Having its origins in the United Kingdom, the Flat-Coated Retriever was developed as a gundog breed and a retriever on land and water. Like all the retrievers, it is considered that its ancestor is the now extinct St. Johns Water Dog.
There are no major differences in size between males and females. The male size varies from 58 to 62 centimeters, while the female size is around 56 to 60 centimeters. The recommended weight for this breed ranges between 24 and 34 kilograms. The dogs from this breed have a strong muscular body and strong jaws that help them carry the game. They have small ears that lie close to the head and their eyes are dark brown at color. They come in many colors from black to dark brown or yellow, but only black and dark brown colors are accepted by the breed standard. Among all types of retrievers, they are the lightest and the most elegant breed, as anyone can notice in their well-proportioned, harmonious and proud bodies. The coat is medium soft and as flat as possible. It is longer on the abdomen, the chest and the tail than on other parts of the body.
This breed is defined as an intelligent, multi-talented and active breed. Having a lot of energy, these retrievers require equivalent time for training or playing. The training must be done in short intervals, because they may get bored repeating the same thing over and over.
It is considered that these dogs never grow up because, no matter how old they are, they are always in the mood to play. Even if they are reserved towards strangers and will notify the presence of an unknown person by barking, they will not react with aggression. Being a non aggressive breed makes them lovely companions and very good family pets. They are friendly animals that have a very good behavior around kids and love to stay near their family. If you want to keep the dog inside and you have another pet in the house, there will be no problem, because the Flat-Coated Retriever is peaceful and behaves very well with other pets. It is eager to please its owner, being a very devoted companion. It is a sensible and intelligent dog that needs attention and affection.
One hour of exercise a day should be enough to keep this dog in its best condition. It is an excellent companion for running or jogging. It also loves water, so if you allow him to swim from time to time, you will make him happy. Cancer is a more common health issue in this breed than in others. There are efforts made to pair these dogs in order to prevent the occurring of cancer in future generations. Other health problems are hip dysplasia, diabetes and epilepsy in few cases. The life expectancy for this breed is about 10 years.
The Flat-Coated Retriever is a great companion that will brighten your days and entertain your family.
