Curly Coated Retriever

The Curly Coated Retriever originated in England and is one of the oldest retriever breeds.

Their exact origins are not fully known. This is because dogs at the time were bred primarily for a specific purpose, in this case retrieving game. The development of the breed involved several now-extinct breeds, including the Large Rough Water Dog, the Tweed Water Spaniel and the Lesser Newfoundland, as well as breeds that still exist today, such as the Irish Water Spaniel and continental water dogs including the Wetterhoun, Barbet and Poodle.

The first written references to the breed date back to 1803, and the breed standard was officially recognised in 1913. At that time, the Curly Coated Retriever was a highly popular and widely used gundog for retrieving game from both land and water, and could be found on many large estates. However, the World Wars and the subsequent rise in the popularity of the Labrador Retriever led to a significant decline in the breed’s popularity.

The Curly Coated Retriever is valued for its intelligence, steady temperament, independence, natural willingness to work, courage and remarkable perseverance.

At the same time, the Curly Coated Retriever is a wonderful family companion—devoted, caring, attentive and friendly towards its family and friends, with no tendency towards aggressive behaviour.

The correct use of genetic testing is essential. It is important to understand that a carrier is, first and foremost, a healthy dog. Thanks to genetic testing, carriers can be safely used in breeding without the risk of producing affected puppies, provided they are mated to genetically clear partners. Excluding carriers from breeding unnecessarily and significantly reduces the breed’s genetic diversity.
It is therefore important to test not only stud dogs but also breeding bitches and to use the results when selecting a suitable mate. The ideal breeding partner should be as unrelated as possible, complement the bitch in both type and quality, help balance her weaknesses, and must not be a carrier of the same genetic mutation.
It is not advisable to breed exclusively from dogs that are genetically clear for all available tests. It is important to remember that genetic tests are not yet available for many inherited conditions, and unnecessarily reducing the breed’s genetic diversity may increase the prevalence of other hereditary diseases in the future.

Animals that are not in suitable health for breeding should not be used for breeding, regardless of whether they fulfil the formal breeding requirements. A healthy breeding dog is defined by far more than excellent hip scores and a handful of clear genetic test results.

Dogs affected by diseases or conditions for which no genetic tests are available, or that may develop later in life, should not be used for breeding. This includes, in particular, epilepsy, congenital heart disease, thyroid disorders, metabolic and autoimmune diseases, severe allergies and chronic skin conditions, entropion, ectropion, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), bilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture, patellar luxation, spondylosis, and similar conditions.

Breeding is, above all, a long-term responsibility towards the breed, future puppies and their owners. Concealing or downplaying health problems within breeding lines contributes to their continued spread throughout the population and may result in lifelong health problems for future generations, placing a significant burden on their owners.

Every puppy that is born will share many years of life with its family. Breeders therefore have an ethical responsibility to give every puppy the best possible chance of a healthy and fulfilling life. Openness, honesty and a critical, responsible approach to the selection of breeding dogs are the foundation of responsible breeding.