Are flat-coats not a good breed for a novice owner? If not, why do you think they're not? I'm intrigued on the contrasting views on this question and would like to find out some of your opinions if you have the time, Thank you :-)

I don't see why a FCR would be considered not suitable for a novice. I would consider them to be a relatively easy dog to look after & intelligent & fairly easy to train. I'd be interested to hear other peoples views on this.  :)

Having had dalmatians for many years (not the easiest of breeds!), I find the flatcoats I know much more difficult to understand. In comparison a labrador is easy-peasy.
:)

I will, within the next 18mths -2years, have my Flat Coat.  I have 8 Labs at the moment and have had Labs for just over 30 years, and I dont think I will ever be ready for a Flat coat :) I have 2 friends with one FCR each, and have to say that I definately have the easier life ;)

labs are born easy,flatcoat retrievers are call the peter pan never grow up,(WHICH THEY DO)IT LIKE CHASE WHOS NEARLY 3 his still acts like a puppy when off the lead on the lead he very good,i find the fcr girls easyer,BUT i love my male fcr they are more loving and cuddley than the girls. plus their temperment is on the same level all the time,where girls up and down due to homones.
i had my 1st fcr when my boys where 6 and 7 years ,which he came into the house with a 8 year old lad,he was totaly nutty,he used to spring when walking,he use to run away to the school to find the boys,he was a very stronge fcr too,but me leaned alot from him and the breed,from him we have had 7 fcr four of them which i have breeded,and teyha my bitch is so much like shadow was totaly nutty,but she to is just calming down a bit at 2 1/2 year old
i would not be with a fcr,i would not have another lab,but my husband would for working.

There is only one way to answer this question, and that is to say to the guest poster, that to know what FCR's are like to live with is to meet some! They are not a novice owners dog, as other posters have said labradors are easier, so are golden retrievers.

I keep my flatcoats for working, and find that I get better results if I allow them to "grow up" mentally before taking them shooting, consequently my dogs rarely go shooting with me before they are 3 years of age. I would expect a labrador to mature more quickly and be working fulltime by the age of 2 years. Do bear in mind most flatcoats in the show ring do work to some extent as well. So the working instinct is never far below the surface.

They are, as Terri says the "Peter Pan" of the dog world, as they remain very puppyish for a long time, physically they grow quickly, mentally they mature much more slowly. Add to this they are a very intelligent breed. They need to be occupied. This does not mean walking the young dog an extra mile or two to tire it out, all that does is produce a fitter dog who once bored can do more damage to your house and belongings in a shorter time! They need mental stimulation, so this means actually doing something with your flatcoat on not so much a daily basis as an hourly basis! They are always ready to play games. It has to be fun as well, otherwise the dog will find it's own "fun activities", which might not be your idea of fun.

Having a flatcoat is not easy, as there is no way you can describe it as "just the family dog". Having a flatcoat is a partnership between you and the dog, you have to teach it to love being with you and it will then do more for you. They can be frustrating when you have to yet again go over a piece of training you know a labrador would have had straight in it's mind months ago after one or two training sessions. They can be bold but very sensitive, so you have to find the right balance to encourage the boldness, but not allow it to be out of control, you have to balance discipline with the dog so that it does not become reluctant to work with you, and this is not easy. The balance can be very delicate.

I and I know many responsible breeders find that unless we are very careful where we place puppies, that the new owners especially first time owners find them too much of a handful and the pups are rehomed before they are two years of age. Anyone in this situation is advised to go back to the breeder, we know they are not everybodies ideal dog, and a good breeder will instantly take back a pup however old it is, be it 6 months or 11 years and over. We would rather that people thinking about owning one would meet as many as possible before hand and learn as much as they can, then get a pup. However most people want an "instant" family dog who is easy to look after and easy to train, so this would rule them out as potential owners.

There are some people breeding flatcoats, who do not care who they sell them to, who will not take the pups/dogs back if they prove to be too much for the family to cope with, these are not breeders I or any member of the flatcoat society would reccomend. I will leave you to make your own mind up as to why these people are not reccomended.

If you would like more information or to meet flatcoats you can easily arrange to do this, as most breeders are more than willing to invite you to see what their dogs are like in the home environment, also there are breed representatives for each county, and if you are lucky enough to live in the Surrey group area the county representative runs training classes and social events.

You might like to consider contacting the Flatcoated Retriever Society, whose web site is constantly updated at  

http://www.flatcoated-retriever-society.org/

Other places to find out more about flatcoats before getting one are:

flatcoats@yahoogroups.com

fortheloveofflatcoats@yahoogroups.com

Please do make the effort to see for yourself what flatcoats are really like to live with before you decide to rush out and buy what you might hope will be an "instant" family dog.

