Curly-coated retriever

DEERHUNTER

The Curly-coated Retriever

The Curly-coated Retriever is a unique retriever that is heavily built, sturdy during the hunt and with an easily recognisable coat that ensures that the breed can work continuously in water. It is also the oldest of the retriever breeds. The Curly-coated, or ”Curly”, has a great personality, is good at working independently, and has a strong ability to mark wounded birds. Generally, a Curly-coated Retriever is close to its handler, and with the right training makes a loyal and excellent gun dog.

Appearance and temper

The Curly-coated Retriever is an active breed that loves spending time with people. It requires exercise, mental stimulation and is generally very easy to work with. This retriever is easy to train and an excellent swimmer. It also makes a great and caring family dog that is easy to socialise with other dogs. Its distinctive feature its the coat, which is made up of dense curls, in either black or liver. The body is covered with small, tight curls from neck to tail, which lie close to the skin without a wool base. The rest of the dog is smooth-haired. The coat protects the dog during the hunt - when working in shrubs and water. The special coat contains a fat that insulates the dog when working with water and allows the dog to dry quickly. The colours are either black or liver, and the ideal size for males is 68-69 cm and 63- 64 cm for bitches.

OTHER RETRIEVER BREEDS

Labrador

GOLDEN

Flat-coated

Chesapeake Bay

DEERHUNTER

The Curly-coated Retriever as a gun dog

It is a breed that is primarily bred to work in the aftermath of the shoot. They are excellent retrievers with a very good marking ability. They are also great trackers and therefore make good search dogs when it comes to searching for wild game.

Equally, they can be trained to work in a short range and thus be used as offensive dogs. As mentioned above, this is a sturdy breed that also works in shrubs, thickets and forests. The breed's good nose and great persistence make it a reliable hunting companion that can often handle even the most challenging retrieves. Its build is slightly different to the other retrievers, and due to its size the Curly-coated Retriever may appear slightly slower than the other breeds.

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