The Flat Coated Retriever breed is characterized by being a very sociable breed, as it gets along very well with the whole family and even with strangers.

It can adapt to any type of place, whether urban or rural, and one of its distinctive features is its passion for all activities related to water.

It loses hair throughout the year, so a frequent brushing is.

Unlike the Golden Retriever, it is characterized by a more elongated snout, and its adult weight ranges from 25 to almost 40 kilos.

The Flat Coated Retriever is a breed of hunting dog from the United Kingdom. It was developed as a retriever both for working on land and in the water as a retriever.

The Flat-haired Retriever is a very important breed of dog.Coated Retriever is an excellent swimmer (its oily skin makes it feel like a fish in the water), a quality that has led to it being used for hunting waterfowl. On the other hand, thanks to its excellent sense of smell, this breed has also been used for search and rescue, for tracking and for drug detection.

In the past, all hunting dogs that were used to hunt waterfowl were used for hunting.So, Spaniels, Setters or Bracos were included in the same bag. Most of the crossings were made according to the characteristics that stood out the most in each dog and in this way, they tried to create a superior dog. Due to the crossings a bit random, the origin of these dogs is uncertain. After these years of "uncontrolled", it wasknown that by 1850 already appeared which later would be known as Smooth-coated Retriever.

Character - Coexistence - Behavior - Education:

The Smooth-coated Retriever is playful, balanced, friendly, clean, outgoing and sociable. This character makes it a good companion dog and a great friend of children and older, but above all, it is a working dog.He enjoys all types of activity, especially aquatic.

Most appreciably, the Flat-Coated Retriever matures very slowly physically and emotionally and does not outgrow his puppy nature until three to four years of age.Early puppy training is essential and is strongly recommended, although it should be practiced in short, lively sessions, as his nature.These are smart, enthusiastic "pupils" who learn quickly and easily, but who can also become shy and fearful if treated harshly. During training they need gentle but firm handling and, above all, an individual approach. Appropriate behaviour and good manners should be encouraged throughshort, positive and cheerful lessons.Bad habits can be prevented with proper supervision, attention and exercise.

The Flat-Coated Retriever is an active dog that adapts well to urban life.It needs considerable daily exercise and activity with family members.This is a clean, energetic, cheerful dog that retains its youthful appearance untilAlthough he is a typical gentle, affectionate and playful retriever, he has a higher activity level than a Golden or Labrador Retriever. A well-bred Flat-Coated Retriever will have a lot of energy but will not be hyperactive. His need for exercise is enormous and without it he will become destructive and difficult to control. Even withenough exercise he will remain exuberant and enthusiastic and will always be ready to participate in some new activity with you.The word "sedentary" is not part of his description.

The Flat-Coated Retriever clearly needs to be with people and interact closely with family members.He will be frustrated if he is kept away from them and will not thrive if he isDue to their high energy level, Flat-Coated Retrievers are easily bored and can become "creatively destructive" if left too long with nothing to keep them occupied. Like other retrievers, they are very oral dogs that seem obsessed with having something in their mouths to carry back and forth throughout the day.time.

Flat-Coated Retrievers as a breed are not good watchdogs.They may be more of a warning dog than a guard dog and will bark at strangers, but will rarely bite.It is basically a tail-wagging companion that will tend to be friendly with everyone: animals and people.Although good with children, it can be a danger around small children.His cheerful attitude and wagging tail can unintentionally frighten and even harm small children, who could easily be injured by 32 or 36 kg of canine enthusiasm. A common greeting from a Flat-Coated Retriever is to jump on a person to give them a cheerful "hello" and a lick on the face while his nose touches their nose,which is behavior that few adults appreciate or consent to.

Although the Flat-Coated Retriever is enthusiastic about work, he can be very stubborn, especially if he is treated harshly or unfairly (in his opinion). He needs a good obedience foundation and to be shown this at a very early age to become a civilized dog and a companion.educated.

As a general rule, Flat-Coated Retrievers are considered too active for work as guide dogs for the blind, as hearing dogs for hearing-impaired people, or as service animals for the physically handicapped.The best results have been achieved with Flat-Coated Retrievers that have been trained to assist masters witha reduced visual ability who already know and love their dog.

Flat-Coated Retrievers, like other retriever breeds, are known for their excellent sense of smell. As "super-sniffers" they have worked their way into most tasks that involve tracking and sniffing. In some countries this breed participates in regulated tracking trials and earns titles informal competitions.

