The Flat-Coated Retriever Form & Function

The Flat-Coated Retriever originated in England in the mid-1800s. Man’s improved ability to shoot game at a distance necessitated a dog capable of retrieving it, and Flat-Coats came to be for exactly that purpose. Early Flat-Coats were kept as personal shooting dogs and were favorites of gamekeepers. The breed was brought to type by Mr. Shirley, who was also the founder of the Kennel Club in England. As dog shows became popular, the handsome and elegant Flat-Coat became popular at shows. Gamekeepers and other owners brought their prized shooting dogs to show to compete based on their conformation. Flat-Coats were popular competitors in early field trials as well; for many years, they were the most popular field trial dog in England. When working in the field, Flat-Coats have excellent noses, soft mouths, and great heart. Watching them, you can’t help but see the incredible joy they have in doing their job. They are good markers and steady workers; they are also very smart and somewhat independent. They work with moderate speed and style.

They love to work and work with people and are always happy. This quality has made them a very multipurpose breed. Many Flat-Coats that win in the conformation ring also have initials after their names. The breed excels in any activity requiring a working relationship between dog and human. When judging the Flat-Coat, it is of paramount importance to remember the purpose for which the breed was created. The modern Flat-Coat is one of the few sporting breeds that have not diverged into a working and a show type. The same dog that wins in the show ring today should be able to run in a hunt test or trial tomorrow, and then go and run agility or do obedience. Many Flat-Coat owners are involved in multiple aspects of the dog game, and Flat-Coats easily transition between them. As owners, we prize and take pride in this ability of Flat-Coats to be beautiful and workmanlike, and we try very hard to preserve it. Flat-Coats are one of the few sporting breeds that do not have a division in type between the working and show dogs. We as Flat-Coat breeders are trying hard to keep it that way. We want our dogs to be able to do it all.

The Breed Standard of the Flat-Coated Retriever was written as a blueprint to describe the visual appearance and temperament of the dog, i.e. those things that make him a Flat-Coat rather than, for example, a Labrador. In doing so, it also describes the attributes that the dog needed to have to be a good and efficient working Retriever. I am going to discuss parts of the standard in relation to what is required from working dogs. The Flat-Coat is famously described as a dog having, ‘Power without lumber and raciness without weediness.’ Your first impression of a Flat-Coat should be that of a moderately sized, happy dog, with a constantly wagging tail.

He should appear strong, workmanlike, and with moderate bone and good substance. He should not be coarse or short on leg. He should be elegant, with gentle lines, all running smoothly together. He should not be refined, weak, leggy, or rangy. He should always be shown in lean, hard-working condition. Fat does not equal substance. The most important things that make a Flat-Coat what he is are his ‘silhouette, both moving and standing, smooth effortless movement, head type, coat, and character.’ The silhouette of the Flat-Coat is that of a dog with a ‘Long, strong clean one-piece head’ well set on a moderately long neck, flowing into a level topline. The body should be strong with a deep chest, prominent forechest, well-angled shoulder, long ribcage, and a moderate tuck up. The rear should be strong and in balance with the front. That tail should come off the back as an extension of the topline and should be carried level or slightly above the level of the back. In the water, the tail acts as a rudder, and a gay tail is not a very efficient rudder. The Flat-Coat is described as being longer than tall.

The length should be in the ribcage and the loin relatively short. He should never look square or cobby. All of these attributes describe a capable, workmanlike dog able to work all day under difficult conditions. The head of the Flat-Coat is distinctive and very different from most other sporting breeds. The skull and muzzle give the impression of being ‘cast in one piece.’ The skull is fairly flat and moderately wide. The stop is ‘gradual, slight, and barely perceptible.’ There should not be a down or dish-faced appearance. The eyebrows are prominent, active, and should not be confused with a stop. The stop should be evaluated in profile. The muzzle should be long, deep, and strong. The muzzle and skull should be approximately the same length. Strength of muzzle is important to allow the dog to carry a large bird for a long distance. Lips should be tight to keep the dog from getting feathers stuck in their mouths. Eyes should be almond-shaped, dark brown or hazel, and widely set. It is important that eyelids be tight so that they do not pick up seeds and debris while working in the field.

The head of the Flat-Coat is very important, but please do not consider them a head breed alone. A good Flat-Coat should have a good head but also all of the other attributes that make him a functional Retriever. The Flat-Coat’s personality is described as having a ‘happy and active demeanor.’ When judging a ring of Flat-Coats, you should see a lineup of happy dogs with constantly wagging tails. Flat-Coats should be shown standing freely and moved on a loose lead. A ring of Flat-Coat puppies is a ring full of joy and mischief. One of my first happy memories in the breed was showing my very first puppy. The judge had a corsage on; when she bent over to examine my puppy, she quickly lost that corsage. Fortunately, she had a sense of humor. I was mortified. They should never be shy, fearful, or aggressive; any dog showing these characteristics should be severely penalized. A dog that is aggressive towards other dogs or humans should be excused. Dogs must work together when out hunting or picking up and must all be able to get along. The movement of the Flat-Coat should be sound and efficient.

He must be able to work all day. His movement should be balanced with good reach and drive front to rear. His topline should be strong, level, and supple. He should not have a huge rear kick. This seems to be the fashion today, but dogs that do this do not move efficiently. They would quickly tire in the field. They generally have much more angulation in the rear than they do in the front, and although many think it is ‘pretty,’ it is incorrect and impractical in a working dog. Balance is the important word. Exaggeration is impractical in a working Retriever. There is a large range of acceptable sizes in a Flat-Coat, from a 21-inch minimum for a small bitch up to 25½ inches at the maximum for a dog. The size range is because a larger or smaller dog might be advantageous in different hunting conditions. Animals outside of this size range should not be considered practical for the purpose of the breed. Too small, and the dog might not be able to easily carry a large bird; too large, it would take up too much room in a duck boat or blind. Big is not better.

The breed is named the ‘Flat-Coated Retriever.’ The coat is therefore very important to the breed. It is first a functional jacket; it must be sufficient to protect the dog in all sorts of weather and cover conditions. It is moderately thick, straight, and flat-lying with sufficient fullness, length, and texture to protect the dog. It is not fluffy, silly, or curly; it may be slightly wavy. This breed was once called the Wavy-Coated Retriever, and this type of coat still appears in the breed. As long as it is flat-lying, it is not penalized. When in full coat, the ears, front, chest, back of forelegs, hind legs, thighs, and bottom of the tail are feathered. The coat should not be excessive. Excessive coat will pick up more burrs and weeds and impede the dog’s ability to work in heavy cover. The dog may have a mane of thicker, longer coat over the neck, shoulders, and withers. Sometimes this ends in the middle of the back, giving the impression of a dip in the topline, which is not real.

Please use your hands to evaluate the topline if necessary. The standard requires that the dog be shown in as natural a coat as possible. He should not be penalized for lack of trimming as long as they are clean and well brushed. Tidying of the ears, feet, underline, and tip of the tail is acceptable. It has become fashionable in some countries to strip or shave the necks of Flat-Coats to just above the sternum; they think this helps to show the neck and emphasize the forechest. I’m hopeful that our North American judges can tell the difference between a puff of hair and the actual forechest on a dog. We want our Flat-Coats to be able to go hunting tomorrow. Stripping his neck of all of its hair removes protection from brush, bramble, and leaves the dog more open to cold water or injury.

The standard states that, ‘Shaving or barbering of the head, neck, or body coat must be severely penalized.’ Dogs that are severely barbered should not be awarded first-place ribbons, nor should they be given group placements. Dogs with a proper coat should not need to be barbered. Our dog is a working retriever; he needs the protection his natural coat provides. For the same reasons, whiskers should not be cut off our dogs; they are sensory organs and help to protect the dog’s face and eyes from injury. Several words have been used repeatedly in this article: strong, elegant, moderate, happy, and workmanlike. It is important that a winning Flat-Coat be all of those things.

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Interview with Jonathan Izant

How did you and Lincoln get your start in Search and Rescue? At King County Search Dogs?

Jonathan Izant: I joined King County Search Dogs (KCSD) in 2015 training Emmett, another wonderful Flat-Coated Retriever, and started training Lincoln in 2017. KCSD is fortunate to have several outstanding senior dog handlers. Two of them have over 45 years of experience in law enforcement and Search and Rescue each, and both have written foundation Search Dog text books. In addition to having this wealth of expertise at weekly trainings, Lincoln and I have participated in a number of regional Search Dog workshops.

I started doing volunteer search and rescue work in 1979 with a backcountry Nordic unit of the National Ski Patrol in Colorado and got my first Flatcoat in 1988. Working with Lincoln in KCSD has allowed me to combine two passions: Performance Dog activities and community service.

Lincoln has local and national certification in two types of Search Dog work:

• Air Scent, where he works off-lead to find any human lost in a wilderness or rural setting,
• Human Remains Detection, where he finds buried, surface or hidden bone or tissue both outdoors and in buildings.

