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European working retriever

January 8, 2014 by retrieverman

This is Vesterlyngs Token of Clyde:

source for image

source for image

This dog is pretty well-known in northern Germany and Denmark. (And one of his sons is available right now!)

This is him in profile:

vesterlyngs-token-of-clyde-

Source.

 

Wow.

Very moderate in bone.

I also notice that in his pedigree there are no North American working goldens within the most recent generations.

I’ve noticed that on many working golden retrievers in Europe, many do have blood from Canada or the United States, where golden retrievers are the second most commonly used “wildfowling” and “rough shooting” retrievers.  In Britain, the Labrador is by far the most common, and the vast majority of golden retrievers in Europe of the “polar bear” type, which are not commonly used at all. (The exception being in Germany, where I saw tons of working goldens walking off-leash. And trust me, I can tell a golden retriever from a Hovawart!)

Europeans always wanted their retrieving dogs to do more than just retrieve feathered game. In America, these dogs were used almost exclusively on waterfowl until people figured out they could also do a springer spaniel’s job.

But almost no one uses them on furred game. Not rabbits. Not hares or jackrabbits*.

And certainly not on foxes, which we consider a fur-bearing species and not a type of vermin. Foxes are taken here in the depth of winter when their coats are quite prime. Most are not shot. They are trapped. But if you shot a fox, you could make use of a good game-finding retriever to bring it back to you. At least in theory. I don’t know of anyone in the US or Canada who would do such thing.

Europeans have always used their HPR’s to fetch foxes, just as Americans always once expected our British-derived setters and pointers to retrieve. The British have always demanded specialist dogs, and the golden retriever is specialist retriever for the grousing moors and the driven shoots.

But its ancestors where the hardy water curs of Newfoundland and the salmon-netting dogs of the River Tweed.

Those water curs(“St. John’s water dogs” or “Cape Shore water dogs”) were used to hunt polar bears and seals, as well as retrieve shot ducks and sea birds.

This is such an intelligent, biddable breed that I think you could teach one to do just about anything.

People have even trained them in bite-work and sheep-herding.

The continental Europeans and North Americans don’t have much use for a truly specialized dog, and this breed– and all the retriever breeds– are not so hyper specialized that they cannot be taught to do other things.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

*European brown hares have been stocked in parts of the US. Jackrabbits are native North American hares.

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Posted in golden retriever, working dogs, working retrievers | Tagged golden retriever, red fox, working golden retriever | 12 Comments

12 Responses

  1. on January 8, 2014 at 10:21 am M.R.S.

    Looking at this dog’s 5 generation pedigree, there are some well known British working lines there, as well as a good dash of “show” names. Catcombe and Rayleas are both well known for producing dual-purpose Goldens. Certainly there are excellent working dogs around rhe world without American field dogs in their pedigrees. Also, British lines have contributed considerably to some of the major American field strains.


    • on January 8, 2014 at 10:30 am retrieverman

      Go through most of these European kennels, and you’ll find at least one dog with either an American or Canadian ancestor. Also, these dogs came from Europe first anyway.

      Dual purpose is essential dead in Europe. And close to being dead over here.


      • on January 8, 2014 at 10:51 am M.R.S.

        If, by “dual purpose”, you mean formal Dual Champion in North America or the UK, yes, there is at present one living Dual: Can, FTCH, CH, OTCh Foremark’s Push Comes to Shove. If, by “dual purpose”, I mean dogs that meet the standard nicely and which also can work competently in the field, well, there are quite a number of those around the world.

        In addition, there are some official Dual Champions in Europe. At least one in Italy. I don’t have names at hand, but there are a few. In the UK, there are many show-line dogs who “pick up” at shoots in the season.

        Field trials in North America require extremely specialized training and huge amounts of time, money, and dedication. Not conducive to pursuing multiple goals.


        • on January 8, 2014 at 10:57 am retrieverman

          You really can’t use the European show dogs as serious hunting dogs, except in places where the winter is mild, Virginia on South. The dog is becoming a polar bear mixed with a Clumber spaniel. That’s not a water dog. It’s a very depressing animal.


          • on January 8, 2014 at 2:32 pm M.R.S.

            Not all of the European or British show lines are of that extreme type. The last time I was in the UK (last July, at the GRC Centenary) there were quite a few dogs from the Continent in attendance, and some were beautifully moderate in type and structure.(I hope others appreciated them as much as did we Americans!)

            Personally, I don’t count the UK as part of Europe, and the Golden, as the Labrador, Flat-Coat, and Curly-Coat, was developed in the UK as a distinct breed.


            • on January 8, 2014 at 2:40 pm retrieverman

              They are still part of Europe. They are becoming more and more economically tied to Eurozone, whether they like it or not.


        • on January 8, 2014 at 10:57 am retrieverman

          Picking up is not “rough shooting” which is what Americans and most Europeans do– who are not British.


        • on January 8, 2014 at 10:59 am retrieverman

          The golden retriever in from North America is the only dog breed I know of that was developed in Europe that Europeans now import to improve their indigenous strains. There is not another example in any other breed, unless you weasel and say that Plott hounds are schweisshunds.


  2. on January 8, 2014 at 5:13 pm Jana

    “One of his sons is available…” are you thinking of adding another dog to your pack?


  3. on January 9, 2014 at 6:25 am chervilmeadow

    It’s much easier now for mainland dogs to enter these islands – and vice versa – with the suitable precautions now in force against rabies entering Britain. Politically, there could be a referendum not far concerning whether to take Britain out of Europe, especially if the United Kingdom Independence Party fares as well at the next general election as current poll readings predict.


  4. on January 9, 2014 at 6:26 am Jeff Pearey

    I have a working golden retriever in the UK and he is broadly the same as the dog in the photo – little longer in the leg and a good all round shooting dog. The working strain and the “show” strain in the UK separated some years ago… and people often ask what breed my dog is as he is so different to the large heavy set polar bear type!


  5. on January 11, 2014 at 8:13 am Jan

    Wow, Nice looking dog.



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