Flat Coated Retriever

Flat Coated Retrievers Make Excellent Family Pets

If you are looking for a fun and beautiful dog to live in your home with the family then consider flat coated retrievers for your pets. It was developed in the 1800′s by crossing several breeds which were already established. It consists of crossing of the Irish Setter, Labrador, water dog, and St. John’s Newfoundland. It was popular up until World War I.

The Flat Coated Retrievers are generally either black or liver-colored. They have a slender medium length with thick but fine feathers on the legs. The eyes are either dark brown or hazel. The nose of these dogs will be black with a black coated dog and would be brown on the liver-colored dogs. It has strong legs and round feet. Their stance is almost majestic with the feathers standing out from the body from the legs, feet and chest.

They are full of energy and need to be walked every day to keep it out of mischief. Flat coated retrievers are excellent bird dogs and swimmers and make wonderful family pets as well. Flat Coated Retrievers make good watchdogs and are protective of their family. They have a very keen sense of smell, therefore, they are wonderful dogs to use when hunting in the swampy or marshy areas and areas thick forest areas. They are good at hunting, tracking and retrieving.

Unlike the Golden Retriever, the Flat Coated Retriever only needs to be brushed once a week. They have long feathery coats and are considered average shedders. They shouldn’t be expected to live life in an apartment because it just isn’t enough space for them. They need plenty of room to roam and exercise daily.

They have been known to contract cancer, hip dysplasia, epilepsy and diabetes as major health problems. They have a life expectancy of around ten years. The Flat Coated Retriever is considered a medium to large dog measuring about 23 inches in height and an average weight of 65 pounds.

The Flat Coated Retrievers are a great family dog and are especially good with children. They have a very even temperament and are very smart. They are easy to train. They can be easily bored during training so you can’t spend hours at it, just short spurts of training time will yield much better results. They love to play and hang out with the whole family. They are very active when outdoors, but just the opposite when inside the house.