Flat-Coated Retriever
region Britain
cut 58 to 61 cm for the male and 56 to 59 cm for the female
weight 27 to 36 kg for the male and 25 to 32 kg for the female
hair thick, as flat as possible, full, with feathered limbs and tail
dress only black or liver brown
head flat, moderately broad skull, a slight stop
eyes medium size, dark brown or hazelnut in color
ear small, well attached, drooping and they adhere well to the sides of the head
tail carried always gaily, but it should not rise above the dorsal line
introduction
Other name(s) Flat-Coated Retriever Health It is a very robust dog. Average life expectancy: about 12 years Living conditions It can live both in a house and in a garden. He loves to swim and it is advisable to take him to the edge of a lake or a river as often as possible. He needs to get plenty of exercise because he has energy to spare. Remarks and advice It should be rediscovered as a companion dog (and also as a working dog) because people tend to prefer the Labrador and, to a lesser extent, the Golden. Indeed, the Flat-Coated Retriever is not to be put in all hands and must imperatively be channeled from an early age. Thus he will be very close to his master with whom he will favor tactile contact. If he knows how to be very calm at home, he is all the more lively outside. This is why it is necessary to know how to occupy it psychologically, in particular by sport (hunting, agility, hiking...). With this balance in life, the Flat-Coated Retriever will be a happy dog.
origins
The origin of the Flat-Coated Retriever is not really defined, but it is believed to come from a cross between a Newfoundland and an Irish Setter. Interbreeding with Collies has certainly taken place as well. Its ancestors were called "Wavecoated retriever", that is to say "wavy-haired retriever dogs" and we can deduce that the first specimens did not have smooth hair like the current breed. In the last century, Flat-Coated was very widespread in England; subsequently, the Labrador and the Golden Retriever were preferred. Currently, interest in the breed has grown, and its distribution is constantly increasing.
temper
The Flat-Coated Retriever is a lively and bubbly dog, characteristics that he inherits from the pointer family. He is an excellent hunter, which does not prevent him from being very affectionate. Its impetuosity must be channeled from an early age by training without weakness. Indeed, passion tends to take over in the Flat-Coated Retriever. He is very sociable, with his congeners as with other species, and hates loneliness. This dog knows how to make itself useful, and in addition to its predilection for hunting and marking (the art of pinpointing the precise spot where game has fallen), it stands out in many other disciplines and activities in the service of man: assistance to the disabled, rescue, search for avalanches...