The Golden Retriever is a versatile and willing gundog and companion

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The Golden Retriever breed was developed between the 1860's and the turn of the century on the shooting estate of Lord Tweedmouth at his country home, Guisachan in Scotland. The Golden Retriever is an adept gundog that has developed over the years to become one of the most popular of all family pets. The Golden Retriever today works as a gundog, guide dog, assistance dog, and therapy dog as well as partaking in the popular hobbies of agility and obedience. This is a versatile breed, beautiful, affectionate, talented and clever, it is no surprise that the Golden Retriever is so popular. Sadly popularity brings its own problems and over-breeding, indiscriminate breeding and breeding for winning looks alone have undermined and damaged the breed in recent years. As well as the puppy farms, fads of colour, "pet" litters bred to pay for the family holiday and those obsessed with only winning in the show ring have produced a flood of untypical dogs sometimes with unreliable temperaments and a variety of health problems.

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