- The Curly Coated Retriever is distinguished by its coat of small, tight curls.
- Unfortunately, the breed is currently classified as a “vulnerable native breed.”
- But The Kennel Club has revealed that there has been a boom in popularity this year.
With its beautiful coat of small, tight ringlets, the Curly Coated Retriever is one of the most distinctive breeds in the canine world.
Unfortunately, it is currently classified as a “vulnerable native breed”, due to its low numbers in the UK.
There is good news for the Curly Coated Retriever though: the Kennel Club has revealed that the breed is making a comeback, with a boom in popularity in the first half of 2023.
“The breed has so far fostered 45 puppies in 2023, five times more than in 2022, when only nine puppies were born,” he explained.
According UK PetsA well-bred Kennel Club registered pedigree puppy can cost between £600 and £800 if it comes from a reputable breeder.
With its beautiful coat of small, tight ringlets, the Curly Coated Retriever is one of the most distinctive dog breeds in the world.
“The breed has fostered 45 puppies in 2023 so far, five times as many as in 2022, when only nine puppies were born,” the Kennel Club explained.
The Curly-Coated Retriever is the oldest breed of Retriever, as well as the tallest.
His curly coat comes from his ancestor, the English Water Spaniel, which was crossed with a Retriever, probably the Labrador.
Poodle blood was also added to the mix to give the curl firmness, according to The Kennel Club.
“The coat gives the dog a waterproof quality when retrieving ducks from the water, which is the role it was originally bred for,” he explained.
The Curly Coated Retriever is currently one of 34 breeds on the Kennel Club’s list of vulnerable native breeds.
This list monitors breeds with fewer than 300 puppies registered annually.
“Vulnerable landraces are dog breeds of British and Irish origin that are considered vulnerable due to declining registration numbers,” the Kennel Club explained.
“These breeds are at risk of disappearing from our parks and streets, simply because people don’t know they exist or because they are not considered fashionable.”
The Curly-Coated Retriever is the oldest breed of Retriever, as well as the tallest. His curly coat comes from his ancestor, the English Water Spaniel, which was crossed with a Retriever, probably the Labrador.
In 2017, only 53 Culy Coated Retriever puppies were registered, and the number will only rise to 73 in 2022.
However, the number of puppy registrations this year (45 so far) looks promising for the breed.
“To give these dogs the chance they deserve, it’s important that if you’re considering getting a dog, you consider lesser-known breeds,” the Kennel Club said.
‘There are over 200 recognized dog breeds in the UK, so there is a breed for everyone.
“We found that people tend to choose a breed from the pool of breeds they’ve heard of before, meaning the perfect breed for them and their lifestyle may be overlooked.”
Other breeds on the vulnerable landrace list include bloodhounds, greyhounds, King Charles Spaniels, and Skye Terriers.
