Golden opportunity for good dogs at Golden Retriever National

As a lifelong lover and owner of golden retrievers, Sandra Negrey is no stranger to the family-friendly Scottish breed.

When Archie — the eldest of the two goldens she currently owns with her husband Wayne — was a puppy, however, it was like he was turbocharged.

“He had so much energy that we were like, ‘What do we do with this guy?’” Negrey says in her Lindenwoods kitchen.

Archie, now a mature boy of four (and a half), is respectfully angling for pats from a visiting Free Press reporter.

Negrey had heard about the Dog Pool in St. Andrews and decided to sign Archie up for a swimming lesson.

“As we’re driving there, my husband goes, ‘We’re not going to become, like, those kinds of people, right?’And I said, ‘No, no, no, no. This is just a swimming lesson, just for him to get his energy out,’” she says.

Spoiler alert: they became those kinds of people.

As it turns out, Archie was a natural at dock diving — a sport in which dogs sprint down a dock and leap into the water to retrieve a toy — and now has the ribbons to prove it.

Dock diving with Archie is how Negrey got involved with the Golden Retriever Club of Manitoba, which, along with the Manitoba Canine Association and Golden Retriever Club of Canada, is hosting the 2026 Canadian Golden Retriever National this week.

Today through Saturday, hundreds of goldens from all over Canada and the U.S. will descend on the East St. Paul Community Centre and other sites in Manitoba to compete in agility, hunting, obedience, rally and conformation events. There will also be all-breed shows and three specialty shows for goldens. All events are free and open to the public.

This is the first time the annual Canadian Golden Retriever National has been hosted in Manitoba.

“So it’s a big, big deal for Manitobans,” says Babette Cohen, a longtime member of the Golden Retriever Club of Manitoba. She is also, of course, the proud owner of three goldens.

“Mine are all named after tennis players because I’m a tennis fanatic,” she says with a laugh.

There’s Steffy (after German tennis pro Steffy Graf) and Leo and Lenny, who are named after the twin sons of Swiss tennis pro Roger Federer — appropriate, since Lenny is the son of Roger the retriever. (Both dogs have the same mom.)

Cohen has been pleased at how the club has stepped up in its hosting capacity.

“We’ve got people who are getting sponsors and getting raffle prizes, and we’ve got people who have run different matches to get us ready for this. Everybody’s taken an active role, and it’s been great.”

While dock diving is not one of the events on offer at the national for Archie, Murphy, the Negreys’ 17-month-old puppy, will be showing. (Right now, he’s making off with the reporter’s shoe.)

“I’m learning, and he’s learning. His first competition will be Friday and mom will be on the sidelines going, ‘That’s my baby,’” Negrey laughs.

“I’m learning, and he’s learning. His first competition will be Friday and mom will be on the sidelines going, ‘That’s my baby.’”

The event is a chance for people who are thinking about getting a golden to see what these dogs are capable of, Cohen says.

“It’s an opportunity to learn, to see what’s involved, to get inspired, the training that goes into it, and the relationships and bonding that people have with their dogs,” Cohen says.

As to what it is about golden retrievers that makes them so special, “You don’t have enough time,” Negrey says with a laugh.

“They are the most loving, affectionate, human-like dog ever,” Cohen says. “They’re biddable. They are good with everyone and everything if they are bred properly, and they are adorable. I mean, they are just so cute. They are a lot of work, though, because they are sporting dogs. They’re high energy.”

In addition to showcasing top dogs strutting their stuff, events such as the national also raise awareness about the breed.

“I think it’s really important for people who are entertaining getting a dog to know what your dog is bred for and what their jobs are, because if you get a sporting dog but you’re looking for a dog that’s just going to sit and be a couch potato with you all the time? Not going to work,” Cohen says.

“They need to be busy. They need to be challenged and active.”

For Negrey and her dogs, doing activities together has only deepened their bond.

“You’re spending time with your dog, and you’re getting joy from their joy,” she says.

Visit 2026grccnational.com for more information about the national, including schedules.

jen.zoratti@winnipegfreepress.com