The following information comes from different
resources and publication.
See the original sources for further and additional detailed information.
The Golden Retriever was first developed in the late 1800s in the Scottish Highlands
and recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1925 as the Golden Retriever. (Before this time all retrievers were
grouped together.) There were only 20 AKC registered Golden Retrievers in 1932 but over the years the Golden Retriever
has become one of the most popular breeds with it being ranked 4th in 2008 for registered AKC breeds. They were
developed for the purpose of hunting in the field or in the water. Today, the Golden Retriever is still many sportsmen/women
dog of choice for hunting and retrieving of water and/or land foul and game. Lord Tweedmouth is the individual who has
been accredited for developing the Golden Retriever with his main focus being to develop a superior retriever that was able
to sustain the Scottish climate as well as being an excellent hunter. Lord Tweedmouth used a "Yellow Retriever"
and a Tweed Water Spaniel. The Tweed Water Spaniel is now extinct, but it's genes still live on in Golden Retrievers.
The Bloodhound, additional Tweed Water Spaniel and Irish Setter were eventually all used in breeding to finally develop the
Golden Retriever as known today.
Golden Retriever, Sporting Dog, Breed Standards from the AKC:
Height/Weight
- Height from the withers
- Females - 21 1/2 - 22 1/2 inches
- Average
Weight - 55 - 75lbs
(Although
there can be smaller or larger males and females, all dogs should be kept at an appropriate weight for their height and overall
body shape.)
Overall Traits
& Temperament
- Hunting Dog (Hunting is what they were originally used for, seeing their drive to retrieve
displays this original trait that is why the Golden Retriever is still used today by many sportsmen and women for retrieving
game. A ball works just as well to help them display this inherited instinct.)
- Other jobs - Golden Retrievers have and still are used for other purposes than hunting such as: guide dogs for the
blind, for search and rescue, for obedience as well as many other important jobs and competitive forums.
Eyes
- Medium to dark brown in color
Nose
- Black
to brown (some lightening of color may be seen in cold weather)
Body
- Tail with thick base and of course wagging
Coat/Fur
- Water repelling with undercoat
- Straight or wavy (not
to soft and not to coarse)
- Feathering seen on tail, back &
rear legs, chest and under their body (Feathering is usually not apparent in early puppy-hood and develops with maturity.)
- Golden shades vary from light golden to dark golden
in color (Black is not normally seen and in the show ring it would be a serious fault. White/gray is an acceptable part
of aging on the face and body but any large amount of white fur would be faulted in the show ring.)
Gait
- When at increased speeds the feet may come together toward center of body weight for control
and balance. (For this reason, Golden Retrievers are shown trotting to see the reach and coordination they are known
for rather than their speed.)
To view additional information about the
Golden Retriever, visit the AKC site where the information above was attained: http://www.akc.org/breeds/golden_retriever/index.cfm
