RETRIEVER

any of several sporting dogs bred and trained to retrieve game. Retrievers are characterized by water-resistant coats, a keen sense of smell, and soft mouths that do not damage game. Golden retriever. The golden retriever, typically a strong and hardy all-around dog and an excellent swimmer, stands 55 to 61 cm (22 to 24 inches) and weighs 27 to 34 kg (60 to 75 pounds). Its thick coat is long on the neck, thighs, tail, and back of the legs and may be any shade of golden brown. The golden retriever is noted for gentleness and willingness to work. It has been trained as a guide dog for the blind. Labrador retriever. The Labrador retriever originated in Newfoundland and was brought to England by fishermen about 1800. Standing 55 to 62 cm tall and weighing 25 to 34 kg, it is more solidly built than other retrievers and has shorter legs. Distinctive features include its otterlike tail, thick at the base and tapered toward the end, and its short, dense coat of black, dark brown, or yellow-brown. The Labrador retriever is characteristically rugged, even-tempered, and gentle. In England it has been used in military and police work and as a guide dog for the blind. Chesapeake Bay retriever. Other breeds of retrievers include the Chesapeake Bay retriever, a relatively stocky, brown dog (see photograph; the curly-coated retriever, a strong dog with a tightly curled, black or liver-coloured coat; and the flat-coated retriever, a powerful, deep-chested, black or liver-coloured dog. See the Table of Selected Breeds of Sporting Dogs for further information.