Hundreds of Golden Retrievers Meet Up in the Scottish Highlands to Celebrate 155 Years of the Breed

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Puppy Diaries (@puppy.diaries)

This month marked a special anniversary for one of the world's most popular dog breeds. It has been 155 years since the first golden retrievers were born in the Scottish Highlands. So, in honor of this date, hundreds of goldens convened at the Guisachan House in Glen Affric to spread joy for this beautiful and beloved breed.

A video shared on Instagram shows what it looks like to have 466 golden retrievers gathered in one place at the same time, and it's safe to say that it is as happy as anyone would expect. Spread across the large green lawn are dogs in varying shades of white, yellow, and a dark ochre. Each of them seems excited to be there, and perhaps, even more thrilled at the fact that they are surrounded by so many pups.

The story of the breed's origin is said to begin at the Guisachan House in Scotland in 1868. Sir Dudley Marjoribanks is credited for breeding the first golden to fulfill his desire for a hunting dog that would be well-suited for the terrain of the Scottish Highlands. A union between a tweed water spaniel and a wavy-coated retriever resulted in the first golden pups named Primrose, Cowslip, and Crocus, whose wavy coats and splendid demeanors set the standard for the breed.

Since then, the dog has taken off in popularity and is now more commonly known as a family companion rather than a working dog.

Hundreds of golden retrievers met up at the birthplace of the breed at Guisachan Estate in the Scottish Highlands to celebrate 155 years of golden retrievers.

Hundreds of #Goldenretrievers retrievers gathered in #Scotland for the 155th anniversary of the breed’s founding.
Guisachan Estate of Lord Tweedmouth in the Highlands. This footage was filmed and sent to Storyful by Darren Stocker pic.twitter.com/IfJM2Mgntl

— Michele McCormack (@MicheleMcCorma5) July 13, 2023