The Golden Retriever is a relatively young breed and only dates as far back as the mid-19th century. Developed by Lord Tweedmouth near the English-Scottish border, the Golden Retriever combines the blood of retriever, Tweed Water Spaniel, setter and the sandy-colored Bloodhound. Golden Retrievers were first shown in UK in the early 1900's as Flat Coated Retrievers-Golden Variety. The Golden Retriever is a popular breed due to its well-mannered, friendly nature. It is also an excellent candidate for obedience training, and by instinct, is still a reliable, gentle-mouthed retriever. The Golden Retriever enjoys urban or rural settings as long as it is provided with plenty of outdoor exercise.

A few Golden Retrievers were imported into New Zealand in the 1940's, but it was not until the 1950's when some prominent English breeders emigrated to New Zealand, bringing their dogs with them, that the breed began to increase in popularity. From this time Golden Retrievers have gone from strength to strength. They are now one of the most popular breeds in the country.

Appearance
The Golden Retriever is athletic, well balanced, and symmetrical. Its appearance reflects its merry and outgoing temperament, and is usually never sulky or aggressive. This large breed is similar in appearance to the yellow Labrador Retriever, especially when young. The most obvious difference is the Golden Retriever's luxurious coat, which varies in shades of goldish yellow. Today's Golden Retrievers fall into two groups: English and American. These two types are merely variations of the Golden Retriever breed as a whole, and differ only in aesthetics.

Character
Typically, Golden Retrievers are fairly unruly as puppies. However, once they reach maturity, Golden Retrievers remain active and fun-loving while developing an exceptionally patient demeanor, as befits a dog bred to sit quietly for hours in a hunting blind. Other characteristics related to their hunting heritage are a size suited for scrambling in and out of boats and an inordinate love for cool water. Some poorly bred and inadequately socialized Golden Retrievers may have aggressive tendencies, but they are rare. Although the Golden Retriever is capable of living outdoors, it is such a social dog that it is best when it shares its life with its family.
 

Temperament
The Golden Retriever is a devoted, responsible dog breed. The Golden Retriever is mild-mannered and easy to train, yet maintains its sporting instincts. These qualities make this breed an ideal and reliable family pet, one particularly suited to a family with children.

Exercise/Training
The Golden Retriever needs daily exercise and human interaction. Challenging obedience lessons, active games or retrieving sessions are all good ways to exercise the Golden Retriever’s mind and body. Playing and obedience are very good types of mental exercise. 20 minutes obedience and playing with your Golden Retriever will be more useful for the dogs exercise then an hour walk on the leash can provide.

Color
The coat of the Golden Retriever is dense and waterproof, and may be straight or moderately wavy. It usually lies flat against the belly. The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard states that the coat is a "rich, lustrous golden of various shades", disallowing coats that are extremely light or extremely dark. This leaves the outer ranges of coat color up to a judge's discretion when competing in conformation shows. Judges may also disallow Golden Retrievers with brown or pink noses, though these are very rare. The Golden Retriever's coat can also be of a mahogany color, referred to as "redheads". As a Golden Retriever grows older, its coat can become a darker or lighter tint of brown, along with a noticeable whitening of the fur on and around the face.

Grooming
The coat of the Golden Retriever does not tend to mat but needs twice weekly brushing. A good nutrition and regular brushing keeps the proper coat shine and the skin healthy. Bathing doesn’t harm the coat of the Golden Retriever as long as you use a good quality shampoo that doesn't dry the skin and coat and is formulated for a canine coat. The ears of the Golden Retriever should be kept clean and regularly inspected as well.

Any breed described as "good with children", the dog must be accustomed to children. Any dog that is not well socialized with children will not behave predictably around them. As with all dogs, they should never be left alone with young children.