Retriever (Flat Coated)

Breed characteristics

Size: Large
Exercise: More than 2 hours per day
Size of home: Large house
Grooming: More than once a week
Coat length: Medium
Sheds: Yes
Lifespan: Under 10 years
Vulnerable native breed: No
Town or country: Either
Size of garden: Large garden

At one time the breed was known as the Wavy Coated Retriever and it is thought that the more racy lines of the Flatcoat comes from some Setter ancestry mixed with Spaniel and Retriever blood. At first the early breeders kept only black puppies despite the occasional golden puppy in the litter. Later selective breeding established the liver colour. The early popularity of the breed as a working gundog has been overtaken by the Labrador. The Flatcoat was popular in the late 1800’s on the large shooting estates. The founder of The Kennel Club, Mr Sewallis Evelyn Shirley, who was its Chairman from 1873 to 1899, was a great enthusiast of the breed and helped stabilise breed type.

Read the breed standard

Images for this breed

The Gundog breed group

Dogs that were originally trained to find live game and/or to retrieve game that had been shot and wounded. This group is divided into four categories - Retrievers, Spaniels, Hunt/Point/Retrieve, Pointers and Setters - although many of the breeds are capable of doing the same work as the other sub-groups. They make good companions, their temperament making them ideal all-round family dogs.

Colour Watch

Category 1: Breeds with >0 to 2% registered NBS colours

Breed Standard colours

Breed standard colour means that the colour is accepted within the breed standard and is a traditional and well-known colour in this breed.

Breed standard colours in this breed include:

Black
Liver

Non-breed-standard colours

(NBS) Yellow

Non-breed-standard colour means that the colour is not accepted within the breed standard and whilst some dogs within the breed may be this colour it is advised to only select a dog that fits within the breed standards for all points.

Colour is only one consideration when picking a breed or individual dog, health and temperament should always be a priority over colour.

Other colour/s

'Other' means you consider your puppy to be a colour not currently known within the breed and one that does not appear on either the breed standard or non-breed standard list. In this instance you would be directed through our registrations process to contact a breed club and/or council to support you on identifying and correctly listing the new colour.

Whether you’re thinking of buying a puppy, or breeding from your dog, it’s essential that you know what health issues may be found in your breed. To tackle these issues we advise that breeders use DNA tests, screening schemes and inbreeding coefficient calculators to help breed the healthiest dogs possible.

More about health

Priority health schemes and tests

The Kennel Club's Assured Breeders must use the following (or equivalent) schemes, tests and advice. All other breeders are strongly advised to also use these.

Important health schemes and tests

We strongly recommend that all breeders, both assured breeders (ABs) and non ABs, use the following (or equivalent) schemes, tests and advice.

Bitches not to produce a litter under 2 years of age
Bitches not to produce more than three litters in their lifetime
Bitches not to produce more than one litter within a 12-month period
Check inbreeding calculators

Find out about a particular dog's results

Please visit our Health Test Results Finder to discover the DNA or screening scheme test results for any dog on The Kennel Club's Breed Register.

You can also view the inbreeding coefficient calculation for a puppy's parents, or for a dog you're thinking of breeding from.

Have any questions about health in your breed?

If you have any concerns about a particular health condition in your breed then you may wish to speak to your vet or you could contact your breed health co-ordinator.

Breed health co-ordinators are individuals working on behalf of breed clubs and councils who are advocates for the health and welfare of their chosen breed. They acts as a spokesperson on matters of health and will collaborate with The Kennel Club on any health concerns the breed may have.

To contact your breed health co-ordinator please email:

Elizabeth Branscombe

Help with research

Take part in a research project run by the University of Cambridge investigating common causes of death.

Breed watch

Category 1

Currently no points of concern specific to this breed have been identified for special attention by judges, other than those covered routinely by The Kennel Club breed standard.