Of all the dog breeds today, it’s no secret that the Golden Retriever is among the most popular. With a friendly disposition, intelligence and easy going personality, this breed is sought after among golden retriever breeders. Their natural agility also makes them great performers in agility competitions, especially dock jumping. This is one breed that will continue to be in high demand.

As golden retriever breeders well know, this dog is from an all sporting line. Originally, they crossed a Tweed Water Spaniel and a yellow-colored retriever. This cross resulted in four pups, which became the base for a breeding program of the modern day Golden Retriever. The original breeding program started in England, and continues to put forth exceptional dogs of high caliber.

There are distinguishing marks of a British Golden Retriever and American Golden Retriever. Golden retriever breeders will note that the British type has a white or cream coat, much lighter than their American counterparts. The British type also has a stocky body, square head and muzzle and the eyes are set closer together. The American type has a leaner body with the eyes set slightly farther apart, forming a triangular shaped head. English bloodlines show exceptionally fewer incidents of cancer than American bloodlines. Many American breeders will import English dogs to improve their own bloodlines.

Golden Retrievers are not generally a one man dog, but are friendly toward all people. This makes them good for purposes other than being a guard dog. They are very intelligent and eager to please, making them especially easy to train. Since they are a sporting dog, golden retriever breeders often breed them for agility competitions. They have good swimming skills and have proven good at dock jumping competition. They also make excellent search and rescue dogs, guide dogs and police dogs. This breed will work until they collapse however, so care should be taken on behalf of the dog, so that they do not overwork themselves.

This breed should continue to see a rise in demand. Golden Retriever breeders will likely continue to notice an increase in breeding for sporting competitions as well as family pets. The Golden Retriever is a wonderful companion and friend.