Retriever

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A black Standard Poodle retrieving Mallard. Poodles are rarely used for retrieving anymore, and are most commonly used as companions

A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gundogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage. Although spaniels and some pointing breeds routinely retrieve game, and many retrievers are skilled in finding game, retrievers are distinguished in that non-slip retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. A soft mouth refers to the willingness of the dog to carry game without damaging it. "Hard mouth" is a serious fault in a hunting dog and is one that is very difficult to correct. A hard-mouthed dog renders game unpresentable or at worst inedible.

The retriever's willingness to please and trainability have made retrievers such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever popular as assistance dogs.

[edit] Skills

In order to work properly as a gun dog, a retriever should be trained to perform the following tasks:

Retreive to Hand Although some hunters prefer to have a bird dropped at his or her feet, the majority of hunters require that a dog deliver a bird to hand, meaning that a dog will hold the bird until told to give it to the hunter directly.
Mark Marking is the process of watching for a falling bird. When the command "mark" is given the dog should look up for incomming birds.
Follow Hand Signals When hunting waterfowl a retriever's primary job is to find downed birds. Often the handler is in a boat and must direct the dog to the bird remotely. In order to do so, the handler must be able to induce the dog to sit and face him remotely inorder to give hand signals telling the dog where to look for the bird.
Shake A properly trained duck dog will shake only when given permission. Shaking in a small duck boat will drench the hunters (which can be unsafe in cold conditions) and could damage a bird if it is carried in the dog's mouth when shaking.
Quarter A retrievers secondary role is often as an upland flushing dog. Dogs must work in a pattern in front of the hunter seeking upland game birds. The retriever must be taught to stay within gun range to avoid flushing a bird outside of shooting distance.
Steady When hunting upland birds, a flushing dog should be steady to wing and shot, meaning that he sits when a bird rises or a gun is fired. He does this in order to mark the fall and to avoid flushing other birds when pursuing a missed bird.

These are the tasks for which the retriever was created. A dog from field-bred lines is selectivly bred for these skills.

Retrievers include:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Other Dogs with retrieving skill:

The Boykin Spaniel is most often worked as a non-slip retriever, though it originated as a duck- and turkey-flushing dog. Many would classify it as a flushing spaniel rather than as a retriever. Similarly, the American Water Spaniel could be listed in either category. Dogs such as the Poodle, which are rarely used in hunting today, are difficult to classify, but their traditional job was that of a retriever.