Breed History
The Golden Retriever’s origins trace back to mid-19th century Scotland, United Kingdom. It’s believed they descended from the now-extinct Russian tracker dog. During that era, wildfowl hunting was a popular sport among the Scottish elite. Existing retriever breeds at the time were found inadequate for retrieving game from both land and water effectively. To address this, the best water spaniels available were crossed with existing retrievers, leading to the development of the Golden Retriever, a breed specifically designed for efficient game retrieval with its renowned “soft mouth.” This innovative breeding led to the Golden Retriever becoming a very well-liked and sought-after dog for generations.