A treat for dog lovers: Nearly 500 golden retrievers gather to celebrate breed's anniversary in Scotland

Hundreds of golden retrievers assembled at the Scottish Highlands from July 10-14 to celebrate the 155th anniversary of the breed.

The Golden Retriever Club of Scotland organised a four-day anniversary event at the ruins of Guisachan House, the dog breed's place of birth. The event hadtalks, training workshops, a picnic and a night-time procession, reported BBC News.

Nearly 500 golden retrievers and their owners attended the gathering. The golden retrievers were from 12 countries, including Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia, Estonia, and Japan. The games and activities included haggis hurling, tug of war, and scurry. As per The Telegraph, the number of golden retrievers in attendance was 466.

The gathering at Guisachan House happens every five years. The first official gathering occurred in 2006, and the second was in 2013.

On Tuesday, the dogs assembled for a mile-long parade from Kennel Field to Guisachan House. The owners and dogs delivered a toast to the breed's founding father, Lord Tweedmouth.

According to the official website of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks (Lord Tweedmouth) first bred the dog at Guisachan, Glen Affric, near Inverness, in 1964. The first litter of golden retrievers, Crocus, Cowslip and Primrose, was born in 1868 to a Tweed water spaniel, now an extinct dog breed, and a yellow wavy-coated retriever.

The Kennel Club, the UK's largest organisation concerned with dog health, welfare and training, recognised the golden retriever as a breed in 1913.

Carol Henry, the secretary of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, told the BBC the objective of gathering the dogs was to keep the knowledge of the breed alive. "A lot of golden retriever owners find there’s an emotional attachment to the Guisachan house, and it’s where they want to go and look and experience," said Henry.

The established breeders are mindful of protecting the dogs' qualities and temperament. However, she said irresponsible breeding during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns has put this at risk. She said, "We want to hold on to the confidence, the biddability, the companionship and loyalty, all the things the golden retriever always has."

Golden retrievers are the third-most popular breed in the United States. They often become friendly house pets or service dogs because of their temperament and quick-learning ability.

A two-year-old golden retriever, Bronagh, from southern Ireland won the crowning event, a championship dog show.

(With inputs from agencies)

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