Hello everyone, I have just Joined and would like to say hello. Three weeks ago we got a Flat coated retriver puppy, he is now Just 12 weeks old. I want to get pet insurance for him but I am at a loss wondering who to go with, any advice would be great, if allowed.Jon
Hello and welcome! I am a flatcoat owner and they are just the best!! Is this your first? Would love to see some pictures! We have insurance with 'More Than' - just found it the best deal for us, £250 a year. Have made one claim with no hassles and are about to claim again (Both times we have had lumps removed - you know they are prone to this?) Look forward to hearing how the pup is getting on.
Hi, thank you for your warm welcome. We have never had a flat coated retriver before but our daughter has had them for about ten years so we have had quite a lot of contact with them. The puppy we have is a male called bertie, and is a pup from a litter of our daughters dogs. We have had him a month this thursday and he is doing great, he will be three months old this thursday. I have some pictures of him in the camera so I will download to computer and put them on ust as soon as I can wqork out how to do it. We are takeing him on saturday to puppy training, Just for about a month. He is doing great with his toilet training and will sit and lie down when told, but he does have a habit of nibbleing feet and fingers but I am told this is normal. We have him in a crate at night and if we go out, the best thing we have bought, he just wonders in and out of it during the day.I only just found this site today and I am pleased I Joined. once again thank you for your welcome. carrieme
Hello Carrieme I have just noticed that you have joined Dogsey and so welcome. Dogsey is a great forum and there is usually someone ready to reply to just about everything posted. I am a flatoat owner and a totally hooked enthusiast. I only have one left at the moment. She is 8 years old and is called Luna. I have heard that Petplan is not too bad for insurance, but I don't have any myself. I think Tesco also offer a plan. They are usually competitive with most types of insurance. Hope to hear from you some more as you progress with your puppy. I do envy you - you are in for some great fun. Flatcoats always seem to get the most out of life.
Welcome carrieme, I have a golden retriever and was thinking of getting another one, but after meeting someone with a flatcoat and hearing they don't shed as much as a goldie I am interested in one. I've only seen a black flatcoat and didn't even know you could get liver. aerolor and mxg- can you tell me what they are like to live with, shedding, exercise, temperament etc.
Hi Pam2! Ted is our first flatcoat and an absolute dream to live with!! High energy, yes, but extremely calm in the house (we give him at least 40mins-1hr across the fields mostly off lead every day) Extremely friendly to all humans ,adult and children alike but just loves other dogs!! He goes obedience training once a week and at 11months gained his silver good citizen award, mentally they need the stimulation - he's too clever sometimes!! He doesn't shed his coat very much but is drawn to mud and water like a magnet (he got 3rd in the Grubbiest Dog competition on this site earlier in the year). Whilst considering this breed it is worth you reseaching, for your own piece of mind, that they do have a high cancer risk. Please don't let this put you off as I would always recommend this breed - I have not met a 'bad one' yet!! I would also recommend that you go through the flatcoat society's 'litter secretary' to get a puppy, her number is one their website. Good luck and keep us up to date with any news!!
