Breed Priorities – The Curly-Coated Retriever

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118 – July, 2023

By Nikki Riggsbee

The Curly-Coated Retriever is the tallest and thought to be the oldest of the recognized retriever breeds. Retrievers developed later than some other sporting breeds, becoming popular and useful when guns began to be used for hunting.

Curlies were developed in England and the British Isles as an upland bird and waterfowl hunter used on big estates and also by commoners. They were very reliable at finding downed birds and could also be used to hunt fur and feather on land and water.

It is thought that an extinct English water dog with a close curled coat was an ancestor of the Curly-Coated Retriever. The Irish Water Spaniel may also be found in the history of the breed. Possibly there may have been a cross with the Poodle in the early 1800s to tighten the curls. The breed was recognized by AKC in 1924. It ranked 156th in AKC’s 2022 registration statistics.

We found twenty-three Curly-Coated Retriever experts to invite to take a survey on their breed’s priorities in conformation. Twenty agreed to participate. Seventeen surveys were returned, although one did not prioritize the lists. Some have been in the breed for nearly fifty years, with the group averaging over thirty-four years. Those who judge the breed have been approved for fourteen-and-one-half years on average. Several have judged their national specialty.

Curly-Coated Retriever Virtues

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118 – July, 2023

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