Quick Overview of the Curly-Coated Retriever

• Temperament:
• Independent
• Active
• Very Intelligent
• Good with children.
• Needs exercise and daily contact and involvement with the family or might be destructive.
• This is NOT your father's retriever. Curlies are not like Labradors or Goldens in temperament.
• Can be stubborn and self-willed due to independence and confidence. Stubbornness also equates
  to perseverance, so is both a valued and difficult trait.

• Size:
• Weight: Anywhere from 60 pounds to 100 pounds.
• Height: From 22 to 29 inches at the shoulders.

• Coat:
• YES, curlies shed!
• Small, tight curls, NOT waves, is the correct coat.
• Hunting and family companions should be combed while shedding to remove dead hair.
• Some additional trimming is necessary for showing.

• History:
• Developed in England.
• The Curly Coated Retriever was recognized as a purebred dog as early as 1833.
• Curly hunting dogs, of some type, were known as far back as the late 1500's.
• The Curly was developed as an UPLAND GAME DOG as well as a waterfowl retriever.
• Curlies have been hunted in North America since the late 1800's.
• The Curly was the first retriever: labs, goldens, flats and chesapeakes were all developed later.

• Health:
• Curlies suffer many of the health problems of other purebred dogs.
• The average lifespan of a Curly is about 10 years of age, though it is not uncommon for some
  curlies to live to 12-13 years, and the record is 18 years of age.
• Curly genetic health problems include: hip dysplasia, visually-impairing diseases, seizuring,
  heart problems and a very strange malady known as the Curly patterning problem.

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