Flat Coated Retriever

Developed in England during the mid-to-late 1800s from a mix of setter, spaniel, sheepdog and Newfoundland-type stock, the Flat-Coat was among the first retrievers to be shown and bred to a fixed type, championed by trainer Sewallis Shirley and later the breed's great populariser S. E. Shirley in the 1870s and 1880s. It was overtaken in general popularity by the Labrador during the twentieth century but retained a dedicated following of gundog trialists and family owners who value its exuberant, biddable character.

Living with a Flat-Coat means living with a dog often described as keeping puppy enthusiasm well into adulthood, sometimes three or four years, which delights some owners and tests the patience of others. They are exceptionally friendly, rarely aggressive or suspicious, and thrive with a job to do, whether formal gundog work, retrieving games, or simply a long daily walk with plenty of mental stimulation. Their long, flat coat needs regular brushing and is prone to picking up mud and burrs on country walks.

Today the breed is still worked by shooting enthusiasts as well as kept as a family companion, and it remains one of the more biddable and outgoing of the retriever breeds. Its main modern health concern, an elevated cancer rate compared with other retrievers, means prospective owners should ask breeders about family longevity as much as any other factor.