Golden Retriever
Developed on a Scottish estate in the 1860s for retrieving from water and from land. The mouth is soft enough to carry an egg, and that was part of the point.
Overview
The Golden Retriever was created in the Scottish Highlands from the 1860s by Lord Tweedmouth, crossing a yellow retriever with the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel, and the studbook survives, which makes the breed's origin unusually well documented.
It is one of the most popular breeds in the world and among the most reliably good tempered, and it also has a serious cancer problem: multiple studies put lifetime cancer rates in the breed above half.
Temperament
Friendly, biddable and famously tolerant. Goldens are outstanding with children, sociable with strangers and other dogs, and they are among the easiest breeds to train.
They are also slow to mature, staying boisterous for two or three years, and they are mouthy, carrying things constantly, which is the retrieving instinct. They are people oriented and do badly left alone.
Care and grooming
A dense water repellent double coat that needs brushing two or three times a week and daily during the two heavy moults. They shed a great deal.
Hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, pigmentary uveitis and subvalvular aortic stenosis all occur, and several have tests. Cancer, particularly haemangiosarcoma and lymphoma, is the leading cause of death.
Living and exercise
Ninety minutes to two hours a day with swimming and retrieving.
They are prone to obesity and it worsens the joint problems. Ten to twelve years is the expectation, and buying from a breeder who tracks longevity and cancer in their lines is worth more here than the individual test certificates.
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