Curly Coated Retriever

Breed overview

The Curly-coated Retriever (sometimes stylized as Curly Coated Retriever, and often called the Curly for short) is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. It is the tallest of the retrievers and is easily distinguishable by the mass of tight curls covering its body. Curly Coated and Wavy Coated (now known as the Flat-Coated Retriever) were the first two recognised retriever breeds, established as early as 1860.

• Breed classification: RetrieverBreed reference breed group.
• Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
• Country of origin: United KingdomBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

• The Curly-coated Retriever (sometimes stylized as Curly Coated Retriever, and often called the Curly for short) is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting.
• Curly Coated and Wavy Coated (now known as the Flat-Coated Retriever) were the first two recognised retriever breeds, established as early as 1860.
• The tight curled coat of the Curly-coated Retriever repels water, burrs, and prevents damage that other sporting dogs with softer, thinner coats cannot escape.
• The only acceptable colours for the Curly-coated Retriever are solid black and solid liver.
• Eyes should be either black or brown in black dogs, and brown or amber in liver dogs.

Size and appearance

The breed sports a coat of tight, crisp curls. The tight curled coat of the Curly-coated Retriever repels water, burrs, and prevents damage that other sporting dogs with softer, thinner coats cannot escape. The only acceptable colours for the Curly-coated Retriever are solid black and solid liver. Occasional white hairs are permissible, but large white patches are a serious fault. Eyes should be either black or brown in black dogs, and brown or amber in liver dogs. Yellow eyes are unusual. The nose should be fully pigmented, and the same colour as the coat as the dog.

• Height reference: Up to 64 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
• Height reference: Up to 69 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.

• Coat texture: curly
• Coat texture: wavy

Personality and behavior

The Curly-coated Retriever was originally developed as a gamekeepers gun dog and their temperament and conformation reflect this purpose. Curly-coated Retrievers are still used in many countries as bird hunting companions, including in both upland and waterfowl hunting.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

• Coat texture: curly
• Coat texture: wavy

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.2 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

Breed history

The Curly-coated Retriever (sometimes stylized as Curly Coated Retriever, and often called the Curly for short) is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. Curly Coated and Wavy Coated (now known as the Flat-Coated Retriever) were the first two recognised retriever breeds, established as early as 1860.

Clubs and further reading

• Curly-Coated Retriever Club of America
• Curly-coated Retriever - article and references

Sources

1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
3. File:Curly Coated Retriever.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Curly Coated Retriever.jpg - Zwoenitzer. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Curly_Coated_Retriever.jpg. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
4. Curly-coated Retriever - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Curly-coated Retriever, revision 1368876158. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Curly-coated_Retriever&action=history
5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.