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Breed Characteristics
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Flat-Coated Retriever
| Nicknames | Flatcoat, Flattie, Flatte, Flattie-Tattie, (Sweden) flatt, (Sweden) |
| Country of Origin | Great Britain |
| Weight | 60 - 70 lbs. (27 - 32 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | 22 - 23 in. (56 - 58 cm) |
| Coat | Borders are single coated with moderately long, dense, and lustrous brown or black coats. The body coat often has longer feathering on the backs of the body and tail region, and the areas around the face are short and smooth. |
| Colour | Black, liver and yellow (blonde) |
| Litter Size | 4 - 8 puppies, average 6 |
| Life Span | 8 - 10 years |
| Origin & History | Originating in the mid-19th century in England, the Flat-Coated Retriever gained popularity as a gamekeeper’s dog. Part of its ancestry is thought to have come from stock imported from North America from the now extinct St. John's water dog, but this is unverifiable. Canadian seafarers are thought to have brought Newfoundlands to British ports, and they factored into the ancestry of the Flat-Coated Retriever. Collie-type dogs may have been added to increase the breed's trainability along with the Newfoundland for strength and Setter blood for enhanced scenting ability. The first examples of the breed were introduced around 1860, but the final type was only established 20 years later. After its introduction into the U.S., the Flat-Coated Retriever began to quickly gain in popularity as a gun dog, and from 1873 when the breed became a "stable type" according to the American Kennel Club until 1915 when it was officially recognised as a breed, their number grew rapidly. However, soon after, their popularity began to decrease, eclipsed by the Golden Retriever, which was actually bred in part from the Flat-Coated Retriever, along with other breeds. By the end of World War II, so few Flat-Coated Retrievers remained, the breed's survival was uncertain. However, beginning in the 1960s, careful breeding brought the population back and the breed gained in popularity again, for both the sport of conformation showing, and as a companion pet. Today, the Flat-Coated Retriever enjoys a modest popularity and is moving ahead as a breed through attentive breeding for the conformation, health, multipurpose talent, and exceptional temperament that are its hallmarks. It has yet to return in substantial numbers to field competition. In 2011, 'Sh Ch. Vbos The Kentuckian' (aka Jet), a 9.5-year-old Flat-Coated Retriever from South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, Scotland, won Best in Show at Crufts. Almanza Far and Flyg (a.k.a. Simon), from Oslo, Norway, won the Gundog Group at Crufts in 2007. Before that in 2003, a Swedish dog 'Inkwells Named Shadow' had also won the Gundog Group. The last UK dog to win the Gundog Group at Crufts was "Sh Ch Gayplume Dream-maker" in 2002. The only other Flat-Coated Retriever to win Best in Show at Crufts was 'Ch. Shargleam Blackcap' in 1980. These wins have contributed to the breed's popularity in Europe and the United Kingdom. |
| Personality | The Flat-Coated Retriever is excellent with children and a great family dog with a reliable temperament. Friendly, sweet and high-spirited, it loves everyone, even strangers. It has a puppy-like attitude and always appears to be in good spirits. It loves to play and retrieve, and with enough exercise it will be quiet indoors, saving the activity for the outside. It is an intelligent, loyal companion. This very sociable breed needs lots of gentle but firm leadership from its family. The Flat-Coated Retriever gets along well with dogs and other pets. They are active, obedient and highly trainable, and can get bored easily without variety. Keep training sessions short and fun, without excessive repetition. Be sure to take them for daily walks to satisfy their migration instinct. Flat Coats that are over-excitable are showing signs that they are lacking in the walk. Proper canine to human communication is essential. |
Care Requirements
| Health | Regular tests and clearances for hereditary joint conditions such as hip dysplasia and eye conditions such as progressive retinal atrophy and glaucoma should be conducted by breeders on any dogs used for breeding. Occasionally, epilepsy is also seen in the breed. Flat-Coated Retrievers have a higher risk of cancer than most dogs. Hemangiosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and malignant histiocytosis are particularly devastating, and occur at higher rates in them than in many other breeds. According to studies sponsored by the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America (FCRSA), the average lifespan of the Flat-coated Retriever is only about eight years, with a high percentage of deaths due to cancer. The FCRSA sponsors many university cancer studies, and breeders have benefited from increased information on cancer in Flat-Coated Retrievers to reduce the incidence of cancer in future generations. Flat-Coated Retrievers have a very low rate of hip dysplasia and luxating patellas compared to other medium-sized breeds; the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals statistics consistently show a rate of hip dysplasia in the breed of less than 3%. In the 1997 FCRSA health survey, 4.2% of males and 3.2% of females had been diagnosed with luxating patellae. |
| Grooming | The feathered coat of the Flat-Coated Retriever needs only weekly brushings and little, if any, minor trimming. This breed is an average shedder. |
| Exercise | This active dog needs a daily walk or jog to be on its best behavior. Be sure the dog is made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, as instinct tells a dog the leader leads the way, and that leader needs to be the human. It especially enjoys the chance to hunt or swim. The Flat-Coated Retriever makes an excellent jogging companion. |
| Other Considerations | The Flat-Coated Retriever is not recommended for apartment life. It is relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard. This breed needs to be with his family to be happy. It does best when it is allowed to live inside and play outside. |
