Retriever (Curly Coated)

The Curly Coated retriever is easily distinguishable by the thick curly coat that covers its body. Among all the retrievers, it is the tallest. The origin of this breed is England and it was mainly used for bird and waterfowl hunting. It is a very active dog and it can make a very good companion for children.

They are strong and well muscled and can be trained to hunt on the land as well as in water. Its body is slightly longer than it is tall and its body structure can vary from the other retrievers. Its movements are graceful and it has tight crisp curls which are easily noticeable. Black and liver are the only two colors that are accepted. Mixture of any other color is considered a fault by the breed standards. A stray white hair is not a problem but patches, however small, are not allowed anywhere on the body. Even the nose has to be of the same color as the rest of the dog.

The Curlies were used as gun dogs and have the right temperament for that purpose. They tend to remain reserved with strangers. They are fun loving and can be a lot of fun at home and are widely used as family dogs in addition to being a hunting companion. They are not easy to train as they tend to get bored with the same tricks. They need daily exercise. When they have an active life, they remain calm at home otherwise they can become restless. Some diseases like hip dysplasia and eye problems like cataract are associated with this breed along with cardiac problems and epilepsy.

The maintenance is simple as this breed doesn’t have an undercoat. All you will have to do is give it regular baths to keep it clean and to avoid mats. Shedding can be a problem with this breed and it will happen during spring in regions with extreme temperature change. Even though shaving the dog is undesirable, the tail, belly, legs, ears and feet are often trimmed during shows. The weight has to be in proportion to the height of the dog.

The Curly Coated retriever requires a high quality food even though some feed it a natural diet. It requires a lot of mental stimulation to be happy as well as a lot of play time. Though a young Curly can be active inside the house, an adult Curly will be a calm and quite house dog when not out in the field.

This breed’s love for water makes it a very happy dog while hunting for fowl in the water or when crossing streams is necessary while retrieving game. While the average life span of a Curly is 9- 14 years, there are some instances of them living up to 17 years. This is one of the breeds that are happy with activity of any kind. The low maintenance required and their calm temperament makes this breed ideal house and hunting dogs.