Originating in the 1800's in the Scottish Highlands, the Golden Retriever was primarily used as a hunting dog. Lord Tweedmouth, an avid hunter, developed this breed because he wanted to create a superior retriever that could easily withstand the Scottish climate and terrain while successfully tracking down available game. To this end, he first crossed the Tweed Water Spaniel, which is now extinct, with his own Yellow Retriever. Later, the Irish Setter and Blood Hound were thrown into the mix. Those combinations produced the retriever of today.

A high intelligence and an eagerness to please land the Golden Retriever on the AKC statistics of one of the most popular U.S. dog breeds. Their highly developed hunting ability makes them the ideal search and rescue dog, guide dog and all around assistance dog. Their coat of gold is their trademark and ranges from light gold to dark.

As a sporting breed, the Golden Retriever is energetic and active. It can adjust to all sorts of living circumstances but must be exercised daily. His double coat is water-repellant and sheds seasonally. It will need to receive brushing on a regular basis. Not only is the Golden Retriever beautiful and useful, but he also has a very friendly personality. When you combine all of these positive traits together; you have a dog that is a pleasure to have in your family. Take some time to browse through the following ads for Golden Retrievers and see if the canine love of your life just might be there.