Hello Pam2 What are flatcoats like to live with? As one who is totally smitten with this breed I am bound to be biased, but I cannot say they are the easiest of breeds. They are very lively and active but usually have excellent extrovert temperaments. When adult they have a tremendous capacity for exercise - but then you have an active breed with a golden retriever and there are similarities. You have to put in quite a bit of work with them in the beginning to turn them into decent citizens. Flatcoats are not usually hyperactive, but can appear so. They are highly intelligent and have been bred to work and think for themselves out of sight of their owners. They need to have something to do to keep their minds and bodies healthy. Unlike the Golden Retriever, there is no distinction between a working flatcoat and a show flatcoat, either in temperament or physical appearance. Flatcoat experts who actively work their dogs in the shooting and field trials world (and I am not one) joke and say - a labrador asks "show me how and I'll do it" but a flatcoat will say "leave it to me I already know how to do it a different way". A lot of the older puppies and young dogs can be a bit of a handful. The work drive is still very much evident with this breed and they can become bored and mischievious if their energies and intelligence are underestimated. Like many of the breeds that can still work, they do need fair and consistent training, particularly in the beginning. I have yet to come across an overly aggressive one or a shy one, but they can become a little over-enthusiastic and a bit pushy. They are quick to take advantage and will "play you up" if allowed - I think naughty is the word. They usually get on with most other dogs and love to play, although they will stand up for themselves if they need to. They can also be quite rough when they play and they are very "oral" and "licky". Younger children can easily get knocked down or be overwhelmed by their attentions. They are not given to barking much and they are not guarding dogs, but they are large and can be good watch-dogs. They usually welcome everyone as friends into the house, but are "canny" enough to recognise if someone is acting strangely and they will make it their business to investigate. Flatcoats are obsessive fetchers and carriers of everything that is not tied down. They absolutely have to have something to carry around and almost anything will do. They are always bringing you "gifts". They are also natural water dogs, always looking for water to swim in. If there is no water a muddy puddle will do for a wallow - keeping them out of mud and water is almost impossible. It is a good job their coats are not difficult to maintain, but they do shed a bit, although not as much as goldens. A flatcoat seem to have a natural sense of the ridiculous and are almost clownish in their behaviours - it is as if they enjoy having an audience to entertain. They are nearly always light-hearted and "good natured" and they seem to regard life as one big playground. They never seem to grow up and slow down as some dogs do - They are called "the Peter Pan of dogs" and this is an accurate description. They have quite an intuitive and sensitive side to them and are very quick to home in on their owners mood. Once you are on the same wave-length, the empathy you can achieve with this breed is really something (although I know that most owners feel like this about their chosen breed). One trait in a flatcoat is that they do need to live closely with their owners. They thrive on it and they will always want to be with you all the time, sharing everything and trying to get involved with whatever you are doing. They are very much “in your face“ and some people are not prepared for this. You can have can anxiety/separation issues if this is not sorted out whilst they are young. Unfortunately the breed does seem to be prone to some of the cancers and you have to be on the lookout for lumps and bumps, even with young dogs. The reasons for this are not completely clear, but it may have something to do with the fact that the breed numbers went very low during and after after the war, resulting in a small gene pool. In spite of what I have said above, flatcoats do make excellent family dogs, and I adore them. They suit my temperament and I believe them to be something special. I have had collies, setters and a german shepherd, and have had three flatcoats and reared a litter of puppies. Flatcoats are my chosen breed and I hope I will always have the energy to keep up with them. They do best in a semi-rural environment, with good country walks available for them. They are not really for the town or city. Nearly forgot, they do come in liver as well as black, (only two colours) although I favour the more common black ones. There is something about a black flatcoat in tip-top condition. They have such a shine to their coats, which seems to be less evident in the liver colour. If you decide on a flatcoat be careful where you buy from and do consider the rescue. As MXG says the Flatcoated Retriever Society is the best starting point for finding a puppy and the litter secretary will do her best to help. There are a couple of breed books available, one in particular is by Joan Mason. The best thing you can do is research thoroughly, visit a few kennels and talk to people before you commit. I hope this has helped. Regards.
Hi all and thank youfor your replies, I am trying to put picture of our boy, not sure how to do this but will try. He is just 3 months and had his first puppy training class on saturday and seemed to really enjoy it. is toilet training is coming on a treat and he has very few mishaps, so so far so good. I have found having a crate is the best thing ever, I leave it open during the day when I am in, and close it at bedtime or when we go out. it is the first Flat coat we have had, my daughter has two a boy and a girl, our puppy is one from there litter. Anyway I will try to work out how to send a picture of him. Kind regards to all Joan
Thanks for your great replies, I am still in two minds about getting another dog, but a flatcoat seems to fit the bill so I will be doing more research In many ways the breed seems similiar to my goldie he loves water, mud and is the messiest dog I've ever had! ,he's great natured and although loves walks and exercise he is happy to be left alone and will settle down indoors quite happily. Carrieme, I'd love to see photo's of your pup, he sounds great. I save my photo's to photobucket.com then just copy them over, but there is a post in pictures that will help you further.
