Golden Retriever Backgrounds
In Europe
We can trace the Golden Retriever backgrounds in Europe to their Scottish origin, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Lord Tweedmouth. According to Lord Tweedmouth's detailed stud book, although black dogs were used in the initial breeding programs, they often ended up with yellow pups. He discovered that a black male and a yellow female invariably produced yellow pups, while some of each color came from a yellow male and a black female. Welcome to the world of genetics!  At some time during the 1890s, a sandy-colored bloodhound was used as a cross, probably to improve tracking abilities.
A bit of Irish Setter was also added to the mix, successfully "setting" the color. In England, the first Goldens were registered by the Kennel Club in 1904 and were listed with the Wavy or Flat Coats. After 1913, they were separated by color and known as Golden or Yellow Retrievers. The "Yellow" was officially dropped in 1920, and their official name of "Golden Retriever" was recognized at that time. Golden Retriever backgrounds in Europe include the Goldens making their first appearance in field trials in the early 1900s, with some degree of success. At the same time, some early fanciers began entering their dogs in conformation shows. Breed interest gradually grew and the Golden Retriever prospered in England. Goldens were making their names known in both the show ring and the hunting field, and there was great anticipation of a steady increase in numbers and accomplishments.
War Brings ChangesJust when everything was going great for the Golden, along came World War I to seriously undermine the growth and quality of the breed. During those years (1914-1918), breeding almost came to a standstill, and all dog activities ceased. The war-based Golden Retriever problems were finally coming to an end when war erupted again.
World War II (1939-1945) proved to be even more devastating. Not only were all shows and trials canceled, but there wasn't enough food for kennels of large dogs, and many large breeds virtually disappeared from Britain. Fortunately, a number of dedicated Golden breeders sacrificed in order to keep some core breeding stock going, while others sent their stock to the United States for safekeeping. After the war, the Golden Retriever once again emerged as the golden child of the dog world. Breeders in other parts of the world also helped to keep the breed strong. Unfortunately, there was also a serious drop in quality after World War II, as nearly anything that looked like a Golden Retriever was bred to fill the demand.
A Dog of a Different ColorIn between the world wars, an interest in lighter-colored dogs began. Prior to this, dark Golden Retrievers were considered more desirable, possibly because they seemed to blend into the landscape more smoothly.For whatever reason, most Goldens were relatively dark in color up until the 1930s. A nearly red Golden Retriever was a common sight (and was often mistaken for an Irish Setter).  The breed standard was later changed to allow for light- or cream-colored dogs.
This would eventually have an impact on how Goldens would look worldwide, allowing for a much wider range of color in all levels of dog breeding and competition. The mainly English cream Golden Retriever still seems to be more prevalent in Europe than darker shades of gold, though all golden shades can be found. From the early Golden Retriever backgrounds in Europe, this lovely breed went on to become popular in the United States and around the world.
Search here for more information on Golden Retrievers
or anything else you want to know:
Return from Golden Retriever Backgrounds in Europe
to Golden Retriever History
Return from Golden Retriever Backgrounds in Europe
to Lovable Golden Retriever Home Page
|
