Although your retriever may be best at fetching a stick, Golden Retrievers are powerful dogs that were bred to hunt. They are especially useful for hunting waterfowl, as their thick coat is water resistant and enables swimming in cold temperatures. They were bred specifically to love water, and to have soft mouths that could retrieve fallen fowl without further damage. Golden Retrievers commonly weigh between 65 and 75 pounds, and reach a height (measured at the shoulder) of 23-24 inches. Females are somewhat smaller than the males. Retrievers are generally healthy dogs, although they are susceptible to obesity if their diet is not watched or exercise is not sufficient, and to a few other breed-specific ailments. We can't ignore the career dogs in any list of Golden Retriever facts! Many Seeing Eye dogs are Golden Retrievers, because of these dogs' excellent intelligence and adaptability. Because of their great noses, they are also popular choices to help law enforcement sniff out illicit drugs. They make good search and rescue dogs, as well - and, of course, their happy natures and eagerness to please make them excellent family pets. Excellent surrogate mothers, Golden Retrievers have been known to take care of kittens and even a tiger cub or two! These dogs are sometimes able to produce milk for their foster offspring even if they did not give birth recently themselves. Any lustrous shade of gold will do, for a Golden Retriever's coat. Feathering may be of a lighter shade. The breed was originally developed in Scotland (by a guy later called "Baron Tweedmouth" - imagine!). There are now English, Canadian, and American varieties, with each type possessing slightly different characteristics. Check with the American Kennel Club for more breed-specific Golden Retriever facts. Golden Retrievers continually excel in agility and obedience trials at dog shows. They have been known to learn as many as 240 words and commands - ask your dog how many he knows!

Dalmatian

Dalmatians are not only adorable and friendly, but very interesting as well. They are often good swimmers and they love to play in water. This breed gets its name from the Croatian province of Dalmatia where many believe the Dalmatian got its start, although there has been no concrete evidence that this is true. Most Dalmatian puppies are born with all white coats which do not begin to show spots until they pups are about two weeks old. Dalmatians are often recommended to people who are allergic to dogs because their fur doesn't trigger symptoms the way most coated breeds do. Dalmatians are excellent hunters of rats and other pests and were used specifically for this purpose in stables and firehouses in London. The Dalmatian made its first appearance in a dog show in Great Britain in 1860 but didn't appear in American shows until the 1920's. Engravings portraying what appears to be Dalmatians alongside chariots have been discovered in Egyptian tombs. Dalmatians are also known as Firehouse dogs, Carriage dogs, or Spotted Coach dogs. This breed was mentioned in letters by a poet named Jurij Dalmatin which was written in the mid 1500's. Dalmatians enjoyed a huge boost in popularity after the book "101 Dalmatians" was published in 1956. Brad Nowell, the lead singer of the rock band Sublime, had a Dalmatian named "Lou Dog" who accompanied him on stage often and was mentioned in the lyrics of several songs. Dalmatians are known to choose one family member as their own while virtually ignoring everyone else in the household. The Dalmatians historical function was to travel with carriages. They rode under the axle or between the lead horses and chased stray animals away from the road so that the carriage would have a clear path to travel. Dalmatians often curl their lips in a way that resembles a human smile. Some owners insist that their dogs do this when they think they may be in trouble! Dalmatians are the only animals that can develop gout, a disease commonly found in humans which causes swelling in the joints. Some people believe that meeting a Dalmatian unexpectedly will result in good luck for the rest of the day. Healthy Dalmatians can run for hours without getting tired. George Washington is believed to have owned a Dalmatian. Dalmatians typically hate being left alone and are much happier when hanging out with the family.