Flat-Coated Retriever

Retrievers & water dogs

Medium

Median 11.7 y

FCI group 8 · Retrievers, Flushing Dogs and Water Dogs · The breed standard (FCI 121)

Median survival across 2,932 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 9–14 y

The Flat-coated Retriever is a gun dog breed originating from England. It was developed as a retriever both on land and in the water.

Cheerful

Optimistic

Friendly

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

27–36 kg

Female

25–32 kg

The breed standard (The Kennel Club)

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (30–40 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 27–36 kg and females 25–32 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 16 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (30–40 kg band).

No Flat-Coated Retriever cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 11.7 y. Median survival across 2,932 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 9–14 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.