As a Gundog and Sporting dog, the Golden Retriever is well-suited to retrieving waterfowl and upland game birds. This breed originated in Scotland, on the Highland Inverness-shire estate of Lord Tweedmouth. Between 1835 and 1890 the gamekeepers helped develop this breed to suit the Lord's goal for a dog fit for the Scotttish climate and terrain. Improved firearms allowed hunters to shoot fowl at increased distances, More downed birds, however, went missing in the field. A dog breeding program would help make the dog more effecctive as a specialist retriever.

The modern Golden descended from the Lord Tweedmouth's Yellow Retriever and a Tweed Water Spaniel. Ancestors include all Sporting dogs, including small Newfoundland crosses, Irish Setters and other Water Spaniels. The Golden Retriever became prominent in England and Scotland.

In 1881, the Golden Retriever arrived in Canada and gave rise to the Canadian Golden Retriever, a new type with a coat colour between the British type and American type.

Physical Characteristics

The British type of Golden Retriever has a blocky, arched forehead, and a wide and short muzzle. Dark, medium-large eyes are well apart and deep in the sockets. The ears are set at about eye level, This breed has a strong jaw, but a soft mouth to retrieve game intact, The Retriever has round, cat-like feet and a free, long stride.

The male Golden stands approximately 56 - 61 cm (22 - 24 inches) at the withers; the shorter female stands approximately 51 - 56 cm (20 - 22 inches). The weight ranges from 25 - 34 kg (55 - 75 pounds).

A Toronto woman who is blind says Mississauga-based Wal-Mart Canada should review its policies after she and her guide dog were stopped for about the tenth time from entering one of its retail stores.
Judy Germain has grown tired of the unwelcome "greeting" she and her guide dog receive at her local Wal-Mart.
Germain uses Mr. Jones – a yellow Labrador and golden retriever cross – to get around. She says she is rarely troubled when entering buildings that prohibit other animals, except when she shops at the Wal-Mart store at Islington Ave. and Highway 401.
"It's 2010 – this shouldn't be happening," says Germain, 49. "It's degrading, it's frustrating, and it's embarrassing."
The store says it's simply a misunderstanding, and that Mr. Jones was not immediately recognized as a service dog because he was not wearing a service-dog vest.
In Canada, guide dogs are allowed anywhere people are.
Germain says the store's trademark greeters have stopped her and Mr. Jones eight or nine times in the last year, telling her they are not allowed into the store. On every occasion, Germain says, she speaks to a manager who allows her to continue shopping. When it happened again on Wednesday, Germain says she had had enough.
Officers at Toronto Police's 23 Division confirmed yesterday that Germain filed a report of Wednesday's incident with them.
Store manager Hamid Chaudry said that, since the first incident with Germain last year, the store's staff have been trained to recognize guide dogs.
"When we questioned the greeter last night, he did not recognize (Mr. Jones) as a guide dog," Chaudry said."The dog was not fully equipped as a guide dog should be."
Chaudry says Germain has been stopped two or three times.
Germain, 49, was born with impaired vision. She says she was wearing a jacket with a Guide Dogs Canada logo Wednesday night, and was using a guide-dog harness to walk Mr. Jones.
Andrew Pelletier, vice-president of Wal-Mart Canada's corporate affairs, said from the company's Meadowvale head office that it will review the incident.
"Anybody who knows Wal-Mart knows that we're committed to providing a welcome shopping environment to all of our clients."
He said Wal-Mart is a large employer of people with special needs and he has never heard of any incident of discrimination involving service dogs.
Germain says she just wants to shop without worrying if she's going to be harassed when she walks through the front doors.
"It's frustrating to walk into Wal-Mart and wonder, 'Is it going to happen this time?'"
Anyone found guilty of discriminating against the use of a specially trained guide dog in a public place can be fined a maximum of $5,000.