Flat-Coated Retrievers that have succeeded in tracking trials are also used, in some countries, to track injured animals, such as deer or elk, injured in traffic accidents or during a hunt.

In Norway, it is forbidden to hunt deer or elk without the presence of a dog officially registered as a tracker.

In severalFlat-Coated Retrievers also track down lost, injured and buried people. Many of these dogs have been trained to work in avalanches and are very good at finding people buried under the snow. These dogs work in extreme conditions: their ability to work in the snowand under freezing weather conditions further enhances their scenting ability.

Search and rescue Flat-Coated Retrievers also assist in locating victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes and in terrorist attacks where bombs have exploded.

Not surprisingly, Flat-Coated Retrievers have proven to be excellent search-and-rescue dogs in the past few years.In Norway, at one point in the 1990s, this breed accounted for one-third of the total number of dogs approved for drug detection in that country.

Care and Health:

The Smooth-coated Retriever is made up of a variety of different breeds of dogs.for outdoor life, it needs to exercise every day to expend all its surplus energy and avoid becoming overweight. It is well adapted to city living but a solely urban and sedentary life could alter its character.

Although the Flat-Coated Retriever has a double coat and sheds hair in all seasons, its coat is smoother and has less fringing than that of the GoldenRetriever, which has a lot of hair.Thus, it requires less grooming.Frequent brushing (we emphasize the word "frequent") will keep its coat in good condition and keep shedding to a minimum.

The Smooth-coated Retriever has no breed-specific diseases but has been found to suffer from hip dysplasia or patellar luxation.

History:

Over the years.Throughout history, the pairing of hunter and hunting dog has evolved according to the hunting conditions of the time. Prior to the 19th century, ancient weapons dictated the type of dog used to locate and bring down game birds and other animals. The evolution of firearms forever changed the nature of the hunting relationship between the hunter and the hunting dog.man and the dog.

With his improved guns, which allowed him greater distances and advantages for taking down many field game and waterfowl, the hunter also needed an improved retriever dog that would locate and retrieve these hunted game.The use of firearms required a dog that could be controlled and find game within range of theshotguns.

During this period, the name "retriever" (retriever dog) was used for any hunting dog that carried out this task, rather than to refer to a specific breed of dog.Thus, any Braco, Spaniel or Setter that retrieved game shot by its master was considered a retriever.

Hunters used several of these hunting dogs to chase down game.They simply crossed good dogs of whatever origin with others that were also good to produce superior hunting dogs that had certain qualities such as a good nose, bravery or affinity for water, and they did little to enhance a dog's ability to hunt, and they did not use any of their own abilities to make a dog that had a good sense of smell, courage or affinity for water.particular type or breed.

Due to this random selection process and the lack of breeding records at the dawn of time, the exact sequence of the development of the hunting retriever breeds has been lost.Thus, confusion reigns over the exact origin of most of these breeds.The exception is the Golden Retriever, which was developed by an individual whose breeding efforts werepreserved for canine history through their kennel records.

Around 1850, as the various types of retrievers emerged and developed, the St. John's Water Dog appeared on the Labrador Peninsula as an outstanding retriever possessing exceptional intelligence, endurance, and good health.It is generally believed that these peninsula dogsof the Labrador were crossed with Setter-type dogs to give rise to the Wavy-Coated Retriever, which was later renamed the Flat-Coated Retriever.

The Wavy-Coated Retriever was known as a stunning dog that combined working ability with elegance and beauty.This elegance was not lost with thehunters, who also liked beautiful dogs, and before two decades had passed the Flat-Coated type, which was athletic and lively, was fixed, giving rise to a dog with a dual utility that performed in the field and had potential for beauty dog shows.

The first Flat-Coated Retriever was exhibited in 1864 in two categories at a show held inThe winners were Wyndham (owned by Mr. T. Meyrick) and Music (owned by Lord Paget), which were the first two Flat-Coated Retrievers to begin the breed's rise in both fields of dog racing.

In the early 1870s, the versatile Flat-Coated Retriever came to the attention of Mr. Sewallis Evelyn Shirley, a leading breeder andamateur who bred excellent dual-purpose dogs under the Ettington affix.

Mr. Shirley was, perhaps, best known for being the founder of the Kennel Club of England in 1873, of which he was its first president. His experience and association with the Kennel Club assured this dual-purpose breed of its quality in beauty contests, as well as its worth as a working dog in thefield.

