FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER
Look at a flat-coated retriever and it appears to be a streamlined golden with a black or liver coat. At best, they are unusual and not many are seen. This is partly because they have a very small gene pool. Aficionados of the breed plan out matings years in advance to be certain the dogs don't become so inbred as to produce unhealthy animals. Breeders also are very selective about the homes their puppies go to. If you decide one of these dogs is for you, expect to go through a bit of an "adoption" process to get approved.

This is not hubris or a form of elitism, but simply necessary in the face of very limited genetic diversity in the breed. When you get a puppy from registered mating, you're getting the best of what the breed has to offer in the way of a hunting dog that meets the breed standard.

Purchasing a flat-coat from a litter that's not registered with the FCRSA, runs the risk of getting a pup with genetically based health issues.

At one time, flat-coats were much more common than they are today.

"Flat-coats were used a lot a long time ago," said Patty McClain, owner of Jubilee Kennel. "But because of the fun-loving attitude that flat-coats have and because they like to frolic, many believed they were breaking down the spirit of the dogs if they trained them to hunt. So they went to using Labradors instead.

"You can't train a flat-coat like you do a Lab," she continued, "but you also can't train a golden like you do a Lab. A flat-coat isn't as soft as a golden, but you may have to say 'no' more times to a flat-coat. They're more independent than goldens and they're thinkers.

"But if a flat-coat is trained correctly, you'll have a hunter that's as good as any Lab. You just can't let them play before they work. They have to work and then play, in that order," McClain added.

Like other retrievers, flat-coats love the water, but can be used for waterfowl and upland birds. If you don't introduce them to water correctly, they won't like it. If acclimated to water the way you would any other retriever, you have trouble keeping them on dry land.

For more information about flat-coated retrievers, contact Joan Dever of the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America at (904) 268-0325, or visit their Web site at www.fcrsainc.org.