Lord Tweedmouth developed this breed in Scotland during the late 19th Century. They were bred from flat coated Retrievers and Tweed Water Spaniels (now extinct). They are considered to be the 4th smartest breed (behind Border Collies, Poodles and German Shepherds). The Golden Retriever loves to swim and is always up for a game of fetch in the lake. They are often used on search and rescue teams because of their keen sense of smell and tracking abilities. Goldens are a popular choice to star in movies and TV shows, because they are so easy to train. Goldens are known to take care of other animals, even cats. They can run up to 20 and 30 miles per hour.
Famous Golden Retriever owners include Oprah Winfrey, Betty White, Jackie Chan and Paul Newman.
FUN FACTS:
Charlie, a Golden Retriever from Australia holds the Guinness world record for the loudest bark at 113.1 decibels (for comparison a chainsaw is 110 decibels).
A Golden Retriever named Angie has the record for the most tennis balls held in the mouth by a dog, at 5 regulation-sized balls!
The Golden Retriever is Britain's 16th most popular dog breed.