The Retriever Breeds

Labradors: The most popular and numerous of the retriever breeds. They have short coats and there are three teams representing the three possible colours, Black, Yellow or Chocolate. Labradors are noted for their strong hunting, good noses and swimming ability. They are the most numerous and successful in trials and the shooting field.

Golden Retrievers: These are second in numbers to the Labradors. They have longer coats of various shades of gold, light or dark. Working Goldens tend to be darker in colour and fitter in conformation than show type Goldens.

Flatcoated Retrievers: This is a traditional old breed of retriever, but nowadays is less numerous than the Labrador. Like Golden Retrievers, the Flatcoats have long coats and hunt with a higher head carriage to catch the scent. Flatcoats can be black or liver in colour.

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers originated in Eastern USA, where they were used to retrieve ducks and geese from the big estuaries. They are strong and powerful and are brown or sage in colour.

Irish Water Spaniels: These brown dogs have curly coats. In the show ring they are classed as spaniels, but they work as retrievers rather than spaniels.

Curly coated Retrievers: This is an old breed dating from Victorian times, but is less common in the modern shooting field. The breed sports a black or liver coat of tight, crisp curls, which repels water, burrs, or thorns. They are strong muscular dogs.