Top dog from Ligonier Township just a 'goofy golden retriever' outside the ring

One word — “golden” — from the judge, and the dog world knew that Daniel, a golden retriever from Ligonier Township, had won the best sporting dog title at the 2019 National Dog Show.

Daniel’s breeder, Tammy Tomlinson of Hillock Golden Retrievers, said Friday that Daniel is the winningest golden retriever in the United States in the past 35 years.

Although he didn’t win best in show on Thursday, Daniel has won 19 best-in-show titles and 26 specialty wins over the course of his career.

“That’s huge for a golden retriever,” Tomlinson said, “because goldens historically don’t win best in shows. He’s broken that stereotype.”

Competing at the National Dog Show just outside Philadelphia this week, Daniel also won the best-in-breed title for the second year in a row. His handler at the national competition was Karen Mammano of Webster, N.Y.

Tomlinson, who raised and trained the 5-year-old golden retriever from a puppy, said she had a feeling that Daniel would win best sporting dog this year.

“He’s a professional — he knows his job and he goes in and does it. When he’s not in the ring, he’s just a goofy golden retriever,” she said.

Tomlinson attributed Daniel’s latest big win to his “ring presence. He goes in the ring and asks for the win.”

Daniel now returns to Ligonier Township to “hang out” and prepare for the 2019 AKC National Championship in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 14 and 15, she said. He’ll spend the holidays at home, and then it’s off to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 10 and 11.

After that, he’ll retire.

“We stop when we’re on top,” Tomlinson said. “He’s done everything a golden retriever can do — there’s nothing more he can do.”

Daniel’s strength as a show dog is partly due to his earlier accomplishments as a hunting dog, she said. Golden retrievers, as their name suggests, historically have been bred for the hunting of game fowl such as ducks and pheasants.

“Nothing rattles this dog because he’s been conditioned in many different venues,” Tomlinson said. “He has many other titles besides show dog.”