Golden Border Retriever

The Golden Border Retriever is hybrid of two intelligent companion dogs, the Border Collie and the Golden Retriever. The hybrid is a modern dog with little documentation over the last decade or so of intentional breeding. Owners can review the respective histories of both parents to understand their Golden Border Retriever better. The Border Collie is the premier sheepherder of all the dog breeds. Highly intelligent and independent, these dogs developed along the border of Scotland and England in the 19th Century though their sheepdog ancestors occupied the British Isles as long as man has. The northern Collies and sheepdogs all belonged to separate regions but were collectively known as Scotch Sheep Dogs. The Border Collie did not gain its name until 1915 when a Scotch Sheep Dog made Champion at a dog show. Secretary of the International Sheepdog Society coined the name in 1915 but did not reuse the name until 1946. It took many years for the American Kennel Club to recognize the Border Collie, and not because of this dog’s standards, which are impeccable. Many fanciers believed the Border Collie was so superior a working dog that developing conformation standards might detract from the breed, so the desire to maintain the working standard delayed entry into the American Kennel Club, which recognized the Border Collie in 1995. Like the Border Collie parent breed, the Golden Retriever was determined and hard-working. He was a welcomed addition to the hunting scene; his origins were in Britain where he was developed particularly by Lord Tweedmouth who bred the Golden Retriever with the Tweed Water Spaniel (now extinct). The mating of these two dogs created the foundation for future Goldens. This breed's love of the water made him invaluable as a retriever of game on land or in bodies of water. As guns improved and game was downed further and further from the hunter, this retriever, with his gentle mouth, could return the prize. The Dog Registry of America is the only club that currently recognizes the Golden Border Retriever as a modern hybrid.