- Black or liver only
Large, elegant sporting dog with a lustrous, sleek flat coat in solid black or liver, known for their cheerful, perpetually youthful 'Peter Pan' personality and optimistic temperament
Developed in mid-19th century England by crossing St. John's Water Dog with various retrievers, setters, spaniels and sheepdogs to create a versatile gundog for work on both land and water
“Generously endowed with natural gundog ability, optimism and friendliness demonstrated by enthusiastic tail action; confident and kindly”
Quoted from FCI standard n°121. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard; UK Kennel Club Breed Health and Conservation Plan — Flat Coated Retriever (2020). An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Flat Coated Retriever standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Dense, of fine to medium texture and good quality, as flat as possible.
Legs and tail well feathered.
Full furnishings on maturity complete the elegance of a good dog
Shortened from FCI standard n°121 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Weight (kg)
Size categories by adult weight, from Montoya et al. 2023.
The standard's words
“Preferred height: Dogs: 59 - 61,5 cm (23-24 ins), Bitches: 56,5 - 59 cm (22-23 ins). Preferred weight in hard condition: Dogs: 27 - 36 kg (60-80 lbs), Bitches: 25 - 32 kg (55-70 lbs)”
Quoted from FCI standard n°121.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Flat Coated Retriever in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Flat Coated Retriever breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
6 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
The kneecap slips out of its normal groove, causing an intermittent skipping gait or lameness that can become permanent and sometimes needs surgery. A Dutch screening programme that examined 3,834 of the breed over 17 years (1990–2007) found it in 23.6%, more often in females and mostly as an outward (lateral) luxation.
What to ask for
Veterinary orthopaedic examination for patellar luxation (OFA evaluation or the breed society's own patellar screening scheme) on both parents
Malformation of the hip joint that can progress to osteoarthritis. It is required under the Kennel Club's Assured Breeder Scheme for this breed, though the Kennel Club's own analysis found this breed's heritability estimate to be the lowest of 15 UK breeds studied. In Sweden's national screening of young adult dogs (2007–2016), 330 of 4,710 Flat-Coated Retrievers (about one in fourteen) had hip dysplasia graded C or worse, among the lowest figures of the 72 breeds studied.
What to ask for
Hip score from a recognised scheme (OFA or BVA/KC) on both parents
An aggressive cancer arising from immune cells, most often in the spleen, lungs or limbs. A UK cohort study found 42% of Flat-Coated Retrievers followed from healthy adulthood died of confirmed cancer, with soft-tissue sarcomas, especially this type, the largest group (32 of the 174 dogs), and the breed's own health co-ordinators rank it the breed's top concern.
What to ask for
No validated screening or DNA test exists. Ask whether the sire, dam or their close relatives are on the breed society's cause-of-death register and what it shows
The kneecap slips out of its normal groove, causing an intermittent skipping gait or lameness that can become permanent and sometimes needs surgery. A Dutch screening programme that examined 3,834 of the breed over 17 years (1990–2007) found it in 23.6%, more often in females and mostly as an outward (lateral) luxation.
What to ask for
Veterinary orthopaedic examination for patellar luxation (OFA evaluation or the breed society's own patellar screening scheme) on both parents
An aggressive cancer arising from immune cells, most often in the spleen, lungs or limbs. A UK cohort study found 42% of Flat-Coated Retrievers followed from healthy adulthood died of confirmed cancer, with soft-tissue sarcomas, especially this type, the largest group (32 of the 174 dogs), and the breed's own health co-ordinators rank it the breed's top concern.
What to ask for
No validated screening or DNA test exists. Ask whether the sire, dam or their close relatives are on the breed society's cause-of-death register and what it shows
Malformation of the hip joint that can progress to osteoarthritis. It is required under the Kennel Club's Assured Breeder Scheme for this breed, though the Kennel Club's own analysis found this breed's heritability estimate to be the lowest of 15 UK breeds studied. In Sweden's national screening of young adult dogs (2007–2016), 330 of 4,710 Flat-Coated Retrievers (about one in fourteen) had hip dysplasia graded C or worse, among the lowest figures of the 72 breeds studied.
What to ask for
Hip score from a recognised scheme (OFA or BVA/KC) on both parents
Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
Recurrent seizures with no identifiable structural or metabolic cause. The breed's health co-ordinators list it among the breed's priority concerns, but no causative gene or DNA test has been found in this breed.
What to ask for
No validated screening or DNA test exists. Ask whether the sire, dam or their close relatives have a seizure history
A malformation of the eye's fluid drainage angle that can progress to glaucoma, a painful pressure build-up inside the eye that can cause blindness. The degree of malformation found on examination is closely linked to the risk of later developing glaucoma. Re-examining 96 Flat-Coated Retrievers a median of almost six years after their first gonioscopy, one study found the drainage angle had worsened in 39, and 12 had gone from unaffected to severe, so a clear result in a young dog does not rule out later change.
What to ask for
Gonioscopy examination under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme (or equivalent) on both parents
An inherited deletion in the POMC gene, a signal that tells the brain the dog has eaten enough: dogs carrying it are hungrier, more food-motivated and heavier, and each copy adds to the effect. Among breeds outside the Labrador it was found only in this one. It is a risk factor for obesity, not a disease, and is managed with portion control.
What to ask for
POMC deletion DNA test result, so feeding can be planned
Recurrent seizures with no identifiable structural or metabolic cause. The breed's health co-ordinators list it among the breed's priority concerns, but no causative gene or DNA test has been found in this breed.
What to ask for
No validated screening or DNA test exists. Ask whether the sire, dam or their close relatives have a seizure history
The Retriever Clube de Portugal only recommends a dog as a sire once these have been done: hip X-rays, elbow X-rays, an eye examination with gonioscopy e a patella examination. Hip X-rays are accepted only with a result of A or B. It also asks for at least 2 CAC at dog shows and at least 2 offspring from different litters with a Champion or Junior Champion title.
Ask the breeder: Are the parents recommended sires of the club, or do they have these tests done? Can I see the results?
This is a club recommendation, not a legal requirement. A breeder who is not a member does not meet it, and that says nothing about the health of the dogs.
Retriever Clube de Portugal, page "Reprodutor RCP", read on 4 nov 2026. https://www.retrieverclubedeportugal.pt/reprodutor-rcp/
Median survival 11,7 years
95% confidence interval 11,5–11,9 years, from 784 recorded deaths among 2146 dogs
Mortality hazard 1.08 (1.01, 1.16) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12,0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584.734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
An inherited deletion in the POMC gene, a signal that tells the brain the dog has eaten enough: dogs carrying it are hungrier, more food-motivated and heavier, and each copy adds to the effect. Among breeds outside the Labrador it was found only in this one. It is a risk factor for obesity, not a disease, and is managed with portion control.
What to ask for
POMC deletion DNA test result, so feeding can be planned
A malformation of the eye's fluid drainage angle that can progress to glaucoma, a painful pressure build-up inside the eye that can cause blindness. The degree of malformation found on examination is closely linked to the risk of later developing glaucoma. Re-examining 96 Flat-Coated Retrievers a median of almost six years after their first gonioscopy, one study found the drainage angle had worsened in 39, and 12 had gone from unaffected to severe, so a clear result in a young dog does not rule out later change.
What to ask for
Gonioscopy examination under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme (or equivalent) on both parents