The KCSD Air Scent certification test requires a dog-handler team to find two people “lost” in 40 acres of dense Pacific Northwest forest in two hours. Lincoln recently completed his biannual re-certification in 25 minutes!

Is a Flat-Coated Retriever especially well-suited for Search & Rescue work?

Jonathan Izant: “That dog doesn’t look like it is working. It’s having too much fun!” —Anonymous Belgian Malinois Handler Overheard at Search Dog Training

Lincoln is a classic Flatcoat; energetic, focused, alert, playful, social, biddable, independent, and a bit stubborn. Lincoln LOVES to search! His gundog roots provided him with a great nose and natural skills in locating specific scents. Flatcoats are athletes, and according to his GPS collar, Lincoln has covered over 26 miles in a day searching in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness (much further than his handler).

Flatcoat stubbornness is actually an asset in challenging scent environments. Lincoln is persistent and will continue to work in and out and around faint scents until he finds the source. His steady, albeit energetic, Flatcoat temperament helps him deal with distractions, challenging rocky environments, boats, and helicopter flights.

Always the larrikin, Lincoln loves to get in a few slobbery kisses when he finds a subject before racing back to announce his find. There are almost a dozen Flatcoats doing Search and Rescue work in Oregon, Washington, and other parts of the US and Canada, many of which have distinguished themselves in Air Scent, Trailing, and Human Remains work.

Flatcoat stubbornness is actually an asset in challenging scent environments. Lincoln is persistent and will continue to work in and out and around faint scents until he finds the source.

What are some of the specific areas in which you and Lincoln have been deployed?

Jonathan Izant: King County is twice the size of the State of Rhode Island and stretches from Puget Sound to the ridge of the Cascade Mountains. We participate in searches in surrounding counties as well, so Lincoln has deployed in everything from saltwater beaches to residential neighborhoods, to parks and golf courses, to dense forest, to alpine meadows, to arid grassland and tumbleweed.

Lincoln’s HRD work includes working from shore and from boats on fast-moving rivers and swampy marshes as well as forests and roadsides. Our search assignments are often miles from accessible trailheads, so Lincoln also has experience riding in all-terrain vehicles and being lowered from and hoisted up into helicopters.

Can you share a particularly memorable Search and Rescue story?

Jonathan Izant: In April 2021, King County Search Dogs was called out by King County Sheriff and Bellevue Police at 1:00 AM. An elderly subject with dementia and no English skills had walked away from their family’s suburban Bellevue home earlier in the day. Lincoln and all of our search gear were loaded into the car and we left our house at about 1:30 AM. Approximately 40 King County Search and Rescue volunteers and three KCSD dog teams responded. Ground searchers fanned out, searching areas where the subject was known to wander.

Lincoln and I were asked to do a circuit of the neighborhood and we started at about 2:15 AM. Normally I would work Lincoln on a 20-foot lead in a residential neighborhood to keep him safe from car traffic, but this is not as effective as having Lincoln range on his own. Since I had two experienced support searchers with us and Lincoln was wearing his LED search vest, I worked him off-lead since there was no traffic at that time of night.

Lincoln searched energetically (as always) looking around the neighborhood, and after about 15 minutes he ran down behind a house and excitedly came back up onto the road. When it is dark, all searchers with headlamps look pretty much the same, and so, Lincoln first tried to indicate on one of my supports. When Lincoln realized it was not the right person, he ran over to me and tugged on his indicator ball hanging from my belt and then ran back down behind the house. We went down and confirmed that the subject was in the far corner of the backyard. We radioed for the police and family (since the subject had no English skills) who quickly arrived.

The subject was scared, cold, and disoriented but in good shape. Lincoln and I have been part of several successful late-night searches, but once the dust had settled and I was driving home it really struck me that the amazing little puppy in the back of the car had made his first live find.

There is a special amazement when you realize your dog has just helped save a life. It must be noted, however, that while Search Dogs get headlines, the real story is all the teamwork that goes into Search Dog work. Starting with an experienced breeder and a family who supports and tolerates the time and expense of volunteer work, it includes the teammates who have hidden in cold, wet forests and used their decades of experience to train new recruits like Lincoln and me.

It includes the many other parts of King County Search and Rescue Association; the ground searchers, ATV, 4×4, and operations units, as well as the Sheriff’s Deputies who all come together to help our neighbors in need. None of it would be possible without our local community that provides financial support for some of our equipment needs.

There is a special amazement when you realize your dog has just helped save a life. It must be noted, however, that while Search Dogs get headlines, the real story is all the teamwork that goes into Search Dog work.

