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Flat Coat Retrievers


Whipitgood
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I was just looking for stories on peoples lovely Flat Coat Retrievers. I have come to realise they are not a common breed :laugh: and would love to know more about them.

I have approached a breeder who has been lovely enough to chat to me and i hope to meet their dogs soon. But if anyone has one of these beautiful breeds - care to share stories, photos?

I am hoping to have a FC join our family one day in the distant future, to join the whippys and do some dog sports with :(

Edited by Whipitgood
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ILoveFlatCoats has Grover! You could PM her as she has a new baby and only 5 minutes DOL time per day these days :(

She was on before and I was chatting to her so drop her a PM!

Grover is a lovely black boy by the way. Goofy Grover.

I have a friend who has a Liver Flat Coat - she got her from a breeder here in Perth that advertises all the time - the dog doesn't even look like a Flat Coat!

I hope you have a reputable breeder lined up. :laugh:

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Hi Golden

Thanks for that, ill PM her.

Yes i know of the breeder(s) *cough* to steer well clear of, thanks!! Fortunately my husband and I have worked in the veterinary industry for a total of 30 years combined, you get to know the dodgy versus the good breeders (of all breeds), registered or not! :(

Edited by Whipitgood
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There's a lady at my obedience club who breeds flatcoats and she brings a gorgoeus girl named Lily to the club. She is so pretty and such a sweet natured girl with a rock solid temperament. I would happily have one if Lily is typical of the breed.

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(there was a baby puppy at the Western Classic I was tempted to steal

Hey Valley, i missed this years classic, despite being entered, (dammit!) But i know the baby you are talking about and yes she is beautiful!

Chessies are a bit more aloof than FCs is that right?

ETA: thanks for that link Golden. Licking? YUK!!! I have a breed that never licks, ill have to train them out of that habit if i get one! :(

Edited by Whipitgood
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Marilyn over in Perth has a beautiful liver flat coat called Rebel imported from England. She does obedience and tracking with him as well as showing. If you are after a puppy then you could start with the secretary of the Flatcoated Retriever Association of Vic. They can let you know who has puppies. You can also check out the dogzonline breed pages to find out who else is breeding and get links to their web pages or just look at the dogs :laugh: . We started in goldens 35 years ago but have had flatcoats for the last 22 years. They are not a breed for everyone but I love them!! :laugh:

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You can also check out the dogzonline breed pages to find out who else is breeding and get links to their web pages or just look at the dogs

Hi Flatchat, thanks. I know of the few breeders in Australia and their dogs lines. I show my Whippets so have seen the ones in the ring. I was more after opinions and stories from people who have owned them as pets.

Ill have to find Marion and her liver boy! Maybe ill meet her at tracking!

Why do you say they are not a breed for everyone? You have owned them for a long time, can you give me an idea of pros and cons for the breed? Are they hyperactive? My impression years ago of the ones i met that came into work - was that they were nutters! :laugh: But i dont get that impression from people who own them these days?

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(there was a baby puppy at the Western Classic I was tempted to steal

Hey Valley, i missed this years classic, despite being entered, (dammit!) But i know the baby you are talking about and yes she is beautiful!

Chessies are a bit more aloof than FCs is that right?

ETA: thanks for that link Golden. Licking? YUK!!! I have a breed that never licks, ill have to train them out of that habit if i get one! :laugh:

Chessies are more aloof. They are just not interested in other dogs or other people, they just focus on you. This is what turned me off Flatties and Labs, they will dislocate your shoulder to say hi to anyone/thing. I personally prefer dogs more aloof.

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There are some hyperactive ones but it is not what is looked for in the breed standard. A hyperactive one is just as wrong as a timid or aggressive one.

They are just friendly and exuberant, sometimes too exuberant. The pros are they will be up for whatever you are doing and they love people. They have a great sense of humour and often a quirky fun personality. They laugh with you not at you. :crossfingers:

The cons are that they can be quite demanding and noisy (barking). Mine get lots of exercise which reduces the demanding but not always the noise (luckily we live in the country). Mine bark whenever a car goes down the road or whenever we get home...can be a bit wearing. Some lines are also more prone to cancer than other breeds. Be warned, they are highly addictive and you may find it hard to stop at one. :(

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We have a young one that went through our Puppy preschool and is now at dog Club.

