Flat-Coated Retriever
It stays a puppy longer than any other retriever, well past the point where the others settle. Black or liver, and the tail is going before it is fully awake.
Photo by Shames Privacy, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Flat-Coat was the dominant retriever in Britain before the Labrador and the Golden overtook it, and it kept its working ability and its exuberance while the others became more popular. It is often called the Peter Pan of dogs because it stays adolescent for years.
The difficult fact about the breed is cancer. Flat-Coats have among the highest cancer rates of any breed, particularly histiocytic sarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma, and eight to ten years is the honest expectation.
Temperament
Exuberant, friendly and permanently delighted. Flat-Coats are outstanding with children, sociable with strangers and other dogs, and they never entirely grow up.
They are sensitive and biddable and they respond badly to harsh handling. They are also boisterous well into adulthood, and a household wanting a calm dog by age three will be disappointed. They dislike being alone.
Care and grooming
A flat feathered coat that needs brushing twice a week. Moderate shedding and easy maintenance.
Beyond cancer, hip and elbow dysplasia, glaucoma and patellar luxation occur. Buying from a breeder who is open about longevity in their lines is more useful here than any single test result.
Living and exercise
Two hours a day with retrieving and swimming. They are working gundogs with serious energy.
They suit active families who want a dog in the middle of everything. The lifespan is the thing to go in knowing, because it is the commonest thing owners of the breed talk about.
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