Everyone who reads this blog knows this is the kind of golden retriever I like.
In fact, that’s the image that comes to my mind when I think of the word “golden retriever”– darker in color, more lightly built, very smart and eager to please.
I’m certainly glad that she was able to be of some use through her natural talents.
Of course, I wonder if she may have been even more useful as a working retriever.
Thank you for posting my video! I have high chase drive, but not as much of a retriever. I do like my birds though! Join me on Facebook & Twitter under “Surf Dog Ricochet”.
Ricki
Ah I see.
If the chase is there, and the birdiness is there, often it’s just a matter of a decent recall and a little maturity and exposure.
JMO, which really doesn’t matter anyway. If the dog is happy, the dog is happy, and if it has the opportunity to spread some love, that’s even better.
That’s for sure! My littermate does really well in field work. It’s more my “mom” who doesn’t want to train in that due to her service dog training background. But, I am very happy, and make other people happy, so it’s all good. Maybe one day, I’ll have to try it!!
That is an awesome video. Very moving. I thought she was going to say that she decided to hunt the dog, not teach it to surf.
Unfortunately, I doubt that one could raise money and awareness for such a great cause by finding and picking up a mouthful of twitching feathers in front of cameras (esp. In SoCal).
It’s good to remember sometimes that gun dog trainers are not exactly curing cancer with their hobby.
A tenuous argument for conservation could be made, but thats about it.
As an aside, someone on a forum I frequent posted pictures of a local dog show in which she participated. Can someone please look at that golden retriever (do a CNTL-F and type in “Golden”, there are a few pics of him with a curly-coat thrown in for good measure) and tell me that his coat has been shaved? And why in the world are they keeping the hair on the chest, neck and legs like that? I think it’s a horrendous look for the breed, but that’s just me.
Don’t get me started on the Pomeranian (whose cut makes it appear like it’s neck is cranked back at an awful angle), or the Springer and American cocker spaniels (how in the world would all that hair on the belly make for any type of useful dog in the field).
But I saw the golden and groaned. Have I been boycotting dog shows for so long that looks have changed (and for the worse) without my knowing?
Interesting.
One of the things I’ve seen is they often let the dogs grow a lot of hair around their sternums to hide a weak forechest.
I see that a lot.