The Breed Mixture

The study of the first complete pedigrees shows a constant apportionment between the three principal breeds having participated in the conception and the realisation of the:

Golden Retriever

50 % Wavy-Coated Retiever

25 % Setter Irlandais

25 % Tweed Water Spaniel

 The second is very well known to this day, but we must not forget that during the last 150 years, this breed has itself changed, both physically and in character, taking into account the modification in the performance demanded. The other two have actually disappeared and it is very difficult to reconstitute their history and even to have an idea of their appearance.

The Wavy-Coated Retriever

This dog, which is considered a direct line ancestor, without outside influence, of the Flat-Coat Retriever, presents at origin an aspect far removed from the dog of today.

 In effect, the dog in the background is of solid construction, much closer in physique to the Labrador of today, whereas the dog in the foreground ressembles the Curly-Coat Retriever that we know. In the same way, the angulation of the rear end is close to what is demanded today in the Golden Retriever.

 The known or supposed origins of this Retriever give him a double ascendance, from one sde the St John's Water Dog, the Newfoundland fihermens dog, and from the other, the Irish Setter. We do not know the number or veriation of cross breedings that have taken place, but if we suppose that the two lines are equally represented, this would give another apportionment of the breed constituents of the Golden Retriever:

25 % St John's Water Dog

50 % Setter Irlandais

25 % Tweed Water Spaniel

 An equal mixture of setter and water dog.

The Wavy-Coats used in the elaboration of the Golden Retriever, were af a construction much closer to that illustrated in Nancy Laughtons engraving of 1968 (see " The Flat-Coated Retriever).

From the site "countrysportsandcountrylife.com" , the presence of the black Wavy-Coated in the ancestry of the Golden Retriever manifests itself very frequently in the existance of some black hairs in the Goldens coat.  

The St'John's Water Dog

This dog, who is supposedly a direct ancestor of the Labrador Retriever of today, has almost never been represented in its original form, neither that which existed in Newfoundland in 1850, nor that Lord Malmesbury's kennels in the same era.

In other place at that time, yellow dogs were considered to be undesirable and were put to sleep. On the other hand, everything concerning its origin speak of western european water dogs, coming from Irland to Portugal, passing through France and Spain. We have found two documents which make us reflect.

In effect, The St John's dog closely resembles certain Goldens of today,

both in build and form.

The Setter Irlandais

 We do not, on this site consecrated to the Golden Retriever, want to trace the origins of the Irish setter? If you are interested, you will be able to find other sites specializing in that breed. On the other hand, we must remember that hunting with setters is one of the most ancient forms., practised from the middle ages with a cast-net which allowed the capture of the birds.

Otherwise, this dog is considered to be very attached to his master and has origins in the Irish Water Spaniel and/or the French Spaniel.

 We note in this engraving from the end of the XIX Century, a well descended chest, a flag like tail and the front and rear feathers characteristic of contemporary Goldens.

The influence of the Irish Setter would have been selected to develop the hunt instinct and to stabilize the desired colour.

The Tweed- Water Spaniel

As this breed of dog no longer exists, we have not been able to put our hands on a reliable illustration. Many breeds now claim a direct affiliation with this breed, possibly the Irish Setter as seen above, in direct line , without exterior influences, the Irish-Water Spaniel jointly with the Wavy-Coat, the Curly-Coated Retriever, etc...

Other than that, we know that in general, the Water Spaniel shares the same family origins as the Fields Spaniels and that only by detailed selection have they changed little by little, particularly along the coasts of Great Britain.

Thes dogs are conscidered to be very intelligent, excellent swimmers and love pleasing their masters. In the Border regions between England and Scotland, numerous families counted on the Tweed-Water Spaniel to suppliment their normal diet with both fish and water-game, due its Retriever qualities. This breed is credited with having a great influence on the temperament, intelligence and retrieving qualities of todays Golden retrievers.

In the following images, we have tried our best to illustrate by means of reproductions of English engravings, from the end of the 19^th Century, what the Tweed-Water Spaniel would have looked like before its diappearance. However, the great variations prevent us from reaching some sort of conclusion. . .

 A Water Spaniel

This image corresponds to a duck-hunting scene, visibly dated from the end of the 19^th Century and cannot correspond with the Tweed-Water Spaniel of 1860 .

 An Irish Water Spaniel

This dog from 1888 cannot correspond either, knowing that the separate evolutions began around 1830.

  A Russian Retriever

This engraving from the beginning of the XX Century, only serves to put an end to a legend.

 The Bloodhound

As a suppliment to the constitutive breeds which we have attempted to discribe and illustrate in the context of the middle or the end of the XIX Century, another influence, very detailed, was made and noted in the kennel records of Guisachan:

  A sand coloured Bloodhound has been used to ameliorate the breed qualities of Goldens

We must once again forget the look of the dogs of today;