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Curly Coated Retriever |
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Description... |
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 The
solid black or solid liver (brown) Curly is a family hunting dog and
companion. He is a large retriever with tight curls over its entire
body, except its forehead and muzzle, which have very short hair,
giving its forehead a peculiar, bald look.
Curlies are taller and more
intelligent than other retriever breeds, and their temperament is
not as hard.
Because the Curly is a rare breed,
not many litters are whelped each year (usually no more than 25
litters). A show quality puppy should be well conformed, free of
observable defects like bad bite or missing tail, and not shy in
temperament. A pet quality dog should not be expected to be a
champion and is not considered breeding stock.
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History...
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 The
Curly-Coated Retriever is the oldest of five retrievers. He was
developed in England to retrieve shot ducks from the water.
Originally a gamekeeper's gundog and guard dog, he is very fond of
water and is a natural swimmer.
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Good aspects...
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Curlies get along well with other
animals. They are athletic, discriminating dogs that thrive on
activity, training, and work.
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Health...
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The Curly-Coated Retriever is
susceptible to hip dysplasia and PRA.
Curlies do not fully mature
physically until age three or four. They are also emotionally still
maturing until two and a half to three and a half years of age.
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Be aware...
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The Curly is friendly,
intelligent, and responsive, but more difficult to training than
other retriever breeds, having a definite mind of his own and
training may take a great deal of patience. Behavior problems may
arise from its timidity. They are very susceptible to fear
conditioning, and if not socialized early to many people (including
adults and children) they may become fear biters. They should not be
harshly punished.
Curlies must be supervised when
they are with children. They can be boisterous and can
unintentionally knock over small children. However, most like
children and only need structure to play safely with them.
Don't choose a timid puppy.
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Summary...
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Curlies drool and are wilful. They
are quiet indoors, but their needs for daily exercise (including
swimming, if possible) mean they may do best in the suburbs or
country. They can be reserved and sometimes timid or distrustful
with strangers, so must become accustomed to people and noises at
any early age.
Although very smart, he often uses
his intelligence in a clever way to suit his own purposes; thus he
needs early, consistent obedience training.
His coat needs brushing twice a
week.
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source: petcare information centre-
petcare.umn.edu
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