History, Rescue Efforts and Famous Golden Retriever

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.
 

[ A young Golden Retriever showing the breed's broad face and wide muzzle. ]

A young Golden Retriever showing the breed's broad face and wide muzzle.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-colored 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 recognized 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.
 

Rescue Efforts of Golden Retriever

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.

[ A Golden puppy chasing its tail. ]

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 Retriever

Alex from Stroh Brewery Company ads
Air Bud
Brandon, companion of Punky Brewster
Shadow from the novel The Incredible Journey (and Homeward Bound, a film adaptation)
Tugboat, pet of Tyler Hamilton
Liberty, pet of Gerald Ford
Duke, from Bush's Baked Beans commercials
Comet from Full House
Speedy from The Drew Carey Show
J.D. from Dead Like Me

Golden Retriever Breed Information and Pictures

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Golden Retriever".