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LargeSporting Group

Flat-Coated Retriever

The Flat-Coated Retriever was once the most common UK retriever, eclipsed by the Labrador and Golden in the 20th century.

Calculate Flat-Coated Retriever age
Lifespan11.7 yrrange 11–12
SizeLargeSporting Group
Weight60–70 lb27.2–31.8 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Flat-Coated Retriever

The Flat-Coated Retriever was once the most common UK retriever, eclipsed by the Labrador and Golden in the 20th century. The black-or-liver wavy coat and longer muzzle distinguish the breed from other retrievers.

Aging

How Flat-Coated Retrievers age

RVC VetCompass places median lifespan at 11.7 years (n=2,932) — among the shortest-lived retrievers. Cancer risk is markedly elevated; histiocytic sarcoma and hemangiosarcoma dominate, and breed-club surveys attribute ~half of deaths to neoplasia.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 11.7 yr · range 11–12Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues6 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
60–70 lb(27.2–31.8 kg)
Height
22–24.5 in(55.9–62.2 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BlackLiverYellow
Temperament

Temperament

How Flat-Coated Retrievers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

optimisticfriendlyconfidentactive
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
90min
per day

Flat-Coated Retrievers are high-output dogs — plan for 90 minutes of daily activity across a mix of walks, off-leash play, and purposeful work.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.