Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever

Health care , History , Appearance , Temprament

History

The Golden Retriever breed was originally developed in Scotland and England at "Guisachan" near Glen Affric, the highland estate of Sir Dudley Marjoribanks (pronounced "Marʒbanks"), later Baron Tweedmouth. For many years, there was controversy over which breeds were originally crossed.
In 1952, the publication of Majoribanks' breeding records from 1835 to 1890 dispelled the myth concerning the purchase of a whole troupe of Russian sheepdogs from a visiting circus.
Improvements in guns during the 1800s resulted in more fowl being downed during hunts at greater distances and over increasingly difficult terrain.
This led to more birds being lost in the field.
Because of this improvement in firearms, a need for a specialist retriever arose as training setter and pointer breeds in retrieval was found to be ineffective.
Thus work began on the breeding of the Golden Retriever to fill this role.
The original cross was of a yellow-coloured Retriever, Nous, with a Tweed Water Spaniel female dog, Belle.
The Tweed Water Spaniel is now extinct but was then common in the border country.
Majoribanks had purchased Nous in 1865 from an unregistered litter of otherwise black wavy-coated retriever pups.
In 1868, this cross produced a litter that included four pups; these four became the basis of a breeding program which included the Irish Setter, the sandy-colored Bloodhound, the St. John's Water Dog of Newfoundland, and two more wavy-coated black Retrievers.
The bloodline was also inbred and selected for trueness to Majoribanks' idea of the ultimate hunting dog.
His vision included a more vigorous and powerful dog than previous retrievers, one that would still be 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 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 Honorable 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 co-founders of the GRCC were Cliff Drysdale an Englishman who had brought over an English Golden and Jutta Baker, daughter in law of Louis Baker who owned Northland Kennels, possibly Canada's first kennel dedicated to Goldens. The AKC recognized the breed in 1925, and in 1938 the Golden Retriever Club of America was formed.

Appearance

British type
Some variations do exist between the British type Golden Retrievers prevalent throughout Europe and Australia, and those of American lines and these differences are reflected in the breed standards. This type is bigger-boned, shorter, with a more square head and or muzzle and are generally slightly heavier.
Males should be between 56–61 cm (22–24 inch) at the withers and females slightly shorter at between 51–56 cm (20–22 inch).
Their weight, however, is not specified in the UK standard. The KC standard calls for a level topline and straight hindquarters without the slight rear angulation found in American lines.
The eyes of American line dogs tend to be set further apart than those of British lines and can appear to be slanted and triangular in shape by comparison.
A Golden Retriever of British breeding can have a coat color of any shade of gold or cream,(jack doggie) however, red or mahogany are not permissible colors. Originally cream was not an acceptable color in the UK standard, however, by 1936 the standard was revised to include cream.
It was felt this exclusion was a mistake as the original "yellow" retrievers of the 19th century were lighter in color than the then current standard permitted. As with America lines white is an unacceptable colour in the show ring.
The British KC standard is used in all countries with the exceptions of the US and Canada. Some breeders of this type in America may import their dogs to improve bloodlines.
The incidence of Cancer among English bloodlines is significantly less than is seen in the American lines.

American type
An American Golden is less stocky and lankier than a British Type.
A male should stand from 22–24 inch (58–61 cm) in height at the shoulders, and females should be 21.5–22.5 inch (55–57 cm) at the shoulders.
The males weigh 65–75 lb and the females weigh 55–65 lb. The Golden Retriever is a dog with a variety of colors for the coats.
The coat is dense and water repellent, in various shades of lustrous gold, with moderate feathering.
The gait should be free, smooth, powerful, and well-coordinated.
They originated in Scotland during the late nineteenth century and were a mix of the Tweed Water Spaniel, which is now extinct, the red setter and the Wavy-Coated Retriever.
Canadian type
The Canadian golden retriever is a newer type of golden. Appearance is meant to be similar to the American in height and weight, with a light coat color.
Color is described as not as light as a British type, and not as dark as an American type.
Field line Golden Retrievers tend to be smaller and have a less dense coat than their conformation line counterparts.
And usually, they are darker in color.

Temperament

These are lovable, well-mannered, intelligent dogs with a great charm.
They are easily trained, and always patient and gentle with children. Loyal, confident, sweet and eager to please. It is active, loving and an outstanding family dog.
Golden Retrievers enjoy pleasing their masters, so obedience training can be fun. They excel in obedience competitions. Friendly with everyone, including other dogs, the Golden Retriever has very little, if any, guarding instincts. While unlikely to attack, Goldens make good watchdogs, loudly signaling a stranger's approach.
This breed needs to be around people who display leadership to be happy.
The Golden Retriever may become mischievous and/or high-strung, over-exuberant and distractible if he is lacking in daily mental and physical exercise.
Be sure to remain this dogs firm, but calm, confident, consistent pack leader to avoid behavioral issues. Some of the Golden's talents are hunting, tracking, retrieving, narcotics detection, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks.
These dogs also love to swim.

Care

Golden Retrievers are very active dogs, and require a reasonable amount of exercise each day, although exercise needs may vary depending on the individual dog and its age. They are a breed that is prone to obesity, and as such the average Golden Retriever should never be treated like a sedentary small dog. Some dogs may be too active to be easily exercised by elderly owners. Should be taken on walks daily.
Goldens should be groomed at least once a week, and every day during heavy shedding. Their coats shed somewhat during the year, but are known to "blow coat" twice a year when they shed profusely. They also need to have their ears cleaned regularly, or otherwise an ear infection might occur. While shedding is unavoidable with Golden Retrievers, frequent brushing (daily to weekly) lessens the amount of hair shed by the animal. Severe shedding resulting in bald patches can be indicative of stress or sickness in a Golden Retriever.
Golden Retrievers are very attached to their owners. They are highly social house dogs, seek to sleep in the same room as their owners, and should not be put into kennels for protracted periods. Leaving them alone in a room can cause the dog to become anxious and distressed. The dogs like to have something in their mouth and carry things around and should for this reason be provided with a copious supply of favorite toys — the particular obsession of which depends upon the individual animal.

Health Problems

Prone to hip dysplasia and congenital eye defects. OFA and CERF certification are important from both parents. Parents should also be checked for Von Willebrand's disease and heart problems. Skin allergies are common in Golden Retrievers and require immediate veterinary attention.
The median life span for Golden Retrievers is approximately 10 to 12 years