slightly larger: the male is almost 60 cm high at the withers, and the female is a little smaller. It is harmoniously built. The Golden retriever must never convey an impression of heaviness. It is slightly longer than tall: its body must enter into a triangle. Its head is powerful, with strong jaws, which allow it to have a strong hold of the game it retrieves. The people who choose it as a companion dog often are very fond of its eyes, which are almost irresistible.
This Golden Retriever is the crème of the dogs. And there can be no doubt about this reputation, at least among the puppies well born and bred in the respect of the breed standard. This dog is never aggressive, and it is naturally obedient. Its devotion to man comes from a selection based on the working abilities. The Golden is a dog it is easy to live with, and it integrates perfectly in every family. It accepts and respects the natural hierarchy among the family, and it is easy to educate. This does not mean it does not nee to be refrained from time to time. The weak owners will learn it themselves. The Golden is a quick learner and it is very playful. You will never have to raise your voice to be obeyed or to repeat your orders several times. This dog likes to be with children, and it is very sociable. However, you should not count on it to guard the house, as it is always ready to play with the people it meets, even people it does not know.
It adores retrieving. Not only game, but also all the objects around. This mania is much fun for its owners. It likes water, and is a very good swimmer. This is an excellent hunter, which can be used for shot game, but also sometimes to flush out. Its cleverness and its capacities of adaptation are also used for many utilitarian activities: guide dogs, help for handicapped people, search and rescue dogs… It is also the ideal dog for the family. It can make forget its large size. It is lively, playful, loving. It is impossible not love the Golden Retriever. It is also likes sport: there are many sporting activities – agility, trekking, obedience – it will delight in practicing. For those who love hunting, taking part in working activities (field trials for instance) is a rejoicing activity.
The Golden Retriever can often live beyond 12 years, which is a respectable age for a dog of this size. This robust dog knows no specific affection. It fears neither heat nor cold. It sure is no weakling. Then of course, just like in the majority of large breeds, it can suffer from hip dysplasia. However, this disease can be spotted through X-rays. It is highly recommended to choose a puppy from parents, which are not – or just very lightly – affected. Anyhow, serious breeders do not use for reproduction individuals, which are too seriously affected.
Here’s another good point for the Golden Retriever: its maintenance is very easy. Despite its abundant fur, it only requires a regular brushing on a weekly basis. You should be careful about the places at the base of the ears and under the limbs, where knots can occur. When the dog is shedding, you should brush it more often, to ease the loss of the dead hairs, and favours the growth of the new ones. Be careful about the ears too. You would not want your dog to get an otitis. You can wash it without hesitation, it simply loves it. Be use a special shampoo, otherwise it may develop allergies. If your dog bathes in the sea, rinse it abundantly to remove all the salt.
The success of the breed may have lead some people to breed Golden Retrievers outrageously. This caused obvious problems of selection, from morphological, health and behavioural point of views. Be very careful when you decide to buy a puppy. You can of course trust the breeders, but you should choose one whose dogs are just a bit renown. Note that there are lines, which favour beauty, and others which favour working abilities. This is the second category wichyou should choose if you want to hunt with your dogs. Male or female? This criterion does not matter much with the Golden Retriever. Some say the females are more loving, but you should hardly notice the difference.
This dog can probably fit to any kind of owner. It is also true that it can live either in the countryside or in the city. However, it needs owners, who are often present around it. It does not stand loneliness and kennel life. It prefers an active life, but do not think that it needs to release its energy daylily through sorting activities. When it is used as a guide dog, it lives a rather quiet life, that it stands pretty well.
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