Curly Coated Retriever -
Purebred Dogs and Puppies

Curly Coated Retriever

Trimming is also often necessary for this dog breed to keep the coat at its best. The coat may be black or liver-colored. Even the dogs small ears, back of its head, neck and tapering tail are covered with tiny little curls. Only the dogs hocks, face and front of the legs are smooth.

As with all dog breeds, socialize them well with lots of other people and other pets at an early age. The Curly is also the largest of all retriever breeds.

Many groomers advise Curly owners to avoid brushing the dog to keep its coat from getting "frizzy", until just before bathing the dog and then to only comb the coat to remove any dead hair.

The perfect CCR coat is a dense mass of small, tight, distinct, crisp curls. Curlies are a single coated breed (they have no undercoat). The only acceptable coat colors are solid black and solid liver.

See a short Curly video

This Retriever's curious nature and it's slow maturation rate (not considered fully mature until it is about 3 years old) combined may lead him to many amusing escapades that call for an owner with a good sense of humor - and a whole lot of patience.

Considered to be one of the oldest retriever breeds, tracing his origins back to 16th century, the Curly Coated Retriever is wickedly smart and highly trainable and learns very rapidly and willingly performs almost any task asked of him - provided they can do things their own way.

The perfect exercise for these dogs - what else, swimming. Running and walking are other great alternatives as well as retrieving - work or play is fine. They are highly valued as pets and are a lively and fun-loving breed.

The Curly stands approximately 22 to 25 inches in height at the shoulder and weighs between 55 to 75 pounds. He has a very strong medium-size body. This dog breed is beautiful, hardy, active, intelligent, a good swimmer as well as an excellent guard dog. They can do it all.

This high energy dog needs a lot of exercise and mental stimulation to be truly happy, so keep this in mind before adding a Curly to your family. This is definitely not the dog breed for a lazy owner.

Developed in England, the Curly Coated Retriever is one of the oldest breeds classified as retrievers: perhaps as a result of the mixing of Irish Water Spaniel, Poodle, and setter bloodlines.

A correctly built and tempered Curly will work as long as there is work to be done, retrieving both fur and feather in the heaviest of cover and the iciest of waters.

This smartly upstanding, multi-purpose, high energy hunting retriever is recognized by most canine historians as one of the oldest of the retrieving breeds known today. Additionally, he is a great worker both on land and in water and will retrieve virtually any game.

The best home for a Curly Coated Retriever is a house with a fenced yard. Children are fine if no roughhousing is allowed. Socialization with both people and dogs should begin as early as possible, along with obedience training. Any hunter would find this dog breed to be an excellent water retriever.

Country of origin: England
Lifespan: 9-14 years
Colors: Solid black or liver
Known health problems: Hip dysplasia, Bloat, epilepsy, eye problems

Return from Curly Coated Retriever to Sporting Dog Group