Flat Coat Info

The reason we have flat coats is simply that we love them. We love their looks, their personality and their enthusiasm. It is hard to be down when you see a tail so waggy that their whole back end moves.

We have never gone down the show or trial route although many of our dogs’ close relations have been very successful in these areas. Our dogs have always been “just” very well loved pets.

If you’ve never had a flat coat before then things to think about before you decide that they are the dog for you are

They are fairly large dogs and need a lot of exercise
they are particularly fond of water and will try to swim in even the most muddy of puddles
They are very sociable dogs and need to spend time with you
They are enthusiastic and friendly
They are very intelligent
They are retrievers so love to fetch and carry things around

I’ve seen and heard many people say that once you’ve had a flat coat you will never change – they are just such wonderful companions and family members.

My sons are older now (ranging from 15 to 23) but when Talla joined us (in 2007) the youngest was 7. When Seil arrived (in 1998) I only had 3 boys, the youngest 15 months old. My first dogs (born 1990) joined the family before any of the boys were born so I feel I can say, with experience, that flatties are great dogs for and with children. They are very exuberant and this can be daunting (and even frightening) for children who are not used to dogs and their extremely waggy rear end has knocked many a child to the ground. As with any dog you do need to supervise carefully but, in general, children and flatties are a great combination – as a bonus they are extremely good at making sure your toddler never has a dirty face 🙂