The Flat-Coated Retriever (FCR) is certainly not as widely known as the Labrador Retriever or the Golden Retriever, but they are the FOUNDATION for all retrievers! Selective breeding was used to isolate certain characteristics to give us the other Retriever breeds seen today. The breed started out in Great Britain being used as the "Gentlemen's hunting dog" and almost went extinct during WWII. Today the FCR community of breeders takes pride in keeping their breed a hunting companion, because hey- "life's too short to hunt with an ugly dog!” From years of breeding for temperament and drive Many FCR possess qualities of “birdiness.” Being "birdy" is something that most often comes in the form of carrying things around in their mouths and the desire to retrieve. This is a very sought after quality for most FCR breeders and people that are looking for a hunting companion. This can be a bit much for the inexperienced dog owner who is not used to frequently digging "god knows what" out of their dogs mouth. However, if you aren't looking for a hunting companion, fear not, the flat-coats possess many attractive qualities that lend themselves to being awesome family pets.
These guys excel in many different areas of training such as obedience, agility and conformation because they are HIGHLY trainable. Their trainability comes from being very intelligent, FCR’s enjoy outsmarting you on occasion and love having a job to do. Giving a dog a job to do looks different for every owner and every dog. With our assessment of each pup we will let you know which areas we think your particular puppy will excel at, or have an interest in. From there you can decide what is best for you and your new puppy. Our kennel will always strive to produce litters of versatile, well-rounded dogs that will settle to most tasks easily.
Another facet of owning a Retriever is the fact that they are inherently fond of water. Whether it be competing in the awesome sport of dock diving or doing a water retrieve for some field training, they seem to find water wherever they go! Of course as pups they may need some help from a life vest at first until they get their sea legs. Once they are on their way and confident in the water you better watch out! They see any body of water, large or small, as fair game! Inevitably, after they go for a romp in the water they will come barreling towards you looking for a hug and a kiss from their favorite person!
The most attractive quality that the FCR's have is their lovely personality. They have been dubbed the "Peter Pan" of the dog world and for good reason. These dogs tend to stay forever young and carry those puppy traits well into what others would consider the "mature years.” All dogs have a great ability to brighten your day, but Flat-Coats go a step further by being the clowns of the Retrievers family. Don't be surprised if they have you in stitches right off the bat! Their awesome personalities and readiness to do a job will cause you to fight off laughter while trying to discipline them for some crazy shenanigans. Aside from their clown-like nature, they are also extremely caring and affectionate dogs that want to spend all of their time with YOU. I always say that my Sadie's most important job is just being the sweet love bug that she is!
As I said they are highly trainable, but the work must be put in to make them the perfect family companion. As with all pups the work starts as soon as they are born. We socialize them to the very best of our ability to prepare them to be well rounded members of the canine society. From there you must pick up where we left off when you receive your beautiful bundle of joy. We always recommend and strongly suggest that as soon as it is age appropriate that you take your pup to basic obedience classes. The most important aspect of training a puppy is to keep it light-hearted and train often for short periods of time. You want to show them that YOU are the best thing around and when attention is paid to you that good things (cookies, praise, or a favorite toy) will come their way. This will not only help ensure that your new family member is starting off on the right foot towards becoming a well behaved dog, but it will solidify your bond. With plenty of age appropriate exercise and the right amount of training/discipline you and your Flat-Coat will be bonded and well on your way to being the perfect team.
While it isn't the most cheerful topic to cover, we must address that like many other breeds the Flat-Coats have their health issues. We encourage you to do your research regarding health issues in the breed and the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America (FCRSA) is a great resource to do so. At Flatline Kennels we health test their hearts, hips, elbows, patella's and eyes. Any of our breeding stock, as well as whomever they may be bred to will always be health tested. We will always do our part in trying to maintain the happiest and healthiest FCR's by testing for commonly known issues of the breed and all testing recommended by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
Now that you know a little about the breed we hope that you will continue to do more research and come to the conclusion that this is the breed is for you. Fair warning, these guys are like potato chips, you can’t just have one! We are always open to talking with potential puppy buyers, and as fanciers of the breed we are happy to answer any questions you may have. If you feel this is the breed for you but don't feel that raising a puppy is feasible for your family right now we encourage you to look into adopting a very deserving Flat Coat through the FCRSA Rescue. For learning about the structure and physical traits of the Flat-Coat, the American Kennel Club (AKC) offers an in-depth description of the standard.