Dog Breeds 101: Curly Coated Retriever

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Due to their excellent retrieving skills, the Curly-Coated Retrievers are popular with gamekeepers, hunters and poachers. These dogs can retrieve game from both land and water. Their athletic nature makes them excellent competitors in various dog sports especially field, agility and obedience trials. Therapy, drug detection and search and rescue are the most usual jobs for these dogs. [1]

The Curly-Coated Retriever were already used in retrieving during the late eighteenth century in England making them one of the oldest retriever breeds. They are said to be the descendants of the English Water Spaniel, Newfoundland, Poodle and Irish Water Spaniel bred together over many years. The result was a dog which is an excellent hunting companion and a skilled retriever. Today, Curly-Coated Retrievers are rare in the United States but are popular in Australia and New Zealand. The breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1924. [2]

The strong and graceful Curly-Coated Retriever is structured differently compared to other retriever breeds but the most notable feature of this dog is its curly coat which comes in the colors black and liver. The tights curls repel water and acts as a doggy armor, protecting the dog while hunting or retrieving. It has a soft mouth, enabling it to fetch game without causing further damage to the wounded animal. The dogs are still used nowadays as bird hunting companions in many countries. Like other retrievers, they are valued pets due to their fun-loving nature. They are calm and laid back inside the house as long as their exercise requirements are met. This means that they are both great activity dogs and calm members of the family. They are loyal and affectionate with their human family but aloof with strangers. They get bored easily with repetitive training so short training sessions is ideal for them. [3]