222 Golden Retrievers Gather in Scotland (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
222 golden retrievers have gathered together at the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland for a special event last month.
The Golden Retriever Club of Scotland was hosting a gathering of golden retrievers at the breed's ancestral home Guisachan House, and saw hundreds of dogs and their owners come together to celebrate the much-loved breed of dog.
The golden retrievers were returning to the Highlands house where they were first bred by a man named Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, later known as Lord Tweedmouth, in the mid-1800s.
The huge doggy bash including various activities and festival-like events including hurling, a tug-of-war, and of course the main event – a dog show.
Golden retrievers were bred as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl, such as ducks and upland game birds, during hunting and shooting parties, and were named retriever because of their ability to retrieve game undamaged.
Golden Retrievers are the third most popular family dog breed (by registration) in the United States, the fifth most popular in Australia, and the eighth most popular in the United Kingdom.
Some variations do exist between the British type Golden Retrievers that are prevalent throughout Europe and Australia, and those of American lines; these differences are reflected in the breed standard.
An American Golden is lankier and less stocky than a British type. A male should stand 22–24 in (56–61 cm) in height at the shoulders, and females should be 20–22 in (51–56 cm). The coat is dense and water-repellent, in various shades of lustrous gold, with moderate feathering. The gait should be free, smooth, powerful, and well-coordinated.
