Flat Coated Retriever
Puppy
Fully Grown
The Flat-Coated Retriever looks like a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Labrador, in black or brown colours. But they are actually not cross breeds at all. They have quite a long history, and were used for hunting and retrieving waterfowl for decades before making it into our family homes.
Their temperament a similar to a Golden Retriever, but with triple the amount of energy, playfulness and endurance. They are powerful adventurers and are naturally inquisitive. Their love and affection for their owners motivates this breed to always perform their best. Flat-Coated Retrievers are fast athletes that do well at any kind of action-packed dog sports like Agility or Fly Ball.
When joining a family as a pet, this dog is sure to exhaust the children through playing ball with them for hours, but once your kids are resting he will want to move on and do something else. Make sure you have enough time to let him burn off all that energy.
This breed is very trainable, intelligent and quite attentive towards their owners. Their thick flat coat makes them resilient to any kind of rough weather. If you feel like going on a kayak trip and want to take your dog with you, you might just have found the right dog breed. He sure will retrieve you back to land if you fall into water and is more than capable of doing so!
| Weight: | 27-36 kg |
| Health risk: | Medium |
| Life expectancy: | 8-10 years |
| Coat: | Medium |
| Grooming intensity: | Medium |
| Monthly cost (food): | high |
| Trainability: | High |
| Activity level: | High |
There are many sources to get your Flat Coated Retriever from. Considering the number of homeless dogs without a future, we strongly encourage you to consider rescuing a dog. Your local shelter or rescue organisation can be a helpful place to start, or try contacting your local or national breed club or a reputable breeder and asking if they have pets available for rehoming. Many rescue organisations have active Facebook pages, which can also be a good place to enquire.
Here are some links that could be useful for finding a Flat Coated Retriever to adopt:
To help your rescued Flat Coated Retriever to settle into your home, our Rescue Dog Guide gives you tips and advice on bringing your rescue dog home.
If you decide you’d prefer to get your Flat Coated Retriever from a breeder, the following guides will help you to find a responsible breeder:
The following organisations will be able to help you find breeders in your state in Australia. They will also be able to connect you with your local breed clubs, which are always a great source of information in regards to finding good breeders and rescue organisations.
