Flat Coated Retriever
Description:
The Flat coated retriever is a very powerful and slender dog. Its body is moderate, well proportioned and its coat is straight and flat. The head is long and clean, and its skull is pretty flat with smooth cheekbones and a long muzzle and its eyes should look separate from each other. The ears of this dog are smaller, stuck close to its head, and are not inserted as low as the hound's or setter's ears. The length of the neck is moderate and you should not be able to see any dewlap on it. The shoulders are well-inclined back and the top area of its back should look straight; the ribs are long and the stomach should look moderately retracted and its sternum should look prominent. This dog's coat is moderate in length and thick; it should look shiny but should not be woolly, curly, short, silky or furry. The colors of a Flat coated retriever are smooth black, or liver color. The males height is anywhere from fifty eight to sixty two centimeters and the females height is around two and a half inches under that.
Ideal owner:
The Flat coated retriever is a very friendly dog and its personality is just as shimmering as its coat. This dog likes everyone, even strangers. It is a natural hunter and it can be trained to perform several jobs and activities. The Flat coated retriever has a very balanced character and can even be too nice. It's not the most popular breed for companion but it has everything it needs to be an excellent family dog.
Growth:
At around eight weeks of age the Flat coated retriever should weigh around six or seven kilograms. This dog is a little slow as far as maturity is concerned; which usually occurs at around the age of three years, however this does vary with each individual dog. It reaches its maximum height at around eight or nine months, however it might still grow a couple centimeters more after that. If your family and you are looking into getting one, make sure to pick out one that is extroverted and not shy. Keep in mind that the Flat coated should not look like a long coated Labrador, this dog is thinner and has a long head and its hair is straighter and silkier. Normally the more fur it has as a puppy the better its hair or coat will be as an adult, so pick one with more fur if you can. These dogs are born with the color they will be as an adult. The lighter ones have the same color on their lips, nose and eyelids. The eyes of these dogs are black or hazel, the darker the better though. Puppies don't have locks of hair when they are little though, this comes, as they get older. It can take up to three years for this dog to complete its full adult coat. At adolescence this dog hardly changes color, although often times if a puppy was born with a white spot, at adolescence it tends to disappear. Keep in mind too that during teenage hood this dog might become a little more stubborn and want to do things its own way, but the good news is that they are very quick learners and can be trained easily. This dog is not necessarily dominant but it does need some discipline and consistency especially during adolescence. The way it grows during this time might be somewhat uneven and it might become a little clumsy too around the age of six to ten months, not to worry though as this will pass.
General health:
One great advantage of this dog is that it isn't a very common and extended breed, to which breeders have been able to control a lot of health problems that are inherent to this breed. However hip dysphasia has been seen in this dog and good dog breeders will give the future owner the necessary paper work on the exams and x rays the dog has gone through. Another concern breeders have is cancer and dislocation of the kneecaps. As of now it is not exactly clear as to why cancer has shown up and if it is a problem related to this breed or if it is just in the case of some individuals. Make sure to find a breeder that will inform you and that is concerned about these possible problems and others such as stomach torsion and hypothyroidism. In general this breed doesn't have eating problems and does not require any specific or special type of diet. However, despite this, the owner will need to avoid it from becoming overweight. The amount of care that must go into its coat is not very demanding but it dogs need regular grooming. The life span of the Flat coated retriever is around ten to fourteen years.
