A water retriever and excellent bird dog, the Golden Retriever was actually spawned out of this breed. This breed was born from a mix of Newfoundlands, setters, and spaniels. While the Golden took the popular role, this dog has ardent admirers.
These dogs will bond tightly to the family they are with and can be terribly sensitive to emotions and situations. A family dog in all senses, they are very friendly as a rule, but can be too much for smaller children.