This dog comes from Ingrid0804’s Photostream.
This dog, as you can see from the other photos, has some retrieving instinct and an althetic frame. This dog is quite atypical of the “white” goldens I see in the US, and the “white” goldens I saw in Hyde Park.
Such dogs should not be ignored from a performance line breeding program. Indeed, they could be a source of new blood that these lines desperately need.
I go by a simple adage: no good dog is of a bad color.
I’m not opposed to “white” dogs because they are “white.” I’m opposed to them because they are usually built so coarsely that they lumber around like bears and they are too mellow to get excited about anything. But a “white” dog that is smart and active and healthy is a really good asset to a breeding program, every bit as much as the reds and mahoganies and those with white markings that also have that good conformation and drive.
Those of you who usually read this blog may be a bit surprised that I wrote such a post, but it’s what I think. When I’m talking about “white” goldens, I’m talking about “white” goldens that don’t have the drive or conformation to do anything but lie around.
A friend has a clumbersome golden bred from SAR parents. The dog looks like a slightly darker show GR, but has great drive and tries to overcome his build with grace and athleticism. His main purpose in life is to be an SAR dog, and I think he will be awesome at it. He and his handler also may have a career in freestyle in spite of his bulk. He is an driven dog who loves to work and train, and not by any means a sluggard. His one fault in my eyes, is he isn’t the beautiful dog you posted poised on the surfboard!
The only problem I would have with a dog with that conformation, even with the instinct and drive, is that might not be able to go as long and as hard as is wiry counterparts. But I bet he can be of some use. I’m not obsessed with appearance in a dog, and if he can do it with that build, all power to him.
A big, blocky golden with that drive does have a utility, even beyond SAR.
If I were hunting geese in a very cold climate that would be the exact conformation I’d go with, although even the wiry ones can do that work. The bigger dogs can stand cold water better because larger bodies retain heat better than smaller ones. Of course, you don’t want to be running a Newfoundland, at least the modern dog called a Newfoundland. And the converse for this dog is also true. A big, blocky dog can overheat faster.
Glad you finally clarified your stance on this. “A good horse is always the right color.”
I just now got around to this post, but coming from a cold climate I would still speak against the lumbering beasts in work.
I’ve seen a fairly large and coarse golden working in a hunt test and it just doesn’t have the ability to go as long as a lighter built dog. You have to remember that as the climates grow colder the hunting grounds also become boggier (or marshier) and a heavy dog will have a terrible time trying to work in such an environment.
I’m not talking about a coarsely built dog. I’m just talking about one with a big more volume and bone than we typically see in performance line dogs. Like this dog that used in Quebec: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdCdHxQm-hU
Here’s what he looks like out of the water (the first dog): http://redgolden.com/boys_en.php
And yet he’s relatively light in the water for his size.
He’s a much larger dog that I normally see in performance lines and he has a bit more volume and bone. That’s very useful for swimming in cold water. He’s not one of those super-coarse dogs that lumbers around like a polar bear. However, it’s really hard to find a golden with volume and bone that also has an efficient gait. I should also point out this same dog would have a harder time running in a warm climate as a upland game retriever. It would overheat more easily.
I personally prefer a more moderate dog with a good coat in winter.
Something more like this: