A turning point in the history of dog breeding occurred in the mid-1860’s when a black retriever had a litter of puppies, all of them her own color except for one odd puppy with a golden coat.
This dog, which came to be called Nous, was later paired with a spaniel named Belle, and she bore four puppies of the same regal color as their proud papa.
They are the ancestors of the golden retriever breed.