How has training and working alongside Lincoln made an impact on your life in general?

Jonathan Izant: Training and equipping Lincoln has become a large part of our family lifestyle and budget, as is the case for many dog-related activities. Being on-call for search missions 24/7/365 adds another layer of planning and preparedness as well as the need for flexibility and patience from friends and family. Having a chance to watch Lincoln’s enthusiasm when searching through fern-covered forests, and especially partnering with him to save lives, makes it all worthwhile.

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Being raised with working and herding dogs that we worked in obedience, herding, and guard work, I always felt committed to the purebred dog and its utility. In the late 1980s, after having my first son, I was in search of a “kid-friendly” breed to mix with my new, young family. I had my curiosity piqued while at a local gun club. In the distance, I saw a beautiful, athletic, black dog.

The moderately feathered coat with its incandescence caught my eye. As it trained diligently with the trainer, I could see the willingness to work in the dog’s eye. When I asked, the trainer told me it was a Flat-Coated Retriever. I was hooked. My initial research into this fascinating breed has left me more dedicated to the betterment of this breed than I ever thought I would be.

Developed as a water and land retriever in the mid-to-late 1800s, this retriever breed was originally known as the Wavy-Coated Retriever. This was likely the product of cross breeding with a variety of breeds, including Setters, Collies, and Poodles, among others. Most certainly in the proprietary mix was the St. John’s Newfoundland, otherwise known as the Lesser Newfoundland, an extinct breed today.

Mr. Sewallis Evelyn Shirley (1844-1904), founder of the Kennel Club of Britain and an accomplished dog fancier and judge, took a keen interest in the breed and sought to distinguish it from the Curly-Coated Retriever.

The Flat-Coated Retriever became a favorite among gamekeepers in England during the turn of the 20th century. The Flat-Coat was a devoted companion with a unique willingness to work for its master. After a day’s hunt, the Flat-Coat would be sent over the fields and streams to pick up game that had been left behind. Considered “a hearth dog,” the Flat-Coat will work tirelessly with quite a high level of exuberance, but settle quietly in the house.

Ownership of this breed peaked in the 1920s and suffered a serious decline until the mid-1950s. Contributing factors to this were the increasing popularity of the “other” retriever breeds, Sporting dogs that were better suited for high intensity fieldwork, and the tale of many Flat-Coats being decimated during the World Wars.

Another important figure in the breed’s sustainability was Mr. Stanley L. O’Neill whose genuine concern for the breed prompted him to institute a Flat-Coated Retriever revival breeding program following the war. He worked diligently to advance the breed and save it from demise. One of the first Flat-Coats to be brought to the United States was a liver-colored bitch named Pewcroft Perfect that was sent to a Mr. Homer Downing in Ohio by O’Neill in 1953. In a few short years, Downing imported another dog, a liver-colored Flat-Coated Retriever female named Atherbram Stella.

In 1956, the total population of Flat-Coated Retrievers in the United States was nine. Two litters of puppies were produced and the population of Flat-Coats was 22 by 1957. Mr. Downing and his wife introduced these two biddable bitches to the obedience ring. Pewcroft Perfect achieved a UDT and Atherbram Stella, a UD title. Mr. Downing, under the kennel name Bramcroft, would play a huge role in perpetuating the breed as we know it today—a complete utility dog. Over the next fifty years, Flat-Coats would regain popularity, with stabilizing pedigrees, and achieve success in the breed ring, the field, and in all areas of AKC competitions.

The Flat-Coated Retriever remains today a biddable working companion, not divided into performance versus show lines. In 2012, there were a total of 1,116 titles earned in the breed across all AKC events. The breed saw 552 dogs registered in 2012, ranking 92 out of 177; 96 litters were registered.

The Flat-Coat has a reliable temperament and is an excellent companion dog. The Flat-Coat has been coined the “Canine Peter Pan” in A Review Of The Flat-Coated Retriever by Dr. Nancy Laughton. This is the reason my husband and I chose the Flat-Coated Retriever to raise our children, but can also serve as a reason to proceed with caution when considering this breed.

Although always known for their exuberant personality, trainability, and persistently wagging tail—the Flat-Coat may be too much for the novice dog owner.

The Flat-Coated Retriever: History, Origin & Utility – Showsight Magazine October 2020 Issue

Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Breed Magazine

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Read and learn more about the bold cheerful Flat-Coated Retriever dog breed with articles and information in our Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Breed Magazine.

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When asked to write about the Flat-Coated Retriever again, and concentrating on head and silhouette, I welcomed the opportunity. Why? Well, I had been somewhat eager in recent months to try and convey what the two breed hallmark characteristics should indeed look like, not only to the lay person but to fellow judges, breeders, and owners of this magnificent breed.

