FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE GOLDEN RETRIVER

The Golden Retriever is a fascinating dog breed and they're one of the most popular dog breeds in the world for very good reason. Now in today's video, we're gonna look at the amazing history and origins of the Golden Retriever because we can't truly understand the breed we see today if we don't understand where they've come from. And we're lucky enough to be joined by one of my breed history experts who's gonna break down the beautiful Golden Retriever's history in ideally under five minutes. Now the ultimate family dog, it's hard to believe that the Golden Retriever was once a hunting dog. Now one of the world's most popular breeds, it's even harder to believe that it was once reserved only for the most select few that its pioneer approved of. Perhaps most difficult to believe though, because of its name, is that due to its color, it very nearly never existed at all. But there you have it. This striking story begins as so many breed stories do back in the 19th century in England with the birth in 1820 of one Dudley Cootes Marchbanks. Now Marchbanks was already destined for a life of opulence and extraordinary prosperity even if he was never to inherit his family's bank. The family were fabulously wealthy and so among many other passion projects, Marchbanks turned his attention to dog breeding. Back in the early Victorian period when he was a teen, hobby breeding was a highly respectable pursuit and as such Marchbanks took extensive notes of his breeding practices in a leather bound stud book that has become a much lauded historical artifact in the canine world due to what happened later. It was as an adult that the story really gets going for Marchbanks. Having acquired a country estate in Scotland, gained the title of Baron Tweedmouth and fathered his children, he was one day out walking with his son when he came across a dog that took his breath away. It was a yellow coated retriever of unknown type owned by a tradesman who had himself acquired the dog to settle a debt with a nobleman. It's hard to imagine now but in the 19th century it was commonplace to euthanize any yellow and chocolate hunting dogs at birth due both to aesthetic preferences and the mistaken but near universal belief that black dogs were the better hunters. So it was only the fact that this dog was taken on by a tradesman, a non-hunter that meant it survived and that golden retrievers are golden and existing at all. Marchbanks bought the dog and later had the inspired idea to breed it with a tweed water spaniel, a now extinct analog to the Irish water spaniel which gave the offspring aptitude on water and also the long and silky coat for which the golden retriever is well known. He kept breeding these hunting dogs and recording the breeding choices and practices in his famous stud book until his death. And the records are kept securely at the Kennel Club headquarters in Mayfair, London. But in these early days of careful breeding to create the perfect working dog, Marchbanks was careful only to donate the puppies to his select coterie of hunting noblemen whom he respected and trusted with the dogs he held so dear. After his death, breeding practices and owner class were less stringently controlled, meaning that the slow start of the Goldie's history was free to explode. The measured disposition and superb loyalty of hunting dogs means that they often make the transition superbly into family pets later in their development. Just look at the Cocker, the Lab, the Poodle, the Greyhound, the Great Dane, the Mastiff, the list goes on. But few have been quite so successful in making this transition as the golden retriever. Their incredible beauty coupled with their bidibility made them hits in the show ring. And it was via the show ring that their standard was established, their temperaments refined, and their development into the ultimate family dog was cemented. Nowadays, Goldies are rarely used in hunting contexts, but still have the noise tolerance, the collaborative spirit, and high intelligence that make them suited for this and many other working roles. But, as anyone who has been swept up in the popular culture of golden retrievers will know, it is their relationships with humans Many dogs can hunt, many dogs are excellent in the water, but few dogs can make you feel as deeply and truly loved as the golden retriever. So, let's all thank March Banks, Baron Tweedmouth of Ushagan Manor, whose difficult names we can forgive him for as he gave us such a spectacular dog. Guys, I hope you enjoyed that video. And if you love the golden retriever as much as I do, don't forget to like this video, but also don't forget to subscribe. We make videos like this every single week and we can't wait to see you on the next episode.