This is a Scottish golden retriever doing pick-up work for a rabbit shoot.
As I noted earlier, retrievers in UK are used to retrieve both hares and rabbits.
I have no idea why this use has never taken off here. It seems to me a very useful thing for retrievers to do.
Retrievers aren’t just bird dogs.
I’m sure you noticed that this is the first cream-colored dog I’ve posted in a while.
And it’s working.
There are lots of working cream goldens in the UK and other European countries. It’s just that most of the “English cream” goldens that are being sold in the US are generally of an inferior mass-produced stock.
They are great puppy mill fodder.
However, there are some breeders of good quality creams in the US. You just have to search for them.
Retrievers (and other Gundogs) still have to earn a gundog working certificate under field trial judges, or an award in a field trial, in order to be recognized as a Champion. If they only earn the three Challenge Certificates at shows, they are Show Champions, considered by many as a lesser title.
One of the most notable field trial Goldens in the UK was FTCh Holway Corbiere; not a “cream”, but golden of a definitely lighter shade than most field champions.
The Show Champion title was invented by the KC in 1958.
One of the then highly regarded breeder called the new title “Shame Champion” ;)
Gee, we have a lot of “Shame” here.