The Curly-coated Retriever (not always hyphenated, and often called the Curly for short) is a
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
of
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
originally bred in England for upland bird and
waterfowl hunting
Waterfowl hunting is the practice of hunting aquatic birds such as ducks, geese and other waterfowls or shorebirds for sport and meat. Waterfowl are hunted in crop fields where they feed, or in areas with bodies of water such as rivers, lakes ...
. It is the tallest of the
retriever
A retriever is a Dog type, type of gun dog that retrieves Game (hunting), game for a hunter. Generally gun dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to ...
s and is easily distinguishable by the mass of tight curls covering its body. Curly Coated and Wavy Coated (now known as the
Flat-Coated Retriever) were the first two recognised retriever breeds, established as early as 1860.
Appearance
The Curly-coated Retriever is an active, well-muscled dog bred for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. The Curly-coated Retriever is somewhat different in structure than the more common retrievers. A Curly-coated Retriever will appear slightly leggy but is actually slightly longer than tall. It is balanced and agile with a significant air of endurance, strength, and grace. Curlies are soft-mouthed and regularly handle game with care. Show standards call for dogs to be between at the
withers
Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...
, and for females to be between , however a wide range of sizes occurs, particularly in those dogs bred for the field, which generally run smaller. The country of origin (United Kingdom) breed standard calls for a taller dog and bitch, with only for males and for females listed. Weight should be in proportion to the height of the dog.
The breed sports a coat of tight, crisp curls. The tight curled coat of the Curly-coated Retriever repels water, burrs, and prevents damage that other sporting dogs with softer, thinner coats cannot escape. The only acceptable colours for the Curly-coated Retriever are solid black and solid
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
. Occasional white hairs are permissible, but large white patches are a serious fault. Eyes should be either black or brown in black dogs, and brown or amber in liver dogs. Yellow eyes are unusual. The nose should be fully pigmented, and the same colour as the coat as the dog.
Temperament
The Curly-coated Retriever was originally developed as a gamekeepers gun dog and their temperament and conformation reflect this purpose. Curly-coated Retrievers are still used in many countries as bird hunting companions, including in both upland and waterfowl hunting.
Health
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.2 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for
crossbreeds.
See also
*
Dogs portal
*
List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties and dog type, types. A research article on dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines modern dog breeds ...
*
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a large dog breed, breed of dog belonging to the retriever, Gun dog, gundog, and sporting Breed Groups (dog), breed groups. The breed was developed in the United States Chesapeake Bay area during the 19th century. H ...
*
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador or Lab is a British list of dog breeds, breed of water dog retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the Newfoundland Colony, colony of Newfoun ...
References
* Stanley Dangerfield and Elsworth Howell, ''The International Encyclopedia of Dogs'' (1984 edition) Mermaid Books.
External links
{{English dogs
FCI breeds
Dog breeds originating in England
Vulnerable Native Breeds
Gundogs
Retrievers