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Monday 31 July 2017

Retriever

The retriever is a gundog used for retrieving game. The commonest breeds are the Labrador retriever and the golden retriever.

HISTORY

A Golden Retriever. By Marlies Kloet 

Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. Many have them as pets because they are friendly and playful.

The Curly Coated Retriever is possibly the oldest breed of gun dog and at one time the most popular, due to its willingness to hunt over water.

Curly coated retriever. Wikipedia Commons

It was developed in Great Britain in the early 1800s by cross-breeding Newfoundland Hounds, Irish Water Spaniels, various retrievers, pointers, and possibly even poodles; The Curly Coated Retriever is now a very popular hunting dog in New Zealand and Australia.

The Golden Retriever was once also called Russian retriever or Russian tracker because of the legend that Russian sheepdogs from a traveling circus were ancestors of this very affectionate and reliable breed.

Dudley Majoribanks, later known as Lord Tweedmouth, is largely credited with developing the modern breed in 19th century scotland. The breed was created to be stronger than other retrievers but more gentle with people so they could be trained very easily.

Golden Retriver

In 1868, Nous, a Wavy-coated Retriever, and Belle, a Tweed Water Spaniel were bred together by Lord Tweedmouth. This created the foundation litter of Golden Retriever puppies, three yellow wavy-coated dogs called Cowslip, Crocus and Primrose. All Golden Retrievers are related to Nous and Belle.

In 1903, the Golden retriever breed was added to the list of the Kennel Club of England, but it was not added to the list of the American Kennel Club until 1932.

FAMOUS RETRIEVERS

United States President Theodore Roosevelt owned a Chesapeake Retriever called Sailor Boy.

Most war dogs trained for World War II were German shepherds or Labrador retrievers (for their superior noses).

President Gerald R. Ford owned a Golden Retriever called 'Liberty'.

During his time at the White House Bill Clinton had as a pet Buddy, a Labrador retriever.

Buddy

Buddy, the Golden Retriever who starred in the 1997 comedy movie Airbud, was actually a stray rescued in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the film, Airbud is also a stray who gets rescued after being abandoned by his owner.

A golden retriever named Toby saved his owner from choking to death by jumping on her chest. Maryland resident Debbie Pankhurst said she was eating an apple at home on March 23, 2007 when a piece became lodged in her throat and she began to choke. Toby saved her by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre until the apple was dislodged. He also licked her face to keep her from passing out.

The mayor of Idyllwild, California is a Golden Retriever. Max (Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller) was voted into office during an election held in June 2012, and was inaugurated to a one-year term on July 1, 2012.

On April 2, 2013, Mayor Max passed away. The successor for the remainder of Max's term, Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller, II, arrived in Idyllwild on July 21, 2013. Max II was accompanied by two deputy mayors: Mikey and Mitzi (Mikey Mighty-Dog Mueller and Mitzi Marie Mueller). Mayor Max II, Deputy Mayor Mikey, and Deputy Mayor Mitzi are all related to Mayor Max.

In March 2014, as the end of Max's term approached, the Idyllwild citizens overwhelmingly pled for Mayor Max's continuation in perpetuity.


USE AS SERVICE DOG

The retriever's willingness to please and trainability have made breeds such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever popular as a disability assistance dog.

A golden retriever, Figo, sacrificed his safety to protect his owner in Brewster, New York in 2015. He leaped in front of a school bus in an effort to protect a blind woman. The chief of police said he'd seen dogs protect their owners from intruders, but never automobiles. Figo only sustained a leg injury.

Source Compton's Encyclopedia

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