Golden Retriever
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Dog ( domestic dog ) |
The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds in several Western countries. It is a frequent competitor in dog shows and obedience trials; it is also used as a gun dog (a type of hunting dog for soft-mouthed retrieving of fowl) and may be trained for use as a guide dog.
The breed was created by
History
The Golden Retriever was developed in Scotland in the nineteenth 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.[2][3] Prior to the 1952 publication of the very detailed stud book which had been meticulously maintained by Marjoribanks, a number of romantic tales were published about the origins of the breed.[2][3][4]
In the 1860s Marjoribanks set out to create what to his mind was the ultimate breed of retriever at his Scottish 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 being of "Ladykirk breeding".
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In 1952 Marjoribanks's great-nephew, Giles Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester, teamed up with Elma Stonex and together they studied Marjoribanks's stud book.[6] In 1960 their research was published, presenting all of the evidence required to counter all tales of Russian ancestry.[6] The stud book, which covers the period from 1868 to 1890, is preserved in the library of the Kennel Club in London.[5]
In the early days Golden Retrievers were called the 'Flat-coated Retriever, Golden',
One early twentieth century enthusiast of the breed, Winifred Charlesworth, was instrumental in the establishment of the breed club as well as its separate Kennel Club recognition.[6] It was she who drew up the first breed standard, which was adopted by the Kennel Club and with only minor amendments and remains largely unchanged.[6] She bred and exhibited the first Golden Retriever Show Champion, was a strong advocate for maintaining the working instincts of the breed, and she is credited with popularising it at field trials and introducing it to shooting sportsmen.[note 3][6]
In the years after the
Since the 1940s its popularity has continued to grow, and it has become one of the most recognised and most frequently registered dog breeds in the Western world.[2]
Description
Appearance
The Golden Retriever is a powerfully built, medium-sized breed of dog; according to the Kennel Club breed standard, dogs stand from 56 to 61 centimetres (22 to 24 in) and bitches from 51 to 56 centimetres (20 to 22 in).[6][9] Healthy adult examples typically weigh between 25 and 34 kilograms (55 and 75 lb).[10]
The Golden Retriever has a broad head with a well-defined
The
The Kennel Club breed standard is accepted by every kennel club in the world except those of Canada and the United States.[6] Breed standards in North America call for a slightly taller dog[note 4] and the cream colour is not permitted.[6]
Temperament
The Golden Retriever is considered an intelligent, gentle natured and very affectionate breed of dog.[3][8] 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.[6][8] 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.[4] Due to their affable natures, the breed is often completely devoid of guarding instincts.[4] However, there have also been reports of some very aggressive Golden Retrievers in certain lineages. It has been suggested that these variations in aggression are partially caused by genetic factors.[14]
The breed usually retains many of their gundog traits and instincts including an excellent sense 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.[6][8] Compared to other retriever breeds the Golden Retriever is typically quite slow to mature.[8][12]
Popularity and uses
The Golden Retriever is one of the most commonly kept breeds of
The Golden Retriever is still used as a
The Golden Retriever is much less commonly used by sportsmen as a hunting companion than the Labrador Retriever.[8][12] One reason is that the breed is generally quite slow to mature, particularly compared to the Labrador; often when a Golden Retriever is still in basic training a Labrador of the same age has already completed a season of hunting.[8][12] Another is its long coat, which requires more maintenance and grooming than that of the Labrador, particularly after working in muddy conditions or close cover, as their long hair is more prone to picking up dirt and burrs.[8][12] More Golden Retrievers are bred as pets or for the show ring than for hunting, so it can be hard for sportsmen to find pups bred from proven working lines.[12]
Health
Golden Retrievers are a generally healthy breed; they have an average lifespan of 12 to 13 years.[10] Irresponsible breeding to meet high demand has led to the prevalence of inherited health problems in some breed lines, including allergic skin conditions, eye problems and sometimes snappiness.[10] These problems are rarely encountered in dogs bred from responsible breeders.[10]
The breed is unusually prone to cancer, with one United States study finding cancer to be the cause of death in approximately 50% of the population, the second highest in the study. Several European studies found a much lower prevalence (20–39%), which may reflect the significant genetic divergence between the American and European populations. They are especially prone to hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma, with an estimated lifetime risk of one in five for the former and one in eight for the latter. The high prevalence of cancer deaths among Golden Retrievers may partly represent a lack of other congenital diseases.[19][20][21]
Notable Golden Retrievers
- Gerald R. Ford.[22]
- Bailey, pet of 2020 US presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.[23]
- Orca, PDSA Gold Medal recipient for bravery.[24]
- Mayor Max, elected Mayor of Idyllwild, California.[25]
See also
Explanatory notes
- ^ Accounts vary as to whether Sir Dudley Marjoribanks acquired Nous in 1865 or 1868.[2][6]
- ^ 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'.[2][6]
- Second World War, and 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".[6]
- ^ The American Kennel Club specifies that 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).[13]
References
- PMID 36118330.
- ^ ISBN 1-57076-219-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84797-492-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g Wilcox, Bonnie; Walkowicz, Chris (1995). Atlas of dog breeds of the world. Neptune City, N.J.: TFH Publications. pp. 450–452.
- ^ ISBN 0-87969-742-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-88365-302-8.
- ^ ISBN 0-948872-13-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-904057-05-5.
- ^ a b "Retriever (Golden) breed standard". The Kennel Club. The Kennel Club Limited. March 1994. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7566-6004-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-690-00056-6.
- ^ ISBN 1-85310-560-0.
- ^ "Official Standard for the Golden Retriever" (PDF). American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club, Inc. 13 October 1981. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- S2CID 83866889.
- ^ Hepburn, David (6 January 2022). "These are the 13 most popular breeds of adorable dog in the UK - according to the Kennel Club". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ "Most popular dog breeds – full ranking list". American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club, Inc. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ MacSmith, James (17 August 2021). "Australia's most popular dog breeds". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ Vandertogt, Alysha (6 July 2020). "Canada's most popular dog breed of 2020 is…". Cottage Life. Toronto. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- PMID 29408871.
- PMID 23738139.
- ^ Hovan, Rhonda. "Understanding Cancer in Golden Retrievers" (PDF). Golden Retriever Club of America.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "PDSA Gold Medal - Dogs". People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Office of the Mayor of Idyllwild". (Retrieved June 5, 2022)
Further reading
- Bérengère Wambergue (2007). Le Golden retriever: étude de la race et de ses prédispositions pathologiques (Doctoral thesis, in French). Toulouse: Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse.
External links
- Media related to Golden Retriever at Wikimedia Commons