Grooming
The Flat-Coated Retriever’s grooming needs are about average, compared to other dog breeds like the Golden Retriever, but be prepared: They do shed more than other shorter-haired dogs. Here are some grooming tips for your Flat-Coated Retriever:
Brushing: The Flat-Coated Retriever breed has a longer flat coat, and they need to be brushed once a week at a minimum. First, brush your pup’s coat with a slicker brush to remove the loose hairs and remove the tangles. Then, follow with a metal comb to ensure you got all the tangles out. Frequent grooming can help to minimize the number of times you’ll need to pull out the vacuum; but even with regular grooming, you’ll still want to keep a few lint rollers handy to deal with that heavy shedding.
Ear cleaning: While your brushing your pup, check their ears for debris or wax build-up. If you notice signs of infection (redness, swelling or foul odor), contact your vet. If they recommend at-home cleaning, follow this step-by-step guide on how to clean dog ears.
Bathing: Plan to give your dog a bath every three to four weeks at a minimum. If your pup has been swimming or especially active, you may need to give them a bath more frequently.
Dental care: It’s also important to give your Flat-Coated Retriever the dental care they need. Vets recommend brushing your dog’s teeth daily. This helps prevent dental tartar buildup and keeps your Flat-Coated Retriever’s teeth healthy. Start by introducing teeth brushing when your dog is a puppy. Your vet can give you some tips on how to best brush your dog’s teeth. It’s recommended that your dog have a full dental cleaning at the vet once each year to get those pearly whites completely clean.
Nail trimming: Flat-Coated Retrievers will also need regular nail trims about once a month to keep their nails at an appropriate length. Keeping your dog’s nails shorter prevents them from straining and causing pain to their paws.
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Training
Flat-Coated Retriever dogs are friendly and enthusiastic, and they can grow to be quite large. Starting with positive reinforcement training (aka rewarding good behavior with treats, toys or praise) and focusing on leash manners and how to politely greet people when your dog is a puppy will be helpful as your dog grows. Flat-Coated Retrievers also tend to mature slowly, which means some puppy-like behaviors may carry on well into their adulthood. Training can help them learn what’s acceptable and what’s, well, not.
With the Flat-Coated Retriever’s high level of intelligence and their history of being bred to work with their humans, you’ve got a dog who needs plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. Training can help with this, and enrichment and exercise like food puzzles and nosework games can keep your dog engaged and entertained.
This breed tends to be highly sensitive, so it’s even more important to make sure to use positive reinforcement training. Punishing a behavior can be scary and painful for a dog, and if a dog doesn’t take corrections well, this type of training can break the dog’s confidence and result in lifelong, fear-based behavior problems. Instead, work with a trainer who specializes in positive reinforcement and who can set your dog up for success.
Be sure to start socializing your Flat-Coated Retriever (aka introducing them to new people and experiences) while they’re a puppy to help reinforce their naturally friendly nature. Take them on walks and let them meet new people and other dogs. Puppy school is a great way to start socializing your pup. They’ll learn to play nicely with other puppies and meet new people all in one location.
Flat-Coated Retrievers are people-lovers at their core, but they can sometimes express that love in undesirable ways. For example, they have a tendency to jump on people when greeting them, which is well-intentioned but not ideal, given their larger size and height. Training can help curb their enthusiasm and teach them to greet new friends in a more socially acceptable way—perhaps a paw-shake and a vigorous tail-wag?
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Diet
The Flat-Coated Retriever typically does well on a high-quality commercial dog food. Be sure to factor in your dog’s age and choose a formula that fits their stage in life, whether they’re a puppy, adult or a senior.
Highly active dogs, like many Flat-Coated Retrievers, will benefit from a high-protein diet. If your dog loves to run and play, they may need this higher protein content. Dogs who are quieter and don’t participate lots of athletic activity won’t need this extra protein, and they could gain unnecessary weight on a high-protein diet. Consult with your veterinarian, as they are in the best position to help you pick the right high-quality dog food for your dog based on their individual needs.
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Exercise
To keep them happy and healthy, Flat-Coated Retrievers need at least 90 minutes of exercise a day. A fenced-in yard can give your dog plenty of running room, but they’ll also benefit from plenty of time hiking, swimming and exploring with you. All those trail maps you’ve been hoarding? Time to put them to good use.
Because this breed has a high energy level, getting them started in dog sports can give them another way to burn off energy. (As an added bonus, it’s a great way for your Flat-Coated Retriever to spend time with their favorite person—you!) This breed’s speed makes them well-suited for sports like dock diving and agility. Their sensitive noses are perfect for scentwork and tracking. Your dog might also love obedience and rally sports—anything that keeps their paws and nose active!
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Environment
Their high energy and larger size means that Flat-Coated Retrievers do best in larger homes or even a farm, where there is space to run and roam with an active pet parent. They can fit into smaller homes and apartments as long as there is a fenced-in yard or other outlet that provides them plenty of exercise.
Thanks to their friendly and eager-to-please nature, the Flat-Coated Retriever tends to form strong bonds with their pet parents and loves to be surrounded by family. They get along great with kids, other dogs and, yes, even cats (when properly trained and socialized). Still, it’s still important to teach kids how to interact with dogs.
This breed loves people, and most Flat-Coated Retrievers will happily meet your guests at the door with an enthusiastic tail wag. Just remember this breed can go a little overboard in their exuberant greetings by jumping on guests, so social households that enjoy throwing parties will want to make sure they can keep their Flat-Coated Retriever’s greetings in check.
The Flat-Coated Retriever puppy is slow to mature, and their puppy-like behaviors may continue for years. For that reason, this breed is best-suited for experienced pet parents with a sense of humor. These dogs tend to be good-natured but a bit mischievous—your favorite pair of shoes may quickly become chew toys, and your energetic dog will try to turn anything into a game of fetch—so it’s important that a family can think ahead, puppy-proof a house (even for an adult dog) and laugh off the dog’s antics.
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