A gold rush for dog owners

By Lethbridge Herald on August 28, 2025.

Dozens of local golden retriever owners and enthusiasts gather at Pavan Park on Tuesday to celebrate the second annual Golden Hour get-together.

Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Going to the dogs is not a bad thing, especially on National Dog Day, which was Tuesday. Celebrated annually on August 26, its purpose is to encourage the adoption of shelter dogs, celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives, and highlight the importance of dog rescues and the contributions of all dog breeds, both purebred and mixed.

For the occasion, scores of golden retrievers and their families from all over Lethbridge gathered at Pavan Park Tuesday evening for the second annual Golden Hour event. It was a mix-and-mingle where the dogs got to socialize and play, and their owners got to meet and talk about, what else? Golden retrievers!

A taco food truck was available, a complimentary photo booth provided by hosts Aspire Photography and Film, who also took a group photo at the end of the evening. 

Photographer and golden retriever owner Heather Bruce came up with the idea for the first Golden Hour in 2024.

“As photographers, there’s something called golden hour, which is the nice lighting right before sunset, so I just kind of had a thought and put the two together of golden hour with photography, but with the golden retrievers,” says Bruce. 

Bruce’s own golden retriever, 14-year old Rory, was the golden girl of the evening. 

As pets, golden retrievers are popular because they are friendly, intelligent, loyal, and highly trainable, making them excellent family pets and service dogs. 

Their playful and affectionate nature, combined with a gentle temperament that generally makes them good with children and other animals, also contributes to their broad appeal.

Golden Retrievers generally come in three main color variations: light golden, standard golden, and dark golden. Each shade has its own unique appeal, but all fall within the breed standards recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

One of the youngest goldens there was nine-month-old Ted Lasso, owned by Abigail Stewardsen. A fluffy white-coated and high energy golden. 

“We always did rescue, but my dream dog was a golden retriever. And so this guy’s a dream come true. He’s pretty sweet,” says Stewardsen, who was attending her first Golden Hour. “Golden retrievers love everybody… he loves everybody and everything. He wants to be involved and is happy to be everywhere.”

That said, golden retrievers do not make ideal guard dogs because their naturally friendly, loving, and eager-to-please nature makes them less likely to be aggressive or territorial, which are key traits for a guard dog. 

However, they are excellent watchdogs, as they are intelligent, loyal, and possess a loud bark that can alert their families to potential threats, providing a valuable deterrent. 

With proper training, their protective instincts can be honed to make them effective watchdogs, though they are not suited for the aggressive roles of a traditional guard dog.

Because of their nature, however, golden retrievers make excellent therapy dogs and Ted Lasso is in training to be one.

“They can’t be tested until they’re a year old. And so right now, he’s just a pet visitor, so he just gets to go into the hospital and visit people,” says Stewardsen.

A testament to their popularity, golden retrievers have starred in numerous television shows and feature films.

Famous golden retrievers in movies and on TV include Buddy, who starred as the athletic dog in Air Bud and played Comet on Full House; Comet, the Tanner family’s dog on Full House; and dogs from other films like Liberty and Bailey, who were notable Golden Retrievers that were not fictional characters but real dogs associated with famous people.

Then there is Dug from the animated feature film Up, whose famous tagline (using a special collar which allowed him to speak) is: “My name is Doug. I have just met you and I love you.”

That one sentence encompasses why golden retrievers remain golden among dog breeds.