Head Breed

To say that a breed is a “head breed” really does not say much. After all, we have over 200 “head” breeds. If you were to look at most any breed’s blackened silhouette of the head, you should be able to tell which breed it is. This should be true of the Flat-Coated Retrievers as well—differentiating the breed from the other Retrievers and most certainly from the rest of the Sporting Group. So, where does it go awry?

Understanding the subtle nuances will separate a good judge from a great judge, a breeder from someone who just breeds dogs, and an owner who truly loves this breed—not just their dog. For the purpose of this article, it will be explained in-depth what the headpiece and silhouette of the Flat-Coated Retriever (referred to as the Flat-Coat) should ultimately look like.

Flat-Coated Retriever’s Head

The head is one of the hallmarks of the breed. It is described as “one-piece.” I often describe it to future judges as being carved from a single brick of clay, but here is where we can get into a bit of trouble. Some may say they INSTANTLY know what that means, although it can take may years to truly understand all of the finer points of that descriptor.

Ear Set

Let’s start with the ear set. This seems to be getting away from some. The ear should be level with the eye. This differs from several of the other Retriever breeds, which are slightly different to very different.

The Golden Retriever standard states, “Ears rather short with front edge attached well behind and just above the eye and falling close to cheek.”

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever official standard states, “Ears are to be small, set well up on the head, hanging loosely, and of medium leather.”

And the Curly-Coated Retriever standard states, “Ears are to be small, set well up on the head, hanging loosely, and of medium leather.”

The Labrador Retriever standard reads, “The ears should hang moderately close to the head, set rather far back, and somewhat low on the skull; slightly above eye level. Ears should not be large and heavy, but in proportion with the skull and reach to the inside of the eye when pulled forward.” The Labrador standard seems to be the closest to the Flat-Coat with regards to ear set, but let’s see how the Flat-Coat head differs from all the Retrievers.

The Flat-Coated Retriever Standard states, “Ears relatively small, well set on, lying close to the side of the head and thickly feathered. Not low set (houndlike or setterish).” Maybe some confusion comes from what the official standard does not say, only what it infers. It says, “NOT LOW SET,” but this should not be interpreted as HIGH SET. To look a little deeper, I’ll refer to the Official Illustrated Standard of the Flat-Coated Retriever to further explain.

Head Outline

In the Illustrated Standard, the outline of the head is shown without ears. This is because the ears should be relaxed and blend into the hair of the neck when the head is being evaluated. The ears can be held down by either the handler or the judge to do this. With this in mind, you can see that in no way can the ears be set high on top of the head, nor should they be presented that way.

The backskull should not be wide. The Illustrated Standard shows the head shape from the side and from above, to show the barely perceivable stop and the width of the backskull in comparison to the foreface. The dog should have an alert and kind expression, and dark, almond-shaped eyes set widely apart. The zygomatic arch should be clean and flush, and the foreface should be well-filled. As I have said previously, although the headpiece of the Flat-Coat is one of its most distinguishable characteristics, the emphasis on head is so heavily weighted at times that the overall silhouette is lost. Consider the head as part of the overall silhouette.

The Outline of the Flat-Coated Retriever

Tasked with describing the silhouette, the Breed Standard specifically speaks of the uniqueness of the standing and moving silhouette. The outline of the Flat-Coat is slightly longer than tall, with the prow, forechest, and rib return shaping a blunted triangle. There should be adequate length of neck, with the shoulders long and well-laidback, and with the shoulder blade and upper arm being approximately equal in length, thus allowing the dog to reach without restriction.

Musculature is described as wiry rather than bulky. Elbows should be clean, close to the body, and set well-back under the withers. Angulation in front is in balance with the rear assembly. Upper thighs are powerful and well-muscled. There is a good turn of stifle with a sound, strong joint. Second thigh (stifle to hock joint) is a crucial component of a strong, balanced rear. The second or lower thigh is as long as (or only slightly longer than) the upper thigh.

As you can imagine, over-angulated is as faulty as under-angulated, and both affect rear drive. The hocks are strong and well-let down. The feet on the Flat-Coated Retriever are oval or round. They are medium-sized and tight, with well-arched toes and thick pads; never flat or splayed.

Flat-Coated Retriever’s Tail

With the head, shoulders, knees, and toes as described in this article, the Flat-Coated Retriever has one more key component to the silhouette. It is of utmost importance that the Flat-Coat have a wagging tail at most times. This is a crucial component. In other words, at final evaluation of a Flat-Coated Retriever, ask yourself, “Does the silhouette fit and is there a wagging tail attached?”

