Retriever dogs are sporting dogs bred and trained to retrieve game for hunters. The six recognised retriever dog breeds include well-known breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
“With their intelligence, sociability, and responsiveness to training, retrievers are a breed that easily win hearts,” says Dr. Carol Osborne, veterinarian at Chagrin Falls Pet Clinic.
Not only are retrievers intelligent working dogs, but they can also make great family pets.
Read on to learn about the origin of retriever dogs, different breeds, and which retriever might make a great pet or hunting dog for you.
Origin of Retriever Dog Breeds
Most retriever dogs make loyal and loving pets, but they were originally bred for hunting.
Each retriever dog breed has distinct traits, and they all have water-resistant coats, a good sense of smell, and soft mouths that won’t damage game.
The best retriever dogs have the following characteristics:
- Intelligence
- Responsiveness to training
- Strong ability for nosework
- A knack for marking and memory
What Are The 6 Retriever Dog Breeds?
The six types of retriever dogs are:
- Golden Retriever
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Labrador Retriever
- Curly-Coated Retriever
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are one of the world’s most popular dog breeds. They originally come from Scotland. This breed has a kind and gentle nature that makes them great family dogs.
Due to their intelligence and trainability, they make excellent hunting and working dogs. Golden Retrievers are very similar to Labrador Retrievers when it comes to size, personality, and trainability. Their primary difference lies in their coat type. Labradors have a short, dense coat, while Goldens have a longer double coat.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, also called Tollers, were originally known as Little River Duck Dogs. They originated in Canada in the early 1800s. Tollers became popular in Britain in the late 1900s, and you can now find this breed around the world.
Tollers do a great job at “tolling,” which is the act of luring ducks out of the water. But they also make loving companions.
These dogs have a similar personality to Goldens, but their coats are generally a unique red-orange. Tollers are also smaller in size and usually weigh up to about 40 pounds—an ideal size if you’d prefer a medium retriever dog!
Labrador Retriever
Labs are one of the most popular large family dogs in the UK. They also enjoy working and are very trainable, like Golden Retrievers.
Many working Labrador Retrievers have accomplished incredible tasks. In fact, search and rescue Labs played a significant role in the recovery efforts after 9/11. These dogs used their intelligence, search abilities, and physical endurance to help find survivors. They also worked as therapy dogs to help comfort first responders.
Labs are one of the most energetic retriever dog breeds, so they require a lot of exercise and training. They need plenty of space to run around and play, so they make ideal pets for active families.
Curly-Coated Retriever
Curly-Coated Retrievers appear to be the first retriever dog breed to do retrieving work in England. This breed dates back to the 1800s, like Flat-Coated Retrievers.
Both breeds usually have black or liver-colored hair, but Curly-Coated Retrievers have a thick coat with tight curls. Flat-Coated Retrievers have a smooth coat.
This curly-haired dog breed can make a loving and devoted pet, but they can be cautious of strangers. This means early socialisation and training are crucial. That said, they’re smart and easy to train, like all retriever breeds.
Flat-Coated Retriever
Flat-Coated Retrievers originated in the UK in the 1800s as water and land retrievers. First known as Wavy-Coated Retrievers, they likely originated as a cross of breeds like Setters, Collies, and Poodles.
They were one of the first specialist gundogs, bred to accompany shooters on game hunts, but Flat-Coated Retrievers became less popular as Goldens and Labs garnered more of a following. In 1947, only 80 were registered with the Flat-Coated Retriever Society, but numbers have been steadily growing since the 1980s.
These dogs are one of the smartest dog breeds, and they’re also skilled hunters. They’re highly alert and affectionate, so they make excellent guard dogs and companions.
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers were originally bred in the US during the 1800s as water retrievers. Their physical and mental endurance, strong legs, stamina, and waterproof coats make them one of the best duck-hunting dogs.
Retrievers like Goldens and Labradors generally make great family pets. However, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers often do best as working dogs because of their independence and strong work ethic.
They’re highly intelligent and trainable but tend to be less friendly and laid-back than other retrievers. US President Theodore Roosevelt had a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Sailor Boy.
“Much the most individual of the dogs and the one with the strongest character was Sailor Boy, a Chesapeake Bay dog. He had a masterful temper and a strong sense of both dignity and duty,” he said about his dog. “He would never let the other dogs fight, and he himself never fought unless the circumstances imperatively demanded it, but he was a murderous animal when he did fight.”
Fun Skills to Teach a Retriever Dog
Retriever dog breeds are highly intelligent, energetic, and have a natural instinct to work, so they typically do very well with training.
Useful and fun skills you might teach a retriever dog include:
- Marking: Identifying where a bird or other game fell
- Conditioned delivery: Bringing an object to the handler, usually while hunting
- Fetch: Retrieving an object like a ball during play
- Dock diving: Jumping from a dock into the water, either for distance or height
- Nosework: Finding hidden scents using sense of smell
- Hunting: Tracking and locating game animals using sense of smell
- Shake: Lifting a front paw and placing it in a person’s hand as if they’re shaking their paw with the hand
Are Retrievers Good Family Dogs?
Retrievers can make excellent family dogs, as long as you have the time and energy to keep up with them.
“Retrievers interact well with children, have high energy levels, and love to play, which makes them a joy to have for pets,” Dr. Osborne says. “They’re also easy to train and very intelligent.”
Before getting a retriever dog breed, however, you’ll want to consider possible health concerns.
“As the demand for retrievers increases, so does the risk of genetic mutations and disease,” says Dr. Osborne.
About 25% of Labs and 66% of Flat-Coated Retrievers have a genetic mutation that increases their chance of obesity. This can lead to issues with their joints, mobility, breathing, and more.
Retrievers are also more prone to cancer than other breeds. In fact, 75% of retriever deaths are linked to cancer.
Dr. Osborne encourages being proactive about health care by feeding your retriever a nutritious diet, making sure they get daily exercise, and visiting your vet at least twice a year.
If you’re interested in dog breeds similar to retrievers, you might consider the following:
-
- Newfoundlands: A large, relatively healthy breed with moderate energy levels
- English Bulldogs: A medium-sized breed with a calm personality
- Poodle: An energetic and intelligent breed that comes in three sizes
