Retrievers: Labrador and Golden, History, evolution and characteristics
We owe above all to the perfectionism of the English, to their passion and their mania for specialization and for the differentiation of tasks between the various breeds, the existence of the Retrievers, or dogs selected exclusively for the retrieval of dead game and for the recovery of that wound, tasks in which they are, of course, unsurpassed.
The British hunting tradition has definitively handed down to us the well-established image of the Retriever sitting composedly behind the owner engaged in a hunt for pheasants, "grouses" or ducks, waiting for the way to begin his meticulous, very precise work of recovery of the dead and wounded even from the most rugged and inaccessible places, even from the most icy and deepest water.
Another traditional image of the Retriever shows him while he follows disciplinedly, the master naturally a very distinguished English gentleman in front of whom two pointers cross, hitting the ground superbly. Magnificent action, sculptural firmness, consent, guided, whirring, shooting and here, while pointers remain motionless and almost indifferent, at the sign of the owner the retriever promptly starts, retrieving and bringing back and promptly relocates himself behind the hunter to resume watching the hunting waiting for a new intervention.
A somewhat servile task, if we like (and we have to smile when imagining a pointer who, with half-closed eyes and nose up, can turn to the retriever murmuring: "James, please, pick up!") But also a task of primary importance for the purposes of the game bag and the formation of the "tableau".
Nowadays, however, with the decline of so many aristocratic and grandiose traditions, even in fields other than hunting, it is no longer so often to witness similar scenes, perhaps not even in Great Britain. Almost all breeds of pointing and hunting dogs learn and perfectly perform the tasks of the Retrievers, from whom they have practically stolen the job, thus contributing to a certain decline and to the lack of popularity and diffusion, especially in our country. of such breeds.
There are currently five breeds of retrievers recognized by the FCI: "Curlycoated retriever", "Flat-coated retriever", "Golden retriever", "Labrador retriever" and "Chesapeake-bay retriever"
Apart from the latter, created and widespread in a well-defined and circumscribed area of the United States, the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia) known for hunting ducks and for its perennially troubled dangerous waters, the other four breeds of retrievers they are all of British origin. Among these, the most widespread and used breed is the Labrador, followed at a certain distance by the Golden and it is to them that we will dedicate a brief examination, given that they are also bred with competence and passion, albeit to a limited extent, in our country.
labrador retriever
As the name implies, these dogs come from the distant peninsula of Labrador (North-Eastern Canada), but the definitive characteristics of the breed were decidedly fixed in Great Britain by passionate breeders who worked with successive crossings and interbreeding on a strain of large, very robust black dogs, with thick and waterproof fur, that an English nobleman brought with him to his homeland, precisely from Labrador.
It seems that, just to speak of the proverbial, innate passion of these dogs for retrieving, they were also used by fishermen from their region of origin to retrieve large cod and other fish that escaped from the nets during their recovery operations. Extremely robust and solid, the Labrador makes perfect returns from the water, even if deep and frozen, from the most intricate and thorny brambles, and from any other environment. Docile and intelligent, it is easy to train (even precocious, as long as it is in the hands of an expert).
It has a large head with a pronounced stop. Nose: Broad and well developed nostrils. Scissor teeth. Jaws of medium length, very strong. Eyes not large, alert, brown or hazel in color. Ears not large or heavy, well attached to the skull, but rather back. Strong and muscular neck. Strong and straight forelegs. Loins broad and strong. Round and compact feet. A distinctive feature of the breed is the tail, called "otter tail", large, of medium length, thickly covered with hair, but without fringes, carried high but not rolled up on the back, like a corkscrew. Colors: black, brown or blond. A little white on the chest allowed. The height is 55-57 centimeters for males and 53-55 centimeters for females, the weight is around 25-30 kilograms.
golden retriever
It is definitely the most beautiful among the retrievers and this particular, limiting its hunting use, and increasing the number of specimens used as companion dogs, has also probably influenced its lesser diffusion compared to Labradors. A bit like the Irish setter.
There is a very particular hypothesis on the origins of the Golden, which we report from the Book «159 Breeds of Dogs» by F. Fiorone. It seems that, in the mid-1800s, the usual English lord, this time Lord Tweedmouth, bought some dogs from a circus (!) Who had hit him and told him they came from the Caucasus where they were used as shepherd dogs. With inbreeding between them and with robust inputs of blood from other breeds, especially Bloodhounds, and perhaps, more recently, Irish setters, the characters of the breed were finally definitively fixed, which are the following: General appearance of an active and strong dog , well proportioned and well built, with sweet expression and excellent movement. Broad skull with well pronounced stop. Strong jaws with scissor teeth. Sweet and dark eyes. Ears of medium size, well set on. Neat circled neck. Front rights. Strong hindquarters with non-cow hocks. Round feet. Tail covered with hair, with fringes, carried high with moderate inclination, never curled. Smooth or shaggy coat with dense and impenetrable undercoat to water. Gold or gold color, in all shades, but never tending to mahogany red (of the Irish).
Few white hairs are allowed only on the chest. Black truffle. Height: for males 55 - 60 centimeters, for females 50 - 55 centimeters. Weight 29-32 kilos for males and 25-27 for females.
PRACTICAL USE OF RETRIEVERS
In addition to the many times mentioned, typical game retrieval and retrieval tasks, especially in the United States, attempts have been made to match other hunting breeds (which they have learned to bring back) by trying to invade the real hunting field. and proper, In some cases the results seem to have been comforting. Well trained retrievers may do well in swamp hunts, reed beds, or scrubland with pheasants. And perhaps it would be an address to follow to make these dogs recover some popularity among hunters, beautiful and talented but "too specialized"