She was bred by a Doler and is the sweetest thing. Extremely biddable, little bit excitable, but not in a bowl you over kind of way, and loves everyone. She is still young and I am sure will only get better with age.

The other two I have known are from a breeder in WA I wouldn't recommend, they were quite different from the one we have now.

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We had a black Flatcoat girl in 1983 and was the first dog that I trialled, sadly her agility was cut short with HD and had to retire her as a pet to rest her hips and switched to Goldens having difficulty finding good Flatcoat breeders living then in WA.

Flatcoats are similar to Goldens in personality except that our Flatty girl was a great watchdog, far better and keen in hearing and alertness than the three Golden's that followed her. She did love a good bark and remember many times dragging her inside at 3am after waking everyone up including the neighbours :(

Funny thing, no one could tell her breed being quite rare at the time and most people thought she was a Labrador cross Gordon Setter was a common identification, or a black dog with a bit of Lab :crossfingers: As somone else has mentioned, she was an excessive barker and a cronic licker, but she was just a beautiful loyal pet.

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  • 2 months later...
Guest sharynriding

I have a flatcoat and a golden retriever, both males. They are very similar in temperament but as the others have mentioned the flatcoats can be a bit more enthusiastic about life. They are lickers but I don't like that and have never let him do it to me, therefore he doesn't lick me. I bought my boy over from the UK with me when I returned to Australia five years ago and must say that quarantine did his personality no favours. He was a very laid back boy before being quarantined for 30 days and it definitely made him a little more highly strung with some separation issues - understandable.

I have never had a big issue with barking, only if someone knocks at the door, which I have no problem with. They are very intelligent, biddable dogs and easy to train. My boy is obsessed with tennis balls and most will show the classic retriever behaviour of carrying something in their mouths when excited. I have shown both my flatcoat and goldie so have two entire males living together. They are currently 6 years old and 5 years old and still play like pups. I have never had an issue with aggression with each other or any other dogs. He is a very sociable, sweet dog that loves everyone and their dogs too!! He is a big sook and I love him for it.

The main difference I would say between the two breeds is that the goldie is more laid back. I would not be without either of them. Being an unusual breed people will always engage in conversation with you about your black golden retriever or black setter but it is fun educating them on this lovely breed. They are delightful but of course like all dogs require socialisation, education etc.

You are obviously clued up as to breeders but please pm me if you have any questions. Best of luck in your quest for one of these gorgeous creatures.

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Marilyn over in Perth has a beautiful liver flat coat called Rebel imported from England. She does obedience and tracking with him as well as showing. If you are after a puppy then you could start with the secretary of the Flatcoated Retriever Association of Vic. They can let you know who has puppies. You can also check out the dogzonline breed pages to find out who else is breeding and get links to their web pages or just look at the dogs :rofl: . We started in goldens 35 years ago but have had flatcoats for the last 22 years. They are not a breed for everyone but I love them!! :rofl:

Marilyn's Rebel is awesome he is a lovely dog, I have met a few Flatcoats that are lovely, if I couldn't have a lab or goldie I would get a flatcoat.

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Oh, I just had a look at some pics and OMG I am in LOVE!!! :rofl:

Just like a goldie but black- so mud wouldnt stain! :rofl:

I love big black dogs and I love GRs, not so sure about them being less laid back than GRs though.

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Our first flatcoat Ch Hadwin Blair Dooley was a real character. If we didn't feed him quickly enough, he would lift the empty bowl down off the grooming table, put it on the ground and flick it with his paw to make it spin. He would keep this up until he got fed. :D

He would also groom our British blue cat. The first time he caught a rabbit, he didn't know what to do with it so he turned it upside down and groomed it!! :rofl:

He was my first heart dog and I cried buckets when we lost him to osteosarcoma of the shoulder at not quite 7. :rofl:

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