Can anybody help ???

I have a Flat Coated Retriever bitch, which is in season in January.

I would like any information about finding a Flat coated Retriever Stud Dog, so I can mate.

Please help !

Regards,
Jade

hi jade if you ring me on 01252 310267 or email andrew.durrant@tinyonline.co.uk i am area rep for flatcoated retrievers in the south i may be help you out,have you had all the test like eyes,hips,why do you want to breed from her,is she a pet,or do you show or work her,but do give me a call.

Hello Jade!

I'm more or less repeating an answer that I gave to another query on the list.
Certainly give Briedog a ring, or e-mail me, or get in touch with Polly, who is also on this board. We all have flatcoats and have a degree of experience in the breed!

I hope that when you bought your flatcoat she came from a reputable breeder, as the vast majority are - we are awfully lucky that we have nearly no people who are TRYING to breed for commercial gain. (That, you certainly won't do if you do the job properly)

Over the years we have been trying to keep the quality and temperament of the flatcoated retriever as sound as possible, and this has only been achieved with considerable effort put into out breeding programmes. You do need to get advice from your breeder, and you will be able to assess if they are responsible if -

a. You were given a complete package when you bought your puppy, which probably would have included reference to the codes of ethics of one of the three main Flatcoated Retriever Societies, depending on where you live; or possibly reference to your local gundog club.

b. You may, quite likely, have had a breeding endorsement put on your KC Registration. This is done so that the original breeder can see that any future matings with the pups that he/she produced are not with bitches which are not of sufficient quality. This can be lifted by the original breeder.

c. You should have had copies of at least Mum's hip score and eye tests (essential) and reference to those of Dad's

These are basic requirements.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need more information

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Hello
You all seem to know a great deal about the flat coat's, We owned one many years ago after a great deal of consideration, but found it very strange to see a litter of two colours, could someone please explain to me why this is so. Do people breed different coloured labs as it seems to be the same thing in our opinion sorry for asking so many questions but wondered if this was the done thing! And how do you know you have found a good breeder I understand about the hip and eyes etc the same as with all breeds, but do people recommend buying a puppy from a mixed litter the reason I ask is the one we had and paid a very good price for when its adult coat came through was a nice black colour until you got to the head and the sun shone down and it was brown, surely if you want a black flatcoat that is what you should be buying, people should be told that there was a chance that the dog could be shaded. I hope people have not taken my reply here the wrong way, as it was not meant to be affending to anyone, I am just very curious as we hope to purchase one again in the future as they are very lovely dogs but would like to know as much as possible about what to look out for. Our dog unfortunately had a tumour incase anyone was wondering why we should be considering another. This is not something we are rushing into as our last one was three years ago. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

This is an interesting question, in over twenty years in the breed I have never been asked this before! I know I would not necessarily tell a prospective purchaser about this either! I suspect few if any breeder would,as we all accept as normal!
There are two reasons why this might happen in a black flatcoat. One reason is that black dogs do carry liver lines and if strong enough can give the coat the appearance of liver colouring in sunlight. The other is that when the hair dies it does lose colour so the black colouring becomes a brown or liver colour. Most owners and breeders will trim out this dead hair by daily brushing. It is very noticeable when in the "feathering" on the legs or the longer hair of the ears and neck area.
Many flatcoat breeders will breed for a particular colour, some for blacks and some prefer liver. As the breed standard calls for as dark a liver as possible, we do cross the liver dogs with blacks carrying the liver gene. This is why you get a mixed colour litter. The mixed colour litter is no less perfect for being so, and certainly no breeder would not accept a puppy from a mixed litter. The only colour produced by some flatcoats which is not an accepted colour is yellow. I have heard of some unscrupulous people saying it is acceptable, and I did meet, years ago, a person who had bought a yellow and hoped to show it! If the dog is for a pet home I can't see a problem with a yellow, although I personally would not breed from one.
As to finding a good breeder, this is more difficult, all you can do is research the breed you have chosen, go prepared to see the litter! Before you go research, write down questions you want to ask so you do not forget or get flustered as puppies can be very distracting. Your vet should be able to tell you which health checks you should enquire about in the breed you choose. An ideal way is to meet the breeder before you book a puppy, and discuss the breed with them. If they are a good breeder they won't mind as they would prefer the puppy went to a knowledgeable and loving home from the start.
Hope this helps any more questions ask us again.

