About the Club and Retrievers

Retriever Klub CZ was founded in 1992 and brings together enthusiasts of all six retriever breeds, particularly breeders, owners and handlers in the Czech Republic. The Club’s primary mission is to promote and support the responsible breeding of retrievers in accordance with FCI regulations.
In addition, RK CZ encourages education, cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and experience among its members, promotes responsible dog ownership and awareness of retriever breeds, and plays an active role in organising dog shows, working tests, field trials and other events that strengthen the retriever community and promote the versatility and working abilities of these breeds.

The aim of Retriever Klub CZ is to promote the healthy, responsible breeding of all retriever breeds while preserving the breed-specific characteristics, temperament and natural working abilities that define each breed.
The Club provides its members with comprehensive breeding services, including breed surveys, stud approvals and the administration of matings, litter registrations and puppy registrations. Members are also supported by experienced and approachable Breed Wardens.
Retriever Klub CZ organises breed surveys, the Retriever Natural Aptitude Test (OVVR), hunting tests at all levels, Working Tests, Field Trials, club, specialty and regional dog shows, competitions and a variety of other breeding- and education-related events, such as seminars and lectures. Most events are open to international participants as well as non-members.

The word retriever comes from the English verb to retrieve, meaning to bring back. Originally developed in Great Britain, Canada and the United States, retrievers were bred to locate and retrieve wounded or shot game, particularly waterfowl and upland game birds. Their primary role was to find shot game and return it to the hunter.
Retrievers are distinguished by their natural instinct to retrieve a wide variety of objects, their exceptional love of water, their soft mouth (the ability to carry game without damaging it), excellent scenting ability, endurance, trainability, strong desire to work and willingness to cooperate with their handler. When it comes to working in water, retrievers are second to none.

Their friendly and gentle temperament, high intelligence, patience and adaptability also make retrievers excellent family companions. It is not uncommon for people who own a retriever to be unaware that it is, in fact, a hunting breed. Their balanced temperament and willingness to work in partnership with people make them ideal companions for the whole family.

Thanks to their versatility, retrievers are also well suited to a wide range of specialised roles. They work as search and rescue dogs, avalanche rescue dogs, detection dogs, guide dogs for people with visual impairments, assistance dogs and therapy dogs. Retrievers can be found working alongside hunters, police and rescue services, in hospitals and care homes, and even in the film industry. In all of these roles, they are valued for their intelligence, versatility and friendly nature. Their reliability, sensitivity and ability to learn quickly make them excellent partners wherever precision, cooperation and a gentle approach are essential.

Retrievers are active dogs that thrive on regular physical exercise and mental stimulation. They make excellent companions for a wide range of sports and outdoor activities, from running and canicross to dog trekking, agility, retrieving competitions and many other activities that challenge both their intelligence and their enthusiasm for work.
This unique combination of a friendly temperament, versatility and a love of activity makes retrievers exceptional companions, enriching the lives of their owners in countless ways.

Unlike pointing breeds, retrievers do not indicate the location of game by pointing. Instead, they excel at marking—the ability to watch and remember where game or a retrieve has fallen—as well as searching for game using their exceptional sense of smell, tracking wounded game and reliably retrieving it. They also form an exceptionally strong partnership with their handler.
Their weather-resistant, water-repellent coats enable them to work confidently in water, even under demanding conditions, such as during the colder months when many other breeds are reluctant to enter the water.
Today, retrievers are officially classified by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) as part of Group VIII – Retrievers, Flushing Dogs and Water Dogs, distinct from breeds developed primarily for pointing, tracking or hound work.