Flatcoats!

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#1
I hope not everybody is tired of my incessant breed-questioning :p

So a group that has been frequently suggested to me is the retriever, but for some reason I haven't delved too much into them. I dunno, I'm fairly shallow/picky about looks, and most retrievers don't match what I like (the closest thing would be a blocky, heavy-headed English chocolate lab). Plus, with them being so popular I get to meet some unfortunate specimens. I see a fair few at work who are pushy, pushy, pushy, no off switch to speak of, and a surprising number who are dog selective or who tip easily. So, I've probably had a bias growing.

But recently I met a few Flatcoats and I was like wait, maybe I shouldn't keep disregarding this group! They were sweet, they were goofy as anything, they were Velcro, they were good workers in a variety of fields. My initial impressions have been of a dog sweeter and softer somehow than some others (Curlys and Chessies), but still very enthusiastic and full of retriever soppiness. Is that accurate? I also didn't realize that they came in liver, and I hate what this says about me but that's a game changer, I really prefer lighter pigment.

Shai, now is your time! :D or anyone else with experience with the breed! How are they with strangers? With other dogs? Coat upkeep? Biddability? Quirks?
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Shai

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#2
But recently I met a few Flatcoats and I was like wait, maybe I shouldn't keep disregarding this group! They were sweet, they were goofy as anything, they were Velcro, they were good workers in a variety of fields. My initial impressions have been of a dog sweeter and softer somehow than some others (Curlys and Chessies), but still very enthusiastic and full of retriever soppiness. Is that accurate? I also didn't realize that they came in liver, and I hate what this says about me but that's a game changer, I really prefer lighter pigment.

Shai, now is your time! :D or anyone else with experience with the breed! How are they with strangers? With other dogs? Coat upkeep? Biddability? Quirks?
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Yup they are generally much more biddable and stranger (human and dog) friendly than Chessies. The only Curlies I know are confo-only so I can't really compare there. More between field Labs and field Goldens, perhaps. Definitely silly but also very serious about their work.

Liver is not uncommon but it is rather small % of the breed so that will limit your choices. Mira's dad and several sibs are liver, as are many other dogs, but most of what you see are going to be black.

Of course these are individual and line variances but in general:

How are they with strangers? With other dogs?

Friendly. They tend to make good watch dogs but terrible guard dogs. They shouldn't be all ga-ga to schmooze everyone in the world but of course some are, either by nature or by nurture. They are however generally happy to meet other people and dogs and likely will enjoy socializing with them. They are not dogs for people who get jealous over their dogs' affection, haha, but they should also be pretty easy to focus and work around others as well.

One dog, but as Linds can attest from our time are her dog park if there is a potential job at hand nothing else in the world exists. Trav and Mira spent the better park of two hours side by side and I don't think either one even really registered the other's presence.

One the other hand she looooves puppies and will play with them forever, and has her favorite adults dogs too with whom she will flirt and play. Unless she has work to do and then even puppies and her BFFs are invisible.

Coat upkeep?
FCRs are single-coated so they dry quickly and you're not going to get AS much hair around but make no mistake they do shed, sometimes profusely. Other than combing out burrs (usually easy unless you get something like a cockleburr wound deeply into cottony ear fuzz) and keeping feet and ears neat, they are easy. If you don't stay on top of the toe hair they will collect snowballs between their toes in winter, same as most coated breeds.


Biddability?
Varies by line/individual/training method but generally they are highly food, toy, and even socially biddable. I'm told they aren't a good breed to do a lot of reps with, but I am not a person who does the same thing over and over ad nauseum so I've never tested the theory. They will certainly retrieve until they collapse or drown and have been known to leap off of or into things that are not in their best interest in pursuit of a toy so it's important to be the brains in the relationship on that score.

Quirks?
Water fiends. More like water-seeking missiles. If you are in a grassy dry field that is acres big and there is a single puddle hidden in the grass that is only a foot across they will find it and wallow until they are wet and muddly from head to tail and be utterly delighted. Taking one for a walk in a place with puddles will, unless directed otherwise, result in a zig-zag path from water to water just for the joy of splashing.

Tend to be very busy and creative. Of course it varies but err on the side of channeling drive right out of the gate. Especially higher drive lines, they can be monster as puppies. My sport/herding bred BC was much much easier to raise than the FCRs I've had in many ways because he tends to internalize his energy to some degree. Super mouthy as one might expect from a retriever so it's important to teach them the difference between human things and dog things right away because SOMETHING is going to be in his mouth at all times.

I hope that helps? I'm probably missing a lot of things but hopefully that answers some of your questions!
 
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#3
I have limited experience with flatcoats. I had never even heard of the breed until I met my boyfriend and he had one (used to have two).

I can only really speak for the one he has now and from the stories I have heard of his sister. But they both were very friendly and welcoming to people and dogs, not really a watchdog/guard dog type unless you consider ZOMG!!! People are here to pet and love me! to be that. (At least for these two dogs) And other dogs are of course new friends! From the stories I hear, the female they had was a little more bossy than their male.

The coat seems pretty easy upkeep. They get him groomed. But after coming out of playing around outside he seems good to go. Takes a little while to dry after swimming but not too bad. Definitely sheds, but not too terribly.

As far as food/toy driven. I wouldn't say his current dog is really that driven, compared to the drive I like to see in dogs. However, this dog is purely a pet dog and does not experience training, except in his younger life when he went to learn how to hunt pheasants- which I have heard is really the only time he gets a super serious driven attitude.

I think they are a very quirky/goofy breed. Definitely highly sociable and happy go lucky attitude.

But again, this is of my limited experience, so it may not be a good reflection for the breed as a whole.
 

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