This dumb blonde ain't nobody's fool

Blessed with good looks and a sunny personality, it hardly seems fair that golden retrievers are also intelligent and adaptablebut it does explain their popularity, says Katy Birchall

- Katy Birchall

EVERYTHING is exciting for a golden retriever,' states Sue Jordan, owner of five working goldens. 'I love watching them work. They air scent, so their noses are up and they're working away, tails in the air, looking fantastic. When the sun is out, they're glowing—they know they look good out there, I'm sure of it.'

With long, flowing locks, feathered tails, and gentle eyes, the golden retriever is a handsome gundog and a joy to see out in the field. Darker and with a slender, more athletic frame than their heavier, pale-cream show strain counterparts, working goldens are often mistaken for another breed—'I've been asked if they're setters, fox-red labradors or flat coats,' Mrs. Jordan admits—and still fairly unusual to spot on a shoot. The golden retriever's good looks, sunny personality, and popularity as a family pet can mean its prowess in the shooting field is overlooked, but this intelligent, biddable and steadfast gundog should not be underestimated.

'A few years ago, my bitch, Nell, caught the scent of a running partridge, and off she went after it and disappeared,' Mrs. Jordan recalls. 'She was away for a good few minutes and everyone assumed she was just running around. I think they half expect goldens to turn into clowns out there. Then, a dot appeared in the distance and it was Nell returning with the partridge. Someone had seen the whole thing: she'd gone over three fields to retrieve it. They said it was spectacular to watch.'