Tomich, Scotland - The History Of the Golden Retriever Part 1.

Tomich, Scotland is very important in the history of the Golden Retriever.  In a sturdy kennel nestled in the fields of this quiet town, puppies were born that would become the stepping stone for our beloved breed.  There is little on the internet about Tomich, but one gets the feeling that it has quietly been swept into the surrounding towns, holding on to the little bit of autonomy it can.

The history of the Golden Retriever is colorful. 

"In 1865, Lord Tweedmouth purchased a yellow retriever "Nous" from an unregistered litter of otherwise black Wavy-Coated Retrievers. Nous was later bred with "Belle", a Tweed Water Spaniel, and the resulting litter produced four bitches that were instrumental to his breeding program. One of them, "Cowslip," he bred back to for over twenty years. Over the years, several outcrosses, to black Wavy Coated Retrievers, an Irish Setter, and later a sandy-colored Bloodhound occurred as he sought to improve and fix his new breed. The coat textures of the Goldens of this time reportedly varied, as did the color, which ranged from fox red to light cream." (Text provided from K9Web)

Lord Tweedsmouth Estate, as seen today:

Oddly enough, the kennel buildings are in good shape!

An article on the Golden Retriever Club of America's website allows readers to see this grand estate and surrounding villages as it is today.  Click here to read the article.

We will continue the history of the Golden Retriever in following posts!