Closing Points

In the end, when evaluating the head and overall silhouette of the Flat-Coated Retriever at work, play or show, first decide if you have correctly identified the hallmark characteristics. I can guarantee you that there are many correct Flat-Coats gracing couches, and many that are incorrect garnering opinions. It is your job as judges, breeders, and owners, without bias, to sort it out.

With regards to judging or evaluating the breed, it should be noted that evaluating a Flat-Coat moving freely on a loose lead and standing naturally is more important than judging him posed. Rewarding incorrect Flat-Coated Retrievers at high levels puts conscientious breeders who are trying to preserve this unique breed at a disadvantage, as the incorrect will soon manage to be perceived as true.

We have the opportunity to collectively keep the breed correct through continued education, thoughtful breeding, and diligently adhering to the Breed Standard when judging. The reward will be the preservation of a beautiful and rare breed, and will most certainly be accompanied by a smile.

Sources:

The FCRSA Official Illustrated Standard

The Official Standard for the Flat-Coated Retriever

Flat-Coated Retrievers, Brenda Philips 1996

A Review of the Flat-Coated Retriever, Nancy Laughton 1980

Are you looking for a Flat-Coated Retriever puppy?

The best way to ensure a long and happy relationship with a purebred dog is to purchase one from a responsible breeder. Not sure where to begin finding a breeder? Contact the National Parent Club’s Breeder Referral person, which you can find on the AKC Breeder Referral Contacts page.

Want to help rescue and re-home a Flat-Coated Retriever dog?

Did you know nearly every recognized AKC purebred has a dedicated rescue group? Find your new best friend on the AKC Rescue Network Listing.

Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Breed Magazine

Showsight Magazine is the only publication to offer dedicated Digital Breed Magazines for ALL recognized AKC Breeds.

Read and learn more about the bold cheerful Flat-Coated Retriever dog breed with articles and information in our Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Breed Magazine.

The post Understanding the Flat-Coat Head and Silhouette appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

Most Flat-Coated Retriever owners love their dogs. As a matter of fact, it has been the relationship between dog and owner that is the heart of the Flat-Coat breed. However, loving your dog is not a reason to breed your dog. Instead, you must love the breed enough to become the most knowledgeable and educated Flat-Coated Retriever enthusiast that you can.

To love the breed is to look long and hard at your Flat-Coated Retriever and ask: “Does my dog have anything to offer the breed as a producer?” To love the breed is to wait until you know this breed like the back of your hand before breeding a litter. To love the breed is to train and show judiciously so that you understand talent, type and temperament.

Your first couple of Flat-Coated Retrievers may or may not be of breeding quality. Also, more should go into the decision to breed than the quality of the dog. You need to be ready to breed and that takes time and effort.

Using your first few Flat-Coats as learning tools is an excellent way to educate yourself. Set some goals in the breed ring, obedience, the field and tracking. Join a fly ball team and get involved with pet facilitated therapy. If you cannot find the time to educate yourself, then you should not breed Flat-Coats.

Top breeders spend most of their free time thinking, breathing and working Flat-Coats. That commitment to our breed has protected it from harm. Anyone can put two dogs together and allow them to breed. The term “breeder” has been applied to such notable and influential people as Bonnie and Glenn Conner. The term breeder has also been applied to those who run puppy mills. Anyone can breed dogs; only a few put the time and effort into their programs to do it right. It is difficult to describe the level of knowledge that a person should achieve before breeding.

The following is a checklist of ideas, not to be considered complete. Let us assume that your potential breeding stock is of acceptable quality, proven by achieving some titles and has something outstanding to offer the breed. Can you, the potential breeder, respond positively to the following:

You are at a dog show. A group of Flat-Coat Retriever enthusiasts are outside the ring. They begin to discuss breed type, using several dogs in the ring as examples of different breed types. If all of the Flat-Coats Retriever in the ring look alike, you are not ready to consider breeding.

You are at an obedience trial. Some people begin to discuss front end assemblies and their relationship to a dog’s ability to jump. Different theories are presented. If you do not understand at all or understand the discussion but cannot see it with your own eye, or do not understand many of the terms used, you are not ready to breed.

If you do not have a mental picture inside your head of the perfect Flat-Coat with every detail included, you are not ready to breed.

Can you answer, in detail, a question about why you want to breed your bitch? In other words, what does she have to offer the breed? Also, do you know her faults, and how to choose a dog to offset her faults and compliment her? If you cannot answer these, you are not ready to breed.

