- Dog suitable for owners with some experience
- Basic training required
- Generally healthy breed
- Enjoys active walks
- Enjoys more than two hours of walking a day
- Large dog
- Some drool
- Requires grooming once a week
- Quiet dog
- Barks and alerts to visitors/anything unusual
- Generally friendly with other dogs
- Gets along with other pets with training
- May need additional supervision to live with children
- Needs a large garden
- Can live in semi-rural areas
- Can be left occasionally with training
Flat Coated Retrievers can be prone to:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Histiocytic sarcomas which are a serious type of cancer that starts in a particular type of immune cell.
- Glaucoma which is a painful condition where the pressure in the eye builds up.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Hip dysplasia screening scheme
- Eye testing for pectinate ligament abnormality testing to look for signs that a dog is affected by glaucoma.
Key Facts
Lifespan: | 8 – 14 years |
Weight: | 27-36kg for males and 25-32kg for females |
Height: | 58-61cm for males and 56-58cm for females |
Colours: | Black or liver |
Size: | Large |
UK Kennel Club Groups: | Gundog |
Ratings
Family-friendly: | 5/5 |
Exercise needs: | 5/5 |
Easy to train: | 4/5 |
Tolerates being alone: | 1/5 |
Likes other pets: | 5/5 |
Energy level: | 5/5 |
Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
Shedding: | 3/5 |

Personality
Kindly, lively yet gentle, the Flat Coated Retriever is less prone to the rather over-enthusiastic and potentially boisterous nature that some other retrievers are known for! Slow to mature and rather sensitive in nature, the Flat Coat is even-tempered and highly adaptable. A good family dog with the right training and an understanding home, the Flattie will enjoy accompanying family on long walks and taking part in training, and competitive dog sports. Snuggling up on the sofa is also a popular activity for the well-exercised Flat Coated Retriever!

History and Origins
Country of Origin: England
In the 1800’s landowners and the sporting nobility of Great Britain were heavily focused on producing recognisable types of working dogs with a specific job. In the Flat Coated Retriever’s case, their only purpose was to pick up and retrieve shot game, accurately and without damaging the flesh. Developed from the Lesser Newfoundland as a land retriever, they were further refined into an excellent water and land retriever and became much favoured by gamekeepers. The ‘Flattie’ is also well able to flush game from cover and hunt where necessary. First established by Mr. J Hull in 1864, the breed was extremely popular until the creation of the Golden Retriever, and two World Wars also took their toll on numbers. Now rising in popularity again as a pet and competition dog, the Flattie is an intelligent yet gentle breed and makes a delightful companion in the right home.

Did You Know?
- The Flat Coated Retriever was originally named the ‘Wavy Coated Retriever’ however as breeders bred primarily for function rather than appearance, the wavy coat was slowly lost and eventually the name was changed to Flat Coated Retriever to reflect their appearance.
- They are known amongst fans as the ‘Peter Pan’ breed due to their slow maturing, puppy-like behaviour that extends well into adulthood and even old age.