hi i agree with poppy.i breed my first litter two years ago after 14 years wait, i had a mix colour litter 6 livers 4 black,the liver girl that i keep has been dna for colour she has a black mum who carreys the liver gene,
and a liver dad who has liver and black behind him,and she only carriers the liver gene,but if she gos to a black dog carring liver she will have mixes puppys,but if she gos to a black dog with no liver she only has black as black is the doman colour,hope i got that right jo and polly,you two are more wise at genetics
she dos not carry the yellow genes,but after all the colour should not affect temperament in the breed,showing or working,it what you like in colour,i like both,but both of my livers are dark in colour, sum dogs are ligther in coat and eye colouring,plus the water and sun will bleach their coat up in the summer,not very good if you want to show your dog,if you buy flatcoated retriever today by joan mason in it has a colour chart showing what you get in the litter,

hope all this may help

terri

Welcome to the forum Jade :-) Leigh

Hello Jade,
As everyone here has said you will need to get eye testing and hip scoring done before you mate your bitch. How old is she? It is not usual to mate a bitch before she is at least two and half better three years of age.
I run eye testing in Haddenham near Aylesbury Bucks, my friend Rona Dixon runs eye testing in Hampshire and I can certainly help you find other eye testing sessions if you have not had this done yet. Flatcoats must be tested for glaucome before mating. Glaucoma is the most painful way a dog could go blind. Hip scoring is also a must, and most stud dog owners in the breed would not accept your bitch as a potential mate without these tests being done.
Have you asked your breeder about a potential stud dog? Most breeders know their lines really well and would advise you as to which dog is best to use with your bitch.
Other points to consider, are why do you want to breed from your flatcoat? Have you many potential puppy buyers lined up for the resulting pups? Are you prepared to check out potential owners thoroughly? I mention the latter as there a number of dealers out there who get people to fraudulently buy your pups for them, they export these puppies to the far east to another dealer, and you never hear of them ever again. As a stud dog owner these are the type of questions I would be asking you. If you do have a litter of puppies, I can give you the names of some of these dealers as can Mrs Shirley Johnson who is the litter register secretary for the Flatcoated Retriever Society. You may need to place any resulting litter on Mrs Johnson's list. Her phone number is 01638 718231. As to the choice of stud dog, you should be prepared to visit the dog of your choice before your bitch comes into season, to make sure you like the dog and he is good tempered, and if you are interested in showing or working has good qualities which will complement your bitch.
You can email me on foxpath4@yahoo.com or phone on 01844 299508 if you have any questions or would like to know where there is an eye testing near you.

Is there any dogs that have been hip tested/eye tested and what is a reasonable price for breeding? Our bitch has had her eye's tested and they are clear, she is still to be hip tested and if that is ok then we are getting the glucoma test done. Jade is a Gundog and also a Pet. The information we would like to know is could you help us to find someone around the wirral who has a stud flat coated retriever who has had all there tests done and that we could get in touch with if our other two tests are ok?

She is in season in January so any help to finding someone will be greatly appriciated, and our tests will be done before christmas.

hello,
Your best bet would be tocontact Audrey Forster, who is the secretary of the Noth of England flatcoated Retriever Association. You should supply her with details of your bitches sire and dam and her grand parents so that a suitable stud dog can be located. Stud fees are not cheap, they are usually the cost of one puppy, which is approximately £450 -£500. You will find most stud dog owners will offer you a return stud if the bitch does not produce any puppies.
Audrey Forster tel: 01538 383946

but if you have not had her hips scored yet you better be quick if she is coming into season,the result from the kc can take up to six week to come back,plus you got xmas and new year,so you may not get the result back in time to mate her,you can email at andrew.durrant@ tinyonline.co.uk. or phone on 01252310267, for any help.

terri durrant