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Curly-Coated Retriever

confident / proud / wickedly smart
Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

25-27 inches (male)

23-25 inches (female)

Weight

60-95 pounds

Life Expectancy

10-12 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    80% 80%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    70% 70%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    80% 80%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    70% 70%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Curly-Coated Retriever, one of the oldest retriever breeds, is renowned for being a highly adaptable gundog and an exceptional swimmer. The Curly is a thinking person’s retriever that will never give up before you do. He is poised, proud, and wickedly intelligent. For labor in dense briar and cold lakes, the Curly-Coated Retriever’s tight, crisp curls of either black or liver serve as waterproof and thorn-resistant all-weather gear. The Curly is a larger-than-average gun dog that is also more graceful and refined than other retrievers. A tapering, wedge-shaped head distinguishes Curlies from other retriever breeds. Curlies are sweet and friendly, just like Labradors and Golden Retrievers, although they are a little more self-sufficient and independent.

When with loved ones, Curlies can be naughty and playful while becoming distant around strangers. They are more perceptive watchdogs than other, more gregarious retrievers because of their wariness. These energetic canines require a lot of outside activity. Curlies that are idle and unemployed might be a pain.

What To Expect When Caring For a Curly-Coated Retriever

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Generally speaking, Curlies are a healthy breed. Breeders have been meticulous in their examination of the hips, eyes, and heart. Some people are worried about cancer. The breed is also prone to bloat, a potentially fatal stomach ailment known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Owners must be aware of the signs and act quickly if they appear.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • EIC DNA Test
  • GSD Illa DNA Test
  • Cord-1 PRA DNA Test
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

Since curlies lack an undercoat, the females typically lose a significant amount of coat every six months or so. When not wearing a coat, females can appear relatively naked. A rake-style grooming tool with metal prongs works well to remove dead hair during the shedding season so that the coat may subsequently be scissored down. Most Curly-Coated Retriever owners never brush their dogs since doing so causes the coat to frizz. It's simple to perform a wet-down and air-dry, which frequently brings out the curls. The breed doesn't require frequent bathing. The nails should always be trimmed periodically, regardless of breed.

Exercise

Although they do require a decent bit of activity, curlies are great at settling in and unwinding at home. As long as they are with their owner and receive enough exercise, their home does not need to be particularly big. As long as they have had some basic training, the breed is quite easy to live with and teach "good manners". Although they enjoy being outside, they are also very content to stay indoors at home with their family. They are not a breed that does well with extended periods of solitude.

Training

When training a Curly-Coated Retriever, the owner must be firm but compassionate. Too gentle or unclear, and they will not pay attention; too hard, and they will run away. They are a breed of intellectual animals, and they require a master who is more intelligent than they are. When training a Curly, it's important to keep two things in mind: first, try to avoid doing the same thing too much because the dog can get bored and give up. Additionally, it is crucial for an entrepreneur to make learning as enjoyable as possible. The objective is to make learning enjoyable for the Curly. While some Curlies excel in the obedience ring, others may grow bored with certain tasks after doing them repeatedly. Fieldwork training necessitates expertise and shouldn't be harsh. When you are new to the breed and want to begin field training, look for a local training organization with which you may train and watch their procedures before deciding to join.

Nutrition

For the most part, Curly-Coated Retrievers thrive on a diet of premium dry dog food. Some pet owners like to supplement their diet with canned or raw food, while others feed the raw diet. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian.

History

Among the retriever breeds, curlies are regarded to be among the oldest. Retrievers, however, are newcomers to the sporting world in comparison to Spaniels and setters. They didn’t come until the late 1700s when rifle wing shooting became feasible.
The Curly-Coated Retriever’s genetic jigsaw puzzle was assembled in England in the 1800s. Although there are no written accounts of the breed’s early history, we can make some reasonable guesses. The Curly is reputedly descended from the English Water Spaniel and the Retrieving Setter, two extinct breeds. It is believed that the Curly’s ancestors also included the small-breed Newfoundland known as the St. John’s Dog and the Irish Water Spaniel. By 1860, Curlies were well-liked attractions at England’s inaugural dog shows thanks to their distinctive appearance and stout demeanor.
According to legend, the Curly was crossed with the Poodle in the early 1880s to strengthen its characteristic, low-shedding curls. Curly’s graceful gait and nuanced personality may have also been influenced by his poodle ancestry.
The Curly had established himself as a beloved sportsman’s friend in Britain by the late 19th century. The Curly was exported during this time to places like Australia and New Zealand, where hunters continue to value its versatility as an all-purpose retriever with a calm demeanor and soft mouth.
The Curly’s dominance among the retriever breeds has long ago been surpassed by the remarkable rise of Labs and Goldens, but they still have a tiny but devoted following worldwide.