It is believed that Mr. Shirley used St. John's Water Dogs, Water Spaniels and possibly Scotch Collies to stabilize and set the type of the Flat-Coated Retriever breed. He also employed the Labrador Retriever in some crosses, using dogs available from two major breeders of this breed (Malmesbury and Buccleugh). Mr. Shirley's Flat-Coated Retrievers were,During this period, people still referred to this breed by the name of Wavy-Coated Retriever.

Two other important breeders of the late 19th century succeeded Mr. Shirley in fixing and preserving the type of the Flat-Coated Retriever. Mr. Harding Cox followed Mr. Shirley's example.Shirley and spawned Flat-Coated Retrievers that were famous for their elegant heads and similarity in type. Another protector of the breed, Colonel Cornwall-Leigh, was also celebrated for his considerable contributions.

Mr. Reginald Cooke (1850-1951), another influential fancier who was known for his Riverside kennel, owned Flat-Coated Retrievers for more than 60 years.Concerned with the preservation of the hunting abilities of the dogs entered in the beauty contests, Mr. Cooke was successful in field trials as well as beauty shows and his efforts helped the breed retain its nature as a dual utility dog.

Mr. Cooke was a good competitor, determined to breed and campaign for the dog of theHe was a formidable presenter as well as an exhibitor, and during his career his record in field trials was 15 First Places, 10 Seconds, 11 Reserves and 21 Certificates of Merit. He also earned 349 CC (Challenge Certificates) and 130 CC Reserves, in addition to breeding many champions, includingmay include Toby of Riverside and Grouse of Riverside, who became dual champions.

Mr. Cooke kept detailed breeding records that are kept as part of the history of this breed.

Passionate in his promotion of the best for the breed, he also wrote three small pamphlets to instruct neophytes in the breed.

The dedication of Mr. Cooke, Mr. Cox and Col.Cornwall-Leigh for the Flat-Coated Retriever helped make the breed a favorite among purebred dog lovers. By the end of the 19th century, the Flat-Coated Retriever was famous for its beauty and abilities, as well as for being a breed that was highly regarded for its quality and character. Especially known for its graceful movements, neat appearance, and itspleasant expression, these dogs became favorites in both field trials and beauty dog shows.

High Legh Blarney, owned by Colonel Cornwall-Leigh, was an excellent competitor during his career.When the colonel died in 1905, his dogs were auctioned.Mr. Cooke had been so impressed with Blarney that he bid for him.Mr. Cooke's agent got the dog for 200 guineas, a very high price in those days, but Mr. Cooke recouped his investment in only two years with stud fees for this dog.

Blarney continued his victories and was not beaten in beauty contests until his death, at the age of 11. Frequently used as a sire because of his excellent qualities, he left alasting mark on the history of the breed.

Mr. Cooke's success with Blarney undoubtedly influenced his future plans and he again paid 200 guineas for Ch. Black Quilt. Lord Redesdale followed his strategy and purchased a female, Ch. Black Queen, for 145 guineas. Although the Flat-Coated Retriever seemed to be in great demand, small kennels and less affluent fanciers did notwere able to compete given those very high prices that the largest and most influential breeders of the time could afford.

About the same time, the popularity of the Labrador and Golden Retriever were on the rise and Flat-Coated Retriever studbook entries were beginning to decline.

World War I further affected the world of amateurFlat-Coated Retriever registrations numbered 438 in 1924 and continued to fall during World War II. At that time only a small number of wealthy hunters who could afford to go out hunting with their dogs and enter them in dog shows in the United States had dogs of this breed.beauty, if they felt like it, thus preserving the dual utility of this breed.

Flat-Coated Retrievers continued to be popular with gamekeepers, who liked the type and character that had been set in the breed.

By 1945, the influence of the war years and the increasing numbers of Labrador and Golden Retrievers had affected the popularity of Flat-CoatedThey reappeared in 1946 at a Non-Scoring Show held in Leeds, with Mr Birch as judge. Atherbram Nobbie (male owned by Mr Phizacklea) and Claverdon Jet (female owned by Dr Nancy Laughton) were awarded the first Challenge Certificates. It is important to note that most of the Flat-Coated Retrievers that were exhibited at the beauty contests were alsoIn 1946, 94 Flat-Coated Retriever matings were registered with the Kennel Club of England. Claverdon Jet was awarded two more CCs and became the first post-war champion bitch. The Flat-Coated Retriever Association held the first post-war field trial in 1947 with an All-Aged Stake, which was won byGreenfield June.