I agree with Polly, Flatcoats aren't just something the family has as a pet,  they become the family!!
They are a typical clown and will embaress you at every chance, be it in the ring or out working.  They are great to have around and always make sure they don't miss out on a thing, which makes them very good at clearing work surfaces and take items of clothing to eat or suck on.  They really like to have something to do, and don't take to life as a couch potato, although my bitch likes nothing more than to curl up on the sofa, she would NEVER miss the chance for a good run on the fields.

I echo what has been said about anyone thinking of getting a Flatcoat who hasn't had one before, to go an see some.  Meet some Flatcoat people, we are very nice, if slightly mad! :)

mandy you know me so well totaley off my tolly like teyha,they say owner,s and dogs look and act the same.so where ,s gollie and tangle fit in,my life amd looks.

hope you are well

Gollie and Tangle are there to drive you mad with their coat with you being a haidresser :d

Now what would you do without your two woolly bear?  Plus of course most of us Spanish owners are mad too so that must be why you adapt so well to them with already being mad by owning Flatcoats :d

thank you so much,
gollie and  tangle will keep me warm in the winter with their wolly coats.when thay are cuddled up against me,so all dogs got a propose in life.

Ah yes that wonderfull sense of humour! Perhaps there should be a test for potential owners like how funny do they think it is to have clean clothes covered in smelly mud every day, especially if they are in a hurry, or to never be able to find the tv remote control. If they can still laugh at that at the end of a busy day they may be suitable to  be owned by a flatcoat ;)

Although I agree with a lot of what has been said - I still don't see why they are not a dog for a novice owner.
Not wanting to argue about it though. My opinion remains the same - as with any dog - what you put in, reflects on what you get out.

Guest you are very welcome to come & meet me & I can introduce you to lots of FCR's. :)

If you are experienced dog owner then perhaps a flatcoat would not be so difficult for you to handle. As a first time dog owner you might as has already been said find this is not the right breed for you. I think Smudgeley speaks for all of us FCR owners here, there is no better way to find out if a flatcoat will suit you as a first time dog owner than to come and meet some, every one here who has flatcoats would I am sure invite you to meet their flatcoats or join in with Society county training programmes such as the Surrey Group long before you even get a puppy.
If you look on the society web site you can get details of the county representatives, who can arrange for you to meet many flatcoats, before going any further.

Well - people who have been mugged by our flatcoats haven't every been put off - can't think why not!

Now I do think, to be honest, that a labrador is better for a first-time ever dog owner.   But anyone who has experience with training often finds a labrador boring to train.   (I'm going to get shot down for saying that!).

I find that my Flatcoats are brighter, fresher, and more tuned in to me - almost like a collie to train, and I love mine and would never change.   When worked as they are meant to be worked, they're a delight, but could be too much dog for starters- depends a lot on the attitude of the owner.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Hi guest,

In my opinion, it very much depends what your lifestyle is and how much support you get from good training groups in your area. Any breed of dog can be a nightmare in the wrong hands (believe me, I see loads). Gundogs have been bred to work, although some breeds are splitting into a show strain (calmer) and a working strain (VERY active). This has not yet happened to flatcoats and as a result they really do have a need to be kept active and busy - not just physical but even more so mentally.

If you are at home most of the day, are very keen on training and interacting with your dog and have a good training class where you can go to and they can show you the do's and don'ts in handling dogs (ideally an APDT trainer - www.apdt.co.uk), then I cannot see why you cannot have a flatcoat.

It very much depends what you want out of a dog and how much time you have for it, to what breed you should get.

Perhaps letting us know a bit more about yourself would let the forum dictate whether flatcoats are the right breed for you or not.

I find my flatcoat absolutely wonderful. She is calm in the house, does not get up to any mischief (because I give her plenty of alternatives) and is a fantastic learner! She is not hyper-active (although she has a 'spring' built into her that comes out every so often!) and is very easy to live with. Everyone that meets her say what a good pup she is (she's now 14 weeks old).

All the best,
Patty

Hi Patty

Glad Layla is still behaving herself and keeping the flag flying!    Albert (also by Gordon) had his first AV award over the w/e - if the big 'nana had swum properly he would probably have won!

Good old Gordon

JO and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Hi Jo,

Well done to Albert! That's great news and he's not even one year old yet! He's such a fab dog and worked beautifully when you showed me (never mind his good looks!) :-)

Big kisses to the doggies!

Warm regards,
Patty

we are novice owners with a flatcoat called monty. He is a delight, and i see no reason why they would be unsuitable for a commited novice owner. good luck!

You have hit the nail on the head - "COMMITTED".   If you are committed that is fine.  If you think that you can train it one day and it will remember a week later what you wanted it to do then they are not suitable.

They are great dogs (I have spent ALL my life with them - more than 35 years!) but they are naughty and whereas other breeds will take an inch a Flatcoat will try and take a yard.

Becky