Do enough Flat-Coat Retriever people know and respect your accomplishments in the breed to consider purchasing a puppy from you? Are you ready to educate new puppy owners and to keep strings on your stock? Are you ready to enforce the terms of your agreement if someone breaks them? Will you put written spay and neuter agreements on all non-breeding stock? If not, do not breed. An excellent litter of Flat-Coat Retrievers in the wrong hands can damage the breed. Be responsible for your stock.

Do you understand the following terms and have you worked your dog enough to know where she fits into each of these?

IN THE FIELD: Nose, Style, Marking Ability, Memory, Courage, Physical Ability, Birdiness, Trainability

IN OBEDIENCE: Style, Stability, Willingness, Intelligence, Trainability

BREED RING: Style, Conformation, Attitude, Stability, Type

THE HOME: Stability, Temperament, Social interaction w/ people, Social interaction w/other dogs, Sensitivity

Do you have long term goals established in your breeding program? Do you know what you want to accomplish and do you have a general idea of how you are going to do that? If you cannot think past your first litter and do not know if you want to breed past one litter, then why do it at all? Let someone else breed and buy a puppy from an experienced breeder. Just having a breeding quality dog does not a breeder make. Your level of knowledge about the bred is just as important as the quality of the dog.

If you expect to reap some monetary benefits from the production of puppies do not breed. Often, people try to express their love for and pride in their dog by defining those feelings in monetary terms. For instance, you exclaim to a friend, “My dog just became a champion, which makes her worth a lot of money. Her puppies will sell for a lot too.” Most people feel embarrassed about expressing their love for their dog and, instead, try to explain the situation in terms they think their friends will understand.

Most people outside the dog world still believe that involvement with dogs is a business situation. Few think of dogs as a hobby. For most of us, that is exactly what it is. Don’t breed your dog so that you may brag to others about the value of her puppies. Your dog’s most important value should be in your heart.

The truth is that very few dogs out of any litter should be bred. The odds are against any one person getting a breeding quality animal every time they purchase one. The odds stack even more heavily against that person being someone who should be breeding dogs.

Breeding Flat-Coat Retrievers indiscriminately is a dangerous and insidious practice. There are no exceptions to the rule. Anyone who breeds a litter when they have questionable stock or lack an extensive base of knowledge is endangering this breed. Please, if you love this breed as most of us do, then help protect it.

The formula is a simple one: If you are not prepared, do not breed. If you do breed, control what you breed with co-ownerships and spay/neuter agreements.

By Andrea Holsinger

The post So You Want to Breed Your Flat-Coated Retriever? Think Again! appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

When you first set eyes on a Flat-Coated Retriever with good type, I promise, you will smile. Everything, from the perfectly molded skull and dark eyes, to the tip of the sleek, feathered tail, is pleasing. So, how do I best describe this truly unique breed? Let’s start with a brief history to understand utility, and describe the ideal size, substance, and proportions to further understand its singularity.

The Flat-Coated Retriever dog breed was developed in Britain in the mid-to-late 1800s. Originally known as Wavy-Coated Retrievers, the breed likely descended from the St. John’s Newfoundland, crossed with a variety of other breeds such as Setters and Water Spaniels. It was developed as a moderate, lean retriever with more endurance than its heavier predecessors, but with the same keen nose and soft mouth for retrieving on both land and water. The breed was established as the Wavy-Coat, known for its marcel waves of black coat, differentiating it from the Curly-Coat. It was later named the Flat-Coated Retriever and is now commonly referred to as the Flat-Coat. In early days, they were mainly black or liver, although other colors existed. Today, only black and liver are permitted to compete in conformation, and yellow is the only disqualification listed in the official standard.

According to the breed standard, the Flat-Coat has traditionally been described as showing: “Power without lumber and raciness without weediness.” It also calls for a moderately-sized dog, with a preferred height of between 23 to 24 1/2 inches at the withers for dogs, and 22 to 23 1/2 inches at the withers for bitches. There is no disqualification for height, but note that the Flat-Coat should be slightly longer than tall. It would be the goal for breeders of quality dogs to be well within these parameters, but there are occasions in which a dog or bitch may fall one inch below the preferred standard or stand one inch above. A reasonable practice would be to find a dog of good type and quality before using size as a consideration.

