The Retriever came into prominence in the early 1800's in England and Scotland. In 1865 Lord Tweedmouth visited the Earl of Chichester, who was a dog breeder. Lord Tweedmouth bought a single yellow wavy coated puppy from a litter of black Retrievers. The dog was named Nous, and became the foundation of the Golden Retriever breed. In 1867 Lord Tweedmouth was given a Water Spaniel bitch whom he named Belle. The following year, Belle was mated with Nous and had a litter of four yellow bitches. It is well documented that the breed was created from Tweed Water Spaniels and small Newfoundland crosses, along with Irish Setters and other water spaniels. The Yellow or Golden Retrievers gained popularity in England toward the end of the 19th century. The first field trial win by a Golden took place in 1904. They were first shown in England in 1908. The Golden Retriever Club (of England) was formed in 1913. They were recognized as a distinct breed in the same year. 
  

 

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 It is known that Golden Retrievers were in the United States and Canada during the 1890's. However Golden Retrievers were not exhibited in dog shows until the 1920’s. In 1925 the AKC registered the first Golden Retriever as a distinct breed. They had been registered previously, but only as a Retriever, without the designation of color. The Golden Retriever Club of America was formed in 1938.  www.grca.org

The first three dogs to achieve their AKC Obedience Trial Championship titles were Golden Retrievers.