Golden Retrievers
Golden RetrieversOUTLINE
Thesis statement: The Golden Retriever is one of the most versatile dogs in the world.
I. Introduction.
II. History of the Golden Retriever
A. “Tale of the Breed”
1. Russian circus dogs
2. Bloodhound
B. Accepted Origin
1. Wavy-coated Retriever
2. Tweed Water Spaniel
3. Newfoundland
III. Popularity of the Golden Retriever
A. Hunting
1. Duties
2. Natural Characteristics
B. Shows
1. Bench Competition
2. Field Competition
3. Obedience Competition
C. Work
1. Guide dog for the blind
2. Other fields
D. Family
1. Pet
2. Breeding
3. Watch dog
IV. Conclusion
A noble head . . . a gentle twinkle of the eye . . . a smiling face . . .a vibrant burst
of energy, running free as the wind … a wagging tail, happily beating from side to side . . .
a thundering splash into icy waters in quest of game on a cold November day . . . a shiny
coat, glistening like a nugget of gold . . . a proud stance winning him the best of the show .
. . a guiding nudge to the blind . . . an enthusiastic search for snowballs tossed by the
family . . . and, most of all, a contented ball of loyal, unquestioning devotion curled up at
your feet at the end of a busy day: this is the essence of the Golden Retriever. They are
beautiful, intelligent, and very talented. The Golden Retriever is one of the most versatile
dogs in the world (Syder 30).
The heritage of the Golden Retriever has been in dispute for decades. The
less-believed tale with little evidence supporting the Golden’s origin is that of the circus
dogs. A British sportsman known as Lord Tweedmouth had visited the seaside resort of
Brighton where he saw a troupe of performing dogs. He was so fascinated with the
intelligence and skill of these dogs that Lord Tweedmouth promptly decided he must have
a pair to breed and train for field work at his estate in Scotland. The Russian trainer,
however, refused to break up the troupe, saying that to do so would ruin his entire act.
So after discussion, Lord Tweedmouth agreed to purchase the entire group of eight. He
then took them back to his estate and was said to have them started on a breeding
program. The dogs were believed to come from a breed known in their country as
Russian Retrievers, or Russian Trackers. The Russian Retrievers were noted for the
superior intelligence, but at the same time they were big and cumbersome, so many of
Lord Tweedmouth’s fellow sportsmen were not impressed with them. Lord Tweedmouth,
after long thought and consideration, decided to try a Bloodhound outcross for the
purpose of further developing the good tracking tendencies...
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