Why 300,000 People Voted This The World's Best Dog

In the battle of very good boys and very good girls, there are many contenders for top dog

But what makes up the best dog? Is it their playfulness, loyalty, a big fluffy coat

On today's episode of Top Spot, we're taking a look at just which dog breed you think is the

greatest of all time. Rinker parsed through over 300,000 a year votes to determine which dog breed

is the greatest of all time, and there were quite a few contenders. Surprisingly enough

the majority of the votes went to the larger breeds of dog. Many of you voted for the Australian

Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and German Shepherd. But there was one breed in particular that came up

over and over and over again. It's none other than the Golden Retriever that has earned your

votes for the top dog breed. Let's take a look into why the Golden Retriever takes our number one spot

For the longest time, it was believed that the Golden Retriever was actually bred from a purchased

group of Russian circus dogs, but the reality is much less colorful than that. While the idea of

the majestic breed originating from a bunch of bicycle-riding canines is endearing, it's not

quite how things actually shook out. Sir Dudley Marchbanks of Scotland not only had one of the

most Scottish names on the planet. Well actually that's Scots Celts. Scots is a drink. Scots are a

people. He was also the man responsible for bringing the breed to prominence in the early 19th century

While out walking with his son, Dudley encountered a flat-coated retriever with beautiful wavy golden

fur named Naus. Naus belonged to a cobbler who had received the dog as a payment for a debt

settlement. At the time, black dogs were the most desired breed, so any dog that had a less than

desirable coloring was usually either disposed of or given away entirely. Dudley bought the dog

and began breeding the dog with the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel. It was Marchbank's first

litter of puppies in 1868 that would become known as the first litter of golden retriever puppies in

the world. Their names were far less adorable than the dogs themselves actually were. Marchbank's

named the puppies from his first litter Cow Slip, Crocus, and Primrose. These names sound a little

bit more like a high school metal band than dogs themselves Sir Dudley wasn as generous when it came to allowing the general public access to his new breed of animal They were pretty much exclusively given to his family and close friends The family and friends of Marchbanks created their own variations of the breed signature golden colors through their own breeding processes

Eventually, the breed made its way to Texas, where they would be bred and brought across the homes in the United States

Hey, no pop-ins! Get out of here! Ouch! Ouch! Did you know that Golden Retrievers are naturally great at playing professional basketball

Of course we're joking, but Golden Retrievers make for great supporting casts on the silver screen

For decades, Golden Retrievers have been entertaining us in film, television, and commercials. Bush's secret family recipe for sale. Duke! Duke

Did you have something to do with this? Right, Jay. I'm running a printing press in my basement

Their shiny golden fur and naturally photogenic nature makes these dogs really pop off on screen

And that's why when we see them, we're immediately filled with joy. Their intelligence makes them natural performers, and they can be trained to do just about any

simple task that you could possibly imagine. This includes dunking basketballs, scoring touchdowns, and the ability to look incredibly

cute on command. The most famous golden retriever would undoubtedly be Buddy, who you know from the film Air Bud

However, Buddy also starred in the television show Full House as Comet, the Tanner's family dog

They're making waves on the internet as well. Tucker Budson might be the most famous golden retriever alive

He currently has 4.6 million subscribers on YouTube, and he has videos of him and his son posted on a regular basis

Tucker, why are you looking so majestic? The handy dandy golden retriever

They hunt, they play, and they will help you avoid walking into traffic

The thing that first sparked our interest in the golden retriever is that they're amazing sports dogs

mostly used in the land retrieval of game birds, the Retriever's Long Coat also makes this animal

extremely adept in operating in the cold and also in the extremely wet conditions While this utility has certainly cemented the dog as a desirable breed it the Golden Retriever ability to expertly follow instruction

that brought the dogs into our hearts. Golden Retrievers can be highly trained to operate as support animals

guiding the less fortunate through dangerous environments safely. When it comes to assisting others

the breed is extremely reliable. They're like the Honda Accord of the dog world

Where certain dog breeds can be seen as a little bit more on the independent side of pet hood

the Golden Retriever is definitely a support class animal. As guide dogs, golden retrievers are second to none

This is largely because of how these dogs actually love the outdoors. Golds have a high level of awareness for everything going on around them while they're outside

and traders utilize this innate awareness to their advantage. They also excel in the area of mobility assistance, and that's really all in their name

Golden retrievers enjoy retrieving things. Their size also enables them to open doors and move heavier objects for their owners

making them ideal companions for people who have difficulty moving around on a daily basis

We've all been there. You're hiking through the mountains and all of a sudden some pesky avalanche shows up and you're trapped under 20 feet of snow

Thankfully, golden retrievers are naturally incredible rescue animals. They are a highly intelligent breed, capable of focusing for hours on the task they are trained to do

A big part of what makes these dogs so adept in search and rescue is their inherent playfulness

That's right, while you're desperately clawing your way out of an avalanche, these dogs are basically just playing hide and go seek with you

When search and rescue dogs are trained, their trainers are essentially just creating a new game for these dogs to follow

The more the dog is inclined to play the game, the easier they are to teach. A riveting game of find the toy directly translates to find the person

With the proper training, these big lovable pooches can turn one of their most positive

and remarkable personality traits into techniques that can save lives and solve crimes

Pretty cool. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. The main reason we all know and love golden retrievers has to be their temperament

There a reason there isn any horror movie made about a rabid golden retriever terrorizing a midwestern town And that because golden retrievers are truly the gentle giants of the canine world These dogs are actually so gentle and loving

that they are said to make terrible guard dogs. But what these dogs lack in bare teeth

and threatening growls, they more than make up for in the infection department. These dogs are natural at nurturing

which makes them amazing for children. They love to play fetch and follow around their owners all day

But their love isn't solely reserved for humans either. Golden retrievers have been known to make friends

with any and all creatures that you may have living under your roof. They've even found some that have made friends with dolphins

which is still a film we're waiting to see. Golden Retrievers' temperament also makes them extremely efficient emotional support animals

In Huntsville, Alabama, Stephanie Williams runs the Canines for Coping program, in which she brings golden retrievers to the hospitals

to help alleviate stresses that patients deal with on a day-to-day basis. And it's highly effective

Interacting with these animals on a day-to-day basis has shown reduced levels of cortisol, the stress chemical in the human body, and also lowers blood pressure

Golden Retrievers benefit humans by just being around. Because of golden retrievers inherent popularity, the breed is also considered to be at risk in a

variety of areas. Goldens are often abandoned later in their lives as their health begins to

decline and they become more reliant on their owners. Their size also makes them large targets

for the dog meat trade. Luckily, there are several organizations dedicated to rescuing and rehoming

golden retrievers. The Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue in Colorado has found homes for over 4,000

golden retrievers and there are many other organizations dedicated to the cause in finding

wonderful homes for misplaced pooches. It should come to no surprise that golden retrievers made it

to the top of the list for your favorite dog breed. They're gigantic loves who seek to receive

just as much affection as they give out. They're wildly intelligent, capable of focusing for hours on tasks

and solve basic problems for themselves. They're reliable and easy to train, often being utilized to save lives or ease pain

And on top of that, they have a beautiful double coat of gorgeous golden hair

that makes them one of the cuddliest breeds on earth. They're also apparently pretty good at basketball too

Whoa