My wife are looking to buy a flat haired retriever puppy, or young dog/bitch. We are in our mid 50's and live in a semi rural area. Can anybody help?

Flat COATED Retriever.

Dawn R.

Hello there,

Mrs Johnson is the Flatcoated Retriever Society litter secretary.  01638 718231. However, have you researched into the breed and its needs? Have you gone and met a few and spoken to some owners? They are an active breed with a need for plenty mental and physical stimulation. Why have you decided to go for a flatcoat? There is the flatcoats yahoo forum which you can join and ask questions there too, to get some views from other flatcoat people.

It is also very important to choose the right breeder for your puppy. Depending on what you want it for, you will need to see the pedigree of the pup to see which one will suit your needs best (pet, showing, working). Also, the breeder will need to be committed enough to give the litter plenty of new experiences, toys and handling in the first 8 weeks to ensure they have the best start. So there are many questions you will need to ask them, as well as see eye and hip certificates for the parents.

There are many flatcoat owners in the forum, so plenty of help available here.

All the best,
Patty

Totally agree with Patty, you do need to learn a lot more about the Flatcoated Retrievers before simply purchasing one. They are not like golden or labrador retrievers.

Most breeders will allow you to meet some before you actually get one, to make sure this is the right breed for you. Do contact Mrs Johnson and ask for further advice.

As Patty says another good source of information is flatcoats@yahoogroups.com
Do make the effort to join this very informative site, as not only will the experienced breeders and owners there give you advice before you buy a puppy, but they will also help you with advice after you have got your puppy. The dog in the show ring is often the same dog you see working in the shooting season, so they are very clever and need a lot of mental input as much as physical exercise. Their drive to be constantly doing something, does not make them the ideal family or pet dog for everyone.

If you look up the Flatcoated Retriever Society web site you will see that there are county representatives, you can contact these people and they will help to organise the chance for you to meet flatcoats before you buy one. The web site address is http://www.flatcoated-retriever-society.org/ You will also find Mrs Johnsons contact details there.

Polly & Foxpath Flatcoats