The Curly Coated Retriever is Britains oldest retriever breed dating back to pre 1800.  It bears the distinction of being a most unique gundog, prized for the mass of crisp, small curls of black or liver that cover its body.  The Curly can outswim, outrun and outclass any of the sporting, hunting breeds.  It is confident, independant, has a sense of humour, is FUN and has an uncompromising work ethic.  As a family member it is loyal, gentle and has a HUGE personality.  Curlies are seldom aggressive towards other dogs or animals and while they are not prone to barking, they will definately let you know if there is a stranger about or if  something is amiss. 

Curly Coated Retrievers are by nature very active both in mind and body.  They have a higher than average energy level which makes them great for families and work.  They require a well fenced yard as they can be very inventive and willful if they decide they need to escape.  Because of their large size and overflowing exuberance they should always be supervised with young children as they could unintentionally knock them over. Curlies require vigorous daily exercise to keep them healthy and emotionally content.   They have excellent memories which make them great for obedience and field trialing.  Training sessions should start at an early age but these should be kept short and fun as they are a late maturing dog and tend to get bored very quickly.

Curly Coated Retrievers have an easy care coat.  They do not require any brushing ( in fact if you brush them you will wreck their curls).  They require a bath 4 or 5 times a year to remove excess oil and scurf from their coats, but this is uncessary if given access to water where they can have a swim on a regular basis.  (They will be in Curly heaven if given a swim regularly.  It is also a really good way to get rid of all that excess energy too!!!)  For a pet, the only trimming they require is around their tails and ears occasionally.  This can be achieved simply and easily with scissors and is only done if the hair gets a little long or shaggy.  Curlies moult twice a year generally in Spring and Autumn.  They do not loose an excessive amount at any other time.  When moulting the hair can be easily removed with a hair rake or by massaging the body with a wet rubber glove. 

Curlies have few genetic problems,  the ones that due occur in the breed are:

• Hip displasia - Can cause arthritis and severe mobility problems
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy - Causes the dog to go blind
• Patterned Baldness - The dog will have bald patches on its body, legs, throat and shoulders.

Dogs possesing any of the above mentioned faults should not be bred from under any circumstances.

WHAT DOES A HIP SCORE MEAN? - Each hip is given a score of between o and 53 (0 is the best score and 53 is the worst score)  The two scores are added together to give a total and that is the "Hip score"  i.e  Left hip score of 2 and a right hip score of 10 would give a total score of 12 out of 106.

Here at Kuddleup Curlies we hip score all breeding stock and they are also tested for PRA annually.

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