One of the most distinctive features of the Flat-Coated Retriever dog breed is its elegant headpiece. When viewed from all angles, it should give the impression of a one-piece, molded head with minimal stop. I often describe it to future judges as being carved from a single brick of clay. The backskull should not be wide, and ears should be level with the eye, not placed high on the head. The dog should have an alert and kind expression, with dark, almond-shaped eyes set widely apart. The zygomatic arch should be clean and flush, the foreface should be well-filled. The underjaw should be full, and lips should have a clean finish. The neck should be free of throatiness. A scissors bite is preferred, and a level bite is acceptable.

Even though the headpiece of the Flat-Coat is one of its most distinguishable characteristics, at times the emphasis on head is so heavily weighted that the overall silhouette is lost. So, not to make this mistake, consider the head as part of the overall silhouette, as it should not be weighted on its own. The breed standard specifically speaks to the Flat-Coat’s unique standing and moving silhouette. Judges should consider all placements with this in mind. Head planes should be visible from the standing and moving outline, with the moving silhouette being of utmost importance. (What often pleases the eye while standing may not always translate when moving.) There are some very key elements to the silhouette and to the build and proportions of the Flat-Coated Retriever that equate to type.

The standing silhouette should be comprised of several easily identifiable body parts. One-piece head, proper length of neck, shoulder layback with equal return of upper arm, prow, deep rib cage, return of rib, level topline, slight rounding to the croup with tail held off the back, and moderate rear angulation. Moving from the undeniable headpiece towards the hindquarters, the Flat-Coated Retriever dog breed has a strong, slightly arched neck. The neck should be moderately long, and the neck-to-shoulder transition should be smooth, with not only good layback of shoulder, but also good lay-in. At times, we see short or ewe necks, which consequently affect reach. Flat-Coats that lack prow and forechest should be faulted. This is one of the key elements contributing to the outline and should be high in consideration. It should be prominent and well-developed. The underline of the dog should have a deep chest, tapering to a moderate tuck-up. The topline should be strong and level. A weak topline is often a product of a short rib cage. Rib cage should be deep, with good length and good return, and should be gently sprung, described in the standard as a blunted triangle. The loin should be well-muscled and long enough to allow the dog to sufficiently move, but never weak or loosely coupled. The croup should be very slightly rounded, with tail well set on. The tail should be fairly straight and carried happily. Steep croups are a bit of a problem as of late, affecting the overall outline of the dog—and often the set and carriage of the tail. Tail should be well-feathered and carried not much above the level of the back.

The neck should be moderately long, and neck-to-shoulder transition should be smooth, with not only good layback of shoulder, but also good lay-in. The Flat-Coat head has a foreface that is well-filled, with dark, almond-shaped eyes. Stop is barely perceivable. It’s important to understand that overall balance is key.

With all parts and pieces considered, it important to understand that overall balance is key—balance front to rear and balance shoulder to ground. The front should not be too over loaded and conversely the rear should not appear weak. The length from the withers to the elbow should be equal to the length of the elbow to the ground.

With the correct proportions and silhouette as described above, when viewed from the side, Flat-Coats should cover ground efficiently without choppy or mincing steps. The movement appears balanced, free-flowing and well-coordinated. Front and rear legs reach well forward and drive well back, achieving long, clean strides. The topline should be level and strong while the dog is in motion. A truly typey, well-balanced animal while moving
is undeniable.

Understanding the temperament of the Flat-Coated Retriever dog breed is also key to understanding the breed. A nervous, hyperactive, apathetic, shy or obstinate dog is highly undesirable. Any aggressive behavior toward people or animals is totally unacceptable. The Flat-Coat is a versatile dog with a desire to work and please. The Flat-Coat in competition is known to have a wagging tail at most times. I have witnessed judges becoming annoyed at the wagging Flat-Coat. My advice to them? Decline the assignment.

I was asked to include the health and longevity of the Flat-Coated Retriever to this article. With regards to health, the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America recommends all breeding stock be clear of hip dysplasia and patella abnormalities by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or a board-certified veterinary equivalent. Eyes should be cleared annually by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. Eye conditions to be screened for in breeding stock include Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cataracts, and a predisposition for narrow angles that can lead to Secondary
Glaucoma. Cancer is a primary concern in the breed, but through utilization of genetic diversity when breeding, dedicated breeders are seeing added longevity to the breed. The average life span of all
retrievers combined is about 10 years. The Flat-Coated Retriever is not an exception.

So, when you have the privilege to observe the Flat-Coated Retriever at work or play, or you have the opportunity to judge them, please remember to bring your smile. A properly built Flat-Coated Retriever that oozes type, tail wagging incessantly, will leave you grinning from ear to ear.

The post The Flat-Coated Retriever Dog Breed | The ‘Un-Generic’ Retriever appeared first on Showsight Magazine.