Soft Coated Golden

The Soft Coated Golden shares all of the delightful characteristics of his parents, the Golden Retriever and the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. The exact origins of the Golden Retriever is a bit foggy. It is widely believed that Dudley Marjoribanks first acquired the only golden puppy from a litter of black pups in the Highlands of Scotland around 1840. He started to breed the yellow dogs and created the first foundation Goldens. During the era, hunters required a dog that could retrieve game on both land and water because of the varied regional terrain. The Golden Retriever was bred to be a gun dog and readily retrieve waterfowl in Scotland during the 19th century.  In 1925, the American Kennel Club officially recognized the Golden Retriever and entered the dog into the Sporting Group. It has become a popular choice as a hunting dog, service dog, guide dog, tracker, and search and rescue canine. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier hails from Ireland where it has been bred for over 200 years. It is considered an all-purpose farm dog. The Wheaten hunts, herds, guards livestock, hunts vermin, and is a companion. The feisty Terrier was considered to be the poor man's Irish Wolfhound because it was never owned by the gentry.  Historically, only aristocrats or gentry were legally allowed to own a hunting dog that stood over 19 inches tall at the withers or had a long tail. If anyone owned a dog that fit those specifications and was not gentry then a tax was levied on the person. To avoid the costly tax, common people made sure the Wheaten was short and sported a docked tail. In 1973, the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club and entered into the Terrier Group.