COUNTRY: Great Britain
WEIGHT: 60-70 pounds
HEIGHT: 22-23 inches
COAT: Dense, fine textured, as flat as possible, and of medium length, with feathering
COLOR: Solid black or liver
Group:Gun Dog
The Flat-Coat is one of the earliest "specialist" land retrievers created in Britain. In the latter half of the 19th century, the breed "appeared" and attracted immediate interest, and attained the reputation as the "game-keeper's dog" for its widespread use on British estates. Two of these dogs, "Old Bounce" and "Young Bounce," owned by game-keeper J. Hull, are credited with being the grande-dames of the modern breed. Very little else is known of his background, but he most likely stems from crossbreeding of trans-Atlantic imports with British setters. The imports were, undoubtedly, of the smaller Newfoundland-dog type, which was also the progenitor of the Labrador and Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
The Flat-Coat is one of the earliest "specialist" land retrievers created in Britain. In the latter half of the 19th century, the breed "appeared" and attracted immediate interest, and attained the reputation as the "game-keeper's dog" for its widespread use on British estates. Two of these dogs, "Old Bounce" and "Young Bounce," owned by game-keeper J. Hull, are credited with being the grande-dames of the modern breed. Very little else is known of his background, but he most likely stems from crossbreeding of trans-Atlantic imports with British setters. The imports were, undoubtedly, of the smaller Newfoundland-dog type, which was also the progenitor of the Labrador and Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
S.E. Shirley, MP, helped stabilize type in the 1880s. The Flat-Coat was a highly esteemed hunting and show dog until WWI. H.R. Cooke, a follower of Shirley, was a great patron of the breed. His Riverside Kennels dominated the breed for 60 years. This may have been the breed's downfall, as many less successful fanciers turned their attention to Labs and Goldens.
Perhaps to his benefit, however, this retriever has never been subject to the great popularity of some of his closely related kin, thus has not suffered the problems associated with "fad" breeds. Registrations are few in both England and the USA, and most dogs are associated with owners who utilize their abilities. The Flat-Coat is a fine land and water retriever with natural talent in marking, retrieving and delivering. He also doubles as a good flushing, upland game hunter. The Flat-Coat is a close-working, calm, biddable dog. Obedience enthusiasts are just beginning to discover his superior qualities of animation, trainabiliry, and willingness to please that make him a top competitor.
The coat is without exaggeration, neither profuse nor over-long, and easy to care for. It has a tendency to wave—in fact, the original name was the "Wavy-Coated Retriever"—and the standard allows for the appearance of those long-ago genes, stating only that the coat should be "as flat as possible." An easygoing personality makes the Flat-Coat a pleasant companion dog, and he needs only adequate exercise to keep him fit.