The following year (1948) saw the first Crufts Dog Show after the war. Atherbram Nobbie and Claverdon Jet were again victorious, winning their CCs with judge Mr. E. Turner. In the same year, the Flat-Coated Retriever Association held its first All-Age Field Trial Awards, which were won by MaesmynanPatricia.

Mr. Phizacklea's contributions during those post war years can never be thanked enough. He was an experienced breeder from the early 1920's and made crosses, on a regular basis, out of his lines, always bringing in excellent animals in field trials to expand and strengthen his line and result in dual utility winners that had,His Atherbram line produced both black and liver dogs.

With the breed in steep decline, he introduced or formed a breeding line using Rettendon Dido and field trial winners Windle Don, Windle Peggy and FT Ch. Elwy Mary as the basis. Mr. Phizacklea's breeding program resulted in Jet, owned by Dr. Laughton, tohis excellent brother Atherbram Monty and to most of the animals of this breed purchased after World War II.

The Atherbram kennel was transferred to his niece, Mrs. Peggy Payne, after the death of Mr. Phizacklea. When Mrs. Payne passed away, it was given again to another member of the family, Mrs. Hilary Hughes.

The Pewcroft kennel, owned by Mr. Stanley O'Neill,He also takes credit for preserving and saving the breed. During the Flat-Coated Retriever's decline in numbers, dog deaths due to distemper and disease were rampant. O'-Neill studied the lines and pedigrees and wrote extensively about the breed, willingly sharing his knowledge with other breeders and aspiring owners. He realized thatthat the very limited number of Flat-Coated Retrievers made it necessary, in order to save the breed, to use all breeding animals, even if their quality was not very good, and that breeding for the purpose of type and quality would have to be postponed. His founding bitch, Pewcroft Pest, and her daughter Pewcroft Peg, gave birth to the three litters that provided animals for future breeders. Betweenthese dogs were Ch. Pewcroft Plug and Pewcroft Pitch, Pewcroft Page, Claverdon Pewcroft Pieman, Ch. Pewcroft Picture and Pewcroft Peep, Pewcroft Proper, Pewcroft Prim, Pewcroft Praetor and Pewcroft Perfect.

The most important characteristic that distinguishes the Flat-Coated Retriever from all other breeds of retrievers, and which continues to distinguish it from all other breeds, is the dedication of theUnlike the rest of the retrievers, this breed has not yet been divided into two completely different lines (those bred for beauty contests or for their skills in the field.) The Flat-Coated Retriever should be a tireless, helpful and obedient worker who excels in locating the pieces.Only the tireless efforts of those who love the breed will preserve its versatility as a retriever that enjoys and excels in the disciplines of field work, tracking, obedience, Agility and fetch and fetch balls that we throw.

The vicissitudes through which the breed has passed, due to the most diverse causes, make the efforts more than grateful.The Flat-Coated Retriever is the lightest of the Retrievers. It is distinguished from the rest by its elongated head, a not very broad skull, long and strong jaws and a slightly accentuated stop. It is slender, strong, well proportioned, has small ears close to the head and a short, straight tail. Its coat isdense, straight, fine textured and can be black or liver in colour.

The legs and tail are well fringed.

The breed standard is 58 to 62 cm height at withers for males 56 to 60 cm for females with a recommended weight of 24 to 34 kg.

They are dogs with strong jaws and relatively long muzzles to allow the capture of birds and upland game.

The formof its head is unique to the breed and is described as "one-piece" with a minimal stop and a back of the skull about the same length as the muzzle.

The dark brown almond-shaped eyes have an intelligent, friendly expression.The ears are pendulous, relatively small, set close to the head.The occipital (bone at the backof the skull) is not accentuated (as in the set, for example) and the head flows smoothly into the well arched neck.The dorsal line is strong, straight and of moderate length continuing in a straight line to the rear.They are lighter and sleeker in appearance than other retriever breeds.

The coat color is either liver or solid black.

A coat color of solid yellow is rarely seen,being a disqualification for the breed standard in conformation but not for other activities such as field, agility or obedience trials. The single coat (no undercoat) is of moderate length, with dense, glossy hair: ideally it should be flat and straight, but a slight wave and more hair on the back of the legs, chest, underbody, tail and under the body is permitted.feet.