Curly Coated Retriever

Size
Medium (11kg - 27kg)
Exercise
40 min/day
Training
Weekly
Time at home
Alone with support
Grooming
Weekly
Barking preference
Moderate
Personality
Independent + affectionate

Breeder List

Breeder - Mrs Kerynne Belbin (Miamba)

kgb050@bigpond.com
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History

The first recorded information on Curly Coated Retrievers in Australia goes back to the early 1880s, however the breed has also been particularly successful overseas. Titled champions have been recorded in Germany, Holland, Sweden, Finland, USA and New Zealand. The Curly Coated Retriever Association of Victoria was formed in 1977 and the Curly Coated Retriever Social Club was formed in NSW in 1983. An affiliated club followed in 1991.

Characteristics

The one genetically distinctive characteristic of the Curly Coated Retriever is its curly coat. General opinion is that the St John’s Newfoundland, Irish Water Spaniel, Old English Water Dog and Poodle all lent something to the breed’s origins.

The Curly Coated Retriever is a successful sporting dog, thanks to a combination of pace, endurance and intelligence. With its size and strength, the breed is able to retrieve almost anything. The Curly Coated Retriever excels in water and will show a strong desire to swim from an early age.

Temperament & Suitability

The Curly Coated Retriever is slow to mature and may take up to three years to reach full maturity. The breed is kind-hearted, devoted to its owner and family and likes to be praised. It is not prone to barking, but is an excellent protector of family and property if required. The breed’s deep bark alone is enough to stop unwanted intruders in their tracks.

The Curly Coated Retriever tends to have a mind of its own; the breed is obedient, but in its own time. This independence is one of the traits that Curly Coated Retriever devotees find attractive as it makes for a dog of great character. It is a gentle companion and adapts well to most other pets, happily sharing its home with cats and other dogs. As with all large dogs, the Curly Coated Retriever needs plenty of exercise to keep it in good condition. The breed can live to 13-14 years of age.

Maintenance & Health

The Curly Coated Retriever does not require much grooming and on no account should a brush be used. The coat’s natural oils have a tendency to build up, so a regular bath is advisable, but no drying is necessary.

A 10-minute session to trim any scraggly bits from the coat, tail and ears, is all that is needed. The coat, made up of water resistant curls, is hypo-allergenic making it a suitable pet for people with allergies.

The Curly Coated Retriever has relatively few health problems. Just like all Retrievers, hip dysplasia can affect the breed. Responsible breeders will carry out hip score studies and eye examinations and should be able to provide a history of scores for a puppy’s lines.

Words: Kerrie Lydon

Image: selectadogbreed

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Curly Coated Retriever, you may think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Curly Coated Retriever and its needs, and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 23 Jan 2015)

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A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Strong, upstanding dog with a degree of elegance. Distinctive coat.

Characteristics

Intelligent, steady, reliable.

Temperament

Bold, friendly, self-confident and independent. May seem aloof.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull	Head wedge-shaped in both side and front profiles. In proportion to body size. Slight stop. Foreface and skull equal length. Planes of skull and muzzle parallel. Nose black in blacks and brown in livers.
Eyes	Large, not prominent, oval shaped, obliquely set. Dark brown in blacks, in livers brown tone to blend with coat colour.
Ears	Rather small, set slightly above level of eye; lying close to head, covered with small curls.
Mouth	Jaws strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. Upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck	Strong and slightly arched, of medium length, free from throatiness and flowing freely into well laid back shoulders.
Forequarters	Shoulders well laid back and muscular. Upper arm and shoulder blade approximately equal length. Forelegs straight with strong pasterns and set well under body.
Body	Chest deep with well-sprung ribs, oval in cross section with brisket reaching elbow. Forechest visible. Ribs extend well back into short, deep and powerful loin. Slight tuck-up to flank. Topline strong and level. The dog should be slightly longer in body measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock than in height from withers to ground.
Hindquarters	Strong, muscular. Moderate turn of stifle. Hocks well let down and well bent.
Feet	Round, tight, with well-arched toes.
Tail	Flows from topline. Should reach approximately to hock; carried straight on a level with topline when moving.
Gait/Movement	Effortless, powerful gait with good extension and drive. Parallel movement. At speed legs tend to converge.
Coat	Body coat a thick mass of small, tight, crisp, curls lying close to skin, extending from occiput to tip of tail; without undercoat or bare patches. Elsewhere hair smooth.
Colour	Black or liver.
Size	Ideal height at withers: Dogs 69 cms (27 ins)Bitches at withers: 64 cms (25 ins)

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.