A retriever is a type of gundog 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. Gundogs, also called bird dogs, are a category of dog breeds developed to assist hunters or sports people to retrieve prey, usually birds. ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ... Most spaniels, like this English Cocker Spaniel, are small-to-medium dogs with drop ears and a longer coat. ... Pointers pointing stance A pointing breed is a type of gundog typically used in finding game. ... Most spaniels, like this English Cocker Spaniel, are small-to-medium dogs with drop ears and a longer coat. ... Dogs have been selectively bred for thousands of years, sometimes by inbreeding dogs from the same ancestral lines, sometimes by mixing dogs from very different lines. ...

The retriever's willingness to please and trainability have made retrievers such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever popular as assistance dogs. The Labrador Retriever (Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and is the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ... The Golden Retriever is a relatively modern and very popular breed of dog. ... An assistance dog is a dog that is specially trained to help a person with a disability. ...

Retrievers include:

• American Water Spaniel
• Barbet
• Boykin Spaniel*
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
• Corded Poodle
• Curly-Coated Retriever
• Flat-Coated Retriever
• Golden Retriever
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Labrador Retriever
• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
• Poodle
• Portuguese Water Dog

Other Dogs with retrieving skill: The American Water Spaniel is a gundog breed little known outside North America. ... The Barbet is a medium-sized French gundog. ... The Boykin Spaniel was first bred by South Carolina hunters during the 1900s to provide the ideal dog for hunting ducks and wild turkeys in the Wateree River Swamp. ... The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a breed of dog that was developed along the Chesapeake Bay to hunt waterfowl under adverse weather and water conditions, often having to break ice during the course of many strenuous multiple retrieves. ... The Corded Poodle is a Poodle whose hair has been allowed to grow in the corded manner: it is not a distinct breed. ... The Curly Coated Retriever (curly) is an intelligent, friendly breed of dog originally bred for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. ... Breed standards (external links) FCI, AKC, ANKC, CKC KC(UK), NZKC, UKC The Flat-Coated Retriever is a gundog breed from Britain. ... The Golden Retriever is a relatively modern and very popular breed of dog. ... Known as the clown of the spaniel family, the Irish Water Spaniel is the largest and one of the oldest breeds of spaniels. ... The Labrador Retriever (Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and is the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ... Country of origin Canada (Nova Scotia) Common nicknames Toller Duck Dog Classification Breed standards (external links) FCI, AKC, CKC, ANKC, KC(UK), NZKC, UKC The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is one of the most unusual breeds of gundog, at least in terms of how the dog works. ... The Poodle is a breed of dog; specifically, it is a gun dog noted for its ability in the water and bird hunting skills. ... Common nicknames Portie, PWD Country of origin Portugal Classification and breed standards Portuguese Water Dogs are a breed of dog, bred by the Portuguese to be companions at sea. ...

• American Cocker Spaniel
• Drentse Patrijshond (Dutch Partridge Dog)
• English Cocker Spaniel
• English Springer Spaniel
• Epagneul Pont-Audemer
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• German Wirehaired Pointer
• Hungarian Vizsla
• Italian Spinone
• Jack Russel Terrier
• Weimaraner

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. The American Cocker Spaniel evolved in the United States from spaniels imported from Great Britain. ... Country of origin Netherlands Classification Breed standards (external links) FCI The Drentsche Patrijshond is a rare dog breed, not widely known even in its country of origin, The Netherlands, although breed clubs operate in Denmark and Norway, and a small number of American breeders have recently introduced the dog to... The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. ... The English Springer Spaniel is a gun dog traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. ... The Pont-Audemer Spaniel or Epagneul Pont-Audemer is a breed of gundog which is virtually unknown outside of its native country of France. ... The German Shorthaired Pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting. ... Country of origin Germany Classification Breed standards (external links) FCI, AKC, ANKC KC(UK), NZKC, UKC The German Wirehaired Pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting. ... The Hungarian Vizsla, pronounced VEEZH-la (zh as in vision), is a dog breed originating in Hungary. ... Common nickname Spinone Country of origin Italy Classification Breed standards (external links) FCI, AKC, ANKC KC(UK),NZKC, UKC Notes The CKC miscellaneous class is for not yet fully recognised by the organisation Spinone Italiano is an Italian dog breed. ... Jack Russell Terrier The Jack Russell Terrier is a type of small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. ... The Weimaraner is a silver-grey breed of dog developed originally both for tracking large game, such as bears, and as a pointing breed. ... The Boykin Spaniel was first bred by South Carolina hunters during the 1900s to provide the ideal dog for hunting ducks and wild turkeys in the Wateree River Swamp. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Merginae For other uses, see Duck (disambiguation). ... The American Water Spaniel is a gundog breed little known outside North America. ... The Poodle is a breed of dog; specifically, it is a gun dog noted for its ability in the water and bird hunting skills. ...

References

• Fergus, Charles. Gun Dog Breeds, A Guide to Spaniels, Retrievers, and Pointing Dogs, The Lyons Press, 2002. ISBN 1-58574-618-5