Our club is made up of nearly 200 members with varied interest and talents,
many of whom choose to compete with their dogs in the following areas:
Conformation: Dogs compete against each other at dog shows; a judge chooses
that dog which, in his opinion, most closely matches the ideal standard for
our particular breed. The goal of showing in conformation is to prove the
quality of one's breeding stock, by attaining the title of "CH" (Champion)
on their dog(s).
Obedience: Goldens are very biddable and are generally easily trained. Young
Goldens especially have abundant energy and require exercises in both body
and mind. We highly recommend that all Goldens attend obedience classes with
their owners. Time spent in obedience helps a dog and owner come together as
a team. By working together they build a closer bond, which in turn allows
both the dog and owner to better understand each other. Obedience trials
test both dog and handler on a pre-determined set of exercises, where they
are graded against a point system.
Field: While Golden Retrievers are lovely to look at and do make excellent
companions, the breed was developed primarily for hunting and therefore
retain the drive and retrieving desire of a hunting retriever. Goldens make
excellent upland hunters as well as retrievers of fallen waterfowl. Field
trials, hunting tests, and Working Certificates allow the owner to display
their dog's innate hunting instincts and trainability in simulated hunting
scenarios.
Tracking: Goldens possess remarkable scenting skills and their natural
hunting instincts serve them very well in man-tracking tests. Tracking
allows the handler and dog to work to track a "missing" person or set of
dropped articles through natural or urban terrains.
Agility: Agility is a fast-growing sport where dogs are required to complete
an obstacle course consisting of jumps, tunnels, etc, in an allotted amount
of time. Many owners begin agility training as a fun diversion from
traditional obedience, and find it addicting!
Rally: Rally is a newly recognized sport and involves elements of obedience
training placed in a "rally" type of course where dog and handler traverse
through a numbered set of exercises and are timed and judged. Less strict
than traditional obedience, many feel that Rally is an excellent "jumping
in" point for the new competitor or dog.
In addition to hosting competitive events and fun and educational seminars
and get-togethers, we also maintain a puppy referral service which provides
the public with a list of MFGRC members that have puppies available. Only
breeders who have completed the four major health clearances on their
breeding stock (hips, elbows, hearts, eyes) are listed with puppy referral.
Members are also required to sign, and are encouraged to adhere to, the
MFGRC Code of Ethics.
Golden retriever rescue efforts began as a committee of MFGRC in 1991, as a
service to the breed and our community to place abandoned and neglected
goldens and offer public education. In 1997, the Rescue group became an
independent organization and was incorporated and is now called the Golden
Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida, Inc. (GRRMF).
MFGRC strives to not only serve the golden retriever breeder, trainer,
and/or exhibitor, but the pet owner as well who just wishes to learn more
about their chosen breed, and to meet and have fun with people with similar
interests. MFGRC holds monthly meetings, typically held in the central
Florida region, and invites guests to join.
A copy of our current By-Laws