Golden retrievers are handsome dogs that are feild-worthy.

The dog was originally bred in the mid 19th century in Scotland. Wildfowl hunting was popular at the time with the Scottish elite and these dogs were bred to retrieve the fallen game from water as well as the land.

So, as the name suggest, Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve game.

Golden Retrievers are a cross between the best water Spaniels with the then-existing retrievers to make a dog that was excellent at retrieving the fallen game from water as well as land.

In this blog post, we will talk about Golden Retrievers and how they make an excellent partner for hunters to retrieve game.

Let’s get started, shall we?

A Quick Peek at the History

Golden Retrievers were bred in Europe and the breed came into existence in the mid 19th century in England and Scotland. This medium-sized sporting breed was an asset for obtaining food both in the waterfowl and upland game bird worlds.

Throughout the 1800s the breed became even more desirable which led to it being recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1925.

Soon, these beautiful dogs became one of the go-to breeds for many hunters.

Because of their photogenic looks, these breeds took the print and television advertisements by a storm and were constantly shown in advertisements. This, too, contributed to their popularity.

The breeding standards became less stringent because of the breed’s popularity and the dog breed was broadly divided into two categories:

• Show breed
• Field dogs

Field bred golden retrievers have a shorter coat and have been bred for generations to hunt. These dogs look a bit different than the conventional Goldy and exhibit the right drive and retrieving desire.

It is important to note that all Golden retriever variations make excellent house pets.

However, if you want your furry friend to accompany you to the hunting field, you should look for one that’s been field bred.

Field-bred dogs have the right temperament for retrieving and hunting.

Field-Bred Golden Retrievers

Actual hunting Golden Retrievers are leaner, smaller, darker, and have a shorter coat with fewer feathers. These dogs have as less full tail and are quicker.

Field-bred Golden Retrievers aren’t as social or gentle as the show breed but are known to be brighter. These dogs have webbed toes for swimming and they have thick skin on their back, shoulders, and chest.

These dogs are also less sensitive to pain from scratches or cuts.

These dogs are known to be more intelligent than the Show variety, but may not be as personable, social or dependent on the handler for its happiness.

Golden Retrievers were originally petite and while the male dogs weighed between 65 to 70 pounds, the females weighed between 55-65 pounds. These Goldens had a warm colored coat and were often described as being predominantly red or dark golden in color.

In fact, the modern field-bred Goldens can have red or even buff feathers. The dogs have long wavy thick coats with an inner layer for insulation which comes in handy for winter---the Duck hunting season. They also are better classified as working dogs.

What Exactly Are Retrievers?

We’ve been talking about Golden Retrievers for a long time and in this section of the blog, we’ll go through what being a retriever actually means.

Retrievers are a type of gun dogs that help a hunter retrieve game. These dogs are generally divided into three major classifications, this includes:

• Retrievers
• Flushing Spaniels
• Pointing breeds

These dogs were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage.

Retrievers are distinguished in that nonslip retrieval is their primary function.

The retriever breeds are bred for their soft mouths and have a great willingness to please their owner, learn new things, and obey their owner. Golden retrievers have a soft mouth and this generally refers to the willingness of the dog to carry game in its mouth without biting into it.

Hard mouth is something that’s considered to be a serious fault in a hunting dog and is difficult to correct.

This is because having a hard mouth renders game unpresentable or at worst inedible.

Skills Required for Retrievers

Following is the list of skills that retrievers must have to be good at its job:

• Remain under control in stressful situations
• Mark downed game
• Perform a blind retrieve
• Retrieve to hand
• Honoring
• Shake on command
• Quarter
• Remain steady to wing and shot

Conclusion: Retrieving and the Golden Retrievers

To sum things up, Golden retrievers are retrieving dogs that, as the name suggests, accompany a hunter on their trips and help retrieve the fallen game from water and land, depending on the breed.

Golden Retrievers were originally bred to retrieve fowl from land as well as water.

As time passed, Golden Retrievers gained popularity because of their good looks and excellent personality. This meant that the breed specifications became increasingly liberal which led to two sub breeds:

• Show breed
• Field dogs

Field dogs are the ones that are bred for hunting and retrieving game. These dogs make excellent companions and have a shorter coat and are friendly and loving.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments section, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.