The Golden Retriever

Here's another dog from Scotland.
There was an old tale that said the Goldens had some Russian tracking dogs in their lineage. Since I liked the story, my first two Goldens were called Natasha (the Red Menace) and Irina.
However, they are really from the Highlands. The most complete history of the development of the breed are included in the record books that were kept from 1835 until about 1890 by the gamekeepers at the Guisachan estate of Lord Tweedmouth in Inverness-Shire. These records were released to the public in "Country Life" in 1952. Unfortunately, the archives of "Country Life" on line don't go that far back.
Goldens were first shown in England at the Crystal Palace Show in 1908.
The first registration of a Golden by the American Kennel Club was in November 1925.
The first three dogs of any breed to achive AKC Obedience Champion title, first established in 1977, were Golden Retrievers.