Golden Retrievers originated in England and Scotland.  Unlike many other dog breeds, Goldens were developed fairly recent.  The breed descended from a yellow puppy born into a litter of black retrievers.  They were later crossed with spaniel, Irish Setter, and Bloodhound breeds.  The series of breed mating carried out by Lord Tweedmouth Harcourt was from 1864 and onwards.  It wasn’t until 1908 that the breed came into the public eye.

The term “Golden Retriever” was first coined around this time, and has been attributed to Lord Tweedmouth Harcourt.  The starting point was his yellow colored Flat Coat Retriever.  He mated his dog to a Tweed Water Spaniel, a breed that no longer exists.  This means he was the first known breeder to breed this dog, which gave him the right to choose the name.