01/13/2025
UK vs. US Working/Field Goldens.
For the last 6 years I've trained and breed UK goldens. I have 50:50 goldens and of course over the last 18 years I've purchased 9 different field goldens from a variety of breeders including FT lines.
My first legit FT breed golden was:
Firemark's Bridgerland Wilfire MH30 ** (2/7/2010-10/8/2022)
I was early in my GR career when I picked up Bridger as a pup. It didn't take long to see the real difference in US bred FT goldens. He was a LOT! After 4 years I sold him to an experienced FT trainer at Master Kennel in AZ. As I've grown in the breed. learned studied, bred and trained, I offer a very critical lesson about the field bred golden retrievers. This came only after I imported my first UK goldens. Goldens are smart, the think a lot. Every pro trainer I've spoken to has told me that. You can see it when they run. They turn and start thinking, looking and want to act but if they do, they know what comes next!
In the UK, they rarely if ever use e-collars. Its not only socially unacceptable and there are ongoing discussions about the legality of using them. Laws etc. Understanding the evolution of today's GR ties back to the evolution of the e-collar and its usage or lack there of in training.
In the early days (1950s-60s) when the remote electric collar was being invented, it was truly a “shock” collar. It was a high level shock which was meant to stop unwanted behavior at a distance. Expensive, short distances and less reliable. That’s it, one level, one purpose, pretty simple.
The advances in E-collar technology brought about much more gentle and refined training practices. Early adopters believed this would be embraced as a modern miracle. Some even believed that, in the future, all dogs would be trained via “remote control.” This mentality removes the fact that golden & human can develop a powerful bond. This remote training mindset is where I think a lot changed within the US bred field dogs. Now a trainer could train faster and more effectively control obstinance or bad behavior remotely. Obstinance is a characteristic of being stubborn or determined, and is often used to describe someone who is strong-willed and refuses to change. In the past, you had to train through it and frankly most people didn't want it in their lines. Its too hard to resolve. For the GR, it was contrary to the originators breeding plan which was the consummate gentlemen's retriever. The embodiment of the GR is the essence of their temperament.
The Rise of Controversy
The problem with the modern E-collar technology is that it didn’t start until the 1980s and didn’t really get good until the 1990s. In other words, it was too little, too late because there was something else that started in the 1980s and gained popularity in the 1990s. It is called “positive” dog training and it is the sworn enemy of the E-collar. The first time I heard about positive training was from Lorie Jolly when I contacted her about using Mr. Speaker semen. She asked me how I trained. She sent me her positive training book and I read it. However, I didn't attempt her practices until later. She was the first person I knew of that earned an AFC using positive techniques. She showed all of us that it can work. Tried and true. However, you have to have the right golden temperament. Meanwhile, some trainers in the US had e-collars and used them as a primary training source. Some well and others not well. I've seen it at picnics and everywhere else. Its not pretty when the person with the button is very upset. It is my belief that the e-collar allowed us to some degree, breed out the essence of the GR temperament so that we could start competing in the field with labs and chessies. You could now line breed drive, speed and distance more than ever before. I speak generally not 100% collectively. Please make that distinction.
On the other side of the pond GRs are being breed that pick up and train competitively with complete temperament and compliance traits in mind. They did the exact opposite of what some of the US breeders where doing. When I first contacted UK breeders they where skeptical. They told me "No Way" the US goldens are TOO HOT! End of story. Those that imported goldens from the US mostly went directly to the highest title achievements kennels without knowing what had been bred and how it got there. When I first imported 2 goldens out of a top 5 IGL finisher in the UK, I was expecting something very similar to Bridger. I couldn't have been more wrong. Over the next 6 years I learned, what I think, is the root of in country breeding differences. In addition to breeding and training behaviors, many wanted a golden perfectly suited for how the "games" are set up.
As positive dog training started to grow in popularity, groups began to form and many of them became politicized, eventually taking on an activist mentality. What started as small groups of dog trainers with the honorable mission of exploring ways to make dog training more gentle and reward-based somehow spun off into groups of crusaders that would proclaim that all dog training must be based purely on rewards. Basically, they condemned all the traditional dog training tools and methods that had been around forever. They promoted “modern” ideas such as “hands-off” or “force-free” dog training with “never say no” policies and were essentially leading people to believe that the only tool you need is a bag of treats to train a dog.
E-collars In Perspective: Is a microsecond of “shock” better than your dog getting hit by a car, bitten by a rattlesnake, running after wildlife, killing the sheep, etc.? Assuming the E-collar works for stopping such things, it sounds like a no-brainer, however, it’s not that simple. Here’s the reality; E-collars can stop those things but they can also backfire by triggering a dog fight rather than stopping one, causing a dog to panic and run into the street rather than come back to you, etc. The secret to E-collar success is proper use which, unfortunately, is not as common as it could be.
In summary
I love my UK and US goldens because they are different and make me a better trainer. What I've come to love most are the 50:50 goldens. They are without question some of my best and I see a day when that's all I have. There are attributes of both that can and are benefitting the breed, Many of my clients are finally seeing my full vision and experiencing for themselves the benefits of each. Its not 100% prefect.
I have a young US field GR with all the main kennel names in the pedigree and she is obstinate. Eden will come up to me and sit without a word. Not so with this young GR. I have not trained her with a collar. I plan to work through it and develop a relationship of trust. But it's SOOO much harder.
I'm sure you're reading this and saying, my GR is not obstinate! I say, good, that's the way it should be. All GRs where bred with temperament as a key character trait. I'm saying that the game and the e-collar has allowed defiance to creep in with the juice. How many kennel names in the US have descriptors such as RED HOT, CHILI, SMOKIN, FLAMES, FIRE etc etc. The connotation is that this GR will run through brick walls for you. And yet, 90% + of the people who call me ask about the OFF switch. Nobody wants episodes of "Marley and Me" destruction while running errands. If all goldens had the temperament of the originators would we be talking about OFF switches? I don't think we would.
I don't have all the answers but I think new puppy buyers should understand and educate themselves. If you want to go for the gold, at least understand the path and what you need to get there. If you want a weekend hunting buddy and something for the grandkids, make sure you get the right fit. I respect the fact that there are those who want to dock dive, hunt, agility, SAR and yes FT. It shows just how versatile this breed is. If you want to wrestle high octane bullets at the highest level or drive to Home Depot with your buddy next to you, I think that's wonderful.
When I see Mr. Speaker get an AFC using mainly positive training, its the embodiment of the golden and why I have UK girls and Mr. Speaker semen. Not hard to figure out which way I'm headed with him.
My approach is to breed with the original mindset and be respectful of the amazing accomplishment of others in their chosen venues. This artilce is intended to be helpful. Especially to those looking for the right fit. If you have several UK, US and 50:50 goldens and see it differently, then please post on your FB page and help educate those that don't have your experience.
Referenced and partially quoted article
E-COLLAR: History, Evolution and Controversy
Happy Training!
