You know this has to be a working golden retriever in Europe.
And this dog is. I got this image off the TjäderAndens Kennel in Sweden. (Link to the kennel’s blog).
Europeans want their dogs to retrieve fur. This takes this desire to a whole new level. I’ve seen photos of German HPR’s retrieving foxes, including gray foxes in the United States, but this is the first image I’ve seen of a golden retriever doing it.
Not that I doubted that they could do it. It’s just that no one from this country ever asks them to.
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Hat tip to Dave at the Little Heelers blog. He wanted me to see a kennel that had both performance-bred retrievers and Finnish spitz, but I jumped when I saw this golden carrying a fox.
I should note that the Russian have trained a very close relative of the Finnish spitz to retrieve ducks and even hold events that test the retrieving abilities of these dogs.
But that’s another post.
Speaking of retrieving spitzes… from the same website:
Ekka “was educated in the same way that our retrievers so she will come when called, is usually loose and can even footing without any problems. Sometimes retrieves the bird in hand to Dad’s delight”
You’re right about the fur retrieving in Europe. I have to admit that retrieving a fox is a first time seen for me. Aldaugh, our dogs once in a while are brought to rabbit hunting. The only problem is that rabbits loose their fur easily so we have to be careful that our dogs don’t choke with that. We sometime have to stick a finger and pull out the fur from their mouth.
At a major field trial years ago there was an incident where a competitor out airing his Goldens the night before a trial, had one of them with great pride retrieve a live (and very indignant) skunk…. Both dog and handler were pretty much “in solitary” at the trial next day!
Finnish-Karelian Spitz (or Laika – laika means barking) is the same breed as the Finnish Spitz. The Russians got most of their dogs from Finland. They were united into one breed in 2006.
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suomenpystykorva.
Also http://heninen.net/laika/suomeksi.htm
I have a whole post on the classification of this spitz and the Finnish spitz in the works.
It’s nice to see some “lumping” in dog breeds rather than “splitting.”
Within the FCI, the Karelo-Finnish Laika and Finnish Spitz are the same breed. However there are still people out there who refuses to recognize the move as they feel the show rings will ruin the temperaments of the newly introduced laika blood. These hunting kennels are right to assume this because the Finns are already talking about breeding out the white and black guard-hairs out of the dogs for the sakes of conforming to the standards.
So, no, two strains of dogs are not quite the same in some people’s books. Genetically, about 70% to 100% the same, yes; depending on the sampled dog. The Karelo-Finnish Laika also got Norrbottenspets in the pedigrees as well. So while on paper, they are the same breed– not everyone agrees.
But then we’re getting in the whole “landrace” versus “breed” debate. However, like Scottie says, it’s nice to see some “lumpers” instead of “splitters.” Finnish Spitz do need an infusion of fresh blood.
Like Scottie, I will touch on the subject on my blog as well once I come across a PDF of the 2006 agreement.