FSDA SPOTLIGHT on member:
JILL WAKE – FLATCOATED RETRIEVERS AND ME
I first became aware of Flatcoated Retrievers when I was quite young, around 5 years of age, when my aunt looked after a friend’s dog while she was away. Some ten years later she was still staying. I was determined to find out just what breed this black dog with some white on the chest, wavy coat, was. I looked through all the books I could at the library, and finally declared she was part Flatcoated Retriever. Of course, she wasn’t, she was a mixed breed, mostly Spaniel. However, it did entrench Flatcoats firmly in my mind and I was determined that was the breed I wanted when I got old enough to have my own dog. It would be about 50 years until I actually had one!
Although I grew up in the UK, I was living in Australia when I finally got Mattie, my first Flatcoat. She joined a house with a Golden Retriever and three bitzers. A typical Flatcoat puppy, who was perfection the first night in her new home, and a nightmare the second and third! The fourth night I got sick of it and brought her bed into my bedroom, silence and that was it for the sleeping arrangements. When she was a year old she was joined by Callum, who came out from the UK. He was from Wizardwood, and a typically slow maturing English Flatcoat.
They both did their thing in the show ring and gained their Australian conformation title. I did start obedience training with Mattie, but blame the handler, ahem, for her woeful acceptance of instruction. She was my ‘mush’ dog, she pulled when on a lead regardless of collar, halti, harness etc, but perfect off lead. At least she could pull me up hills. Both Mattie and Callum loved the beach and the water, Mattie was also obsessed with tennis balls. Combine ball and water and it was difficult to prise either of them away. I moved close to the beach just for them, and we were there every day.
Sadly I lost both of them within six months of each other, but not before another Flatcoat appeared on the horizon. Someone was looking to rehome their six year old, and she sounded very similar to Mattie – ball obsessed and did things her way. She lived in another state, so I went to see her and a few weeks later she came to live with me. Her previous owner works her dogs and Lige had been beautifully trained. Very biddable in retrieving, she rescued many a tennis ball from the sea for other less competent dogs. She was joined about six months later by another rehome Flatcoat, Mo. She was a delightful dog, never a great beauty in looks, but outstanding in temperament. I never met anyone who didn’t like Mo, and Mo didn’t meet anyone she didn’t like. She developed the habit of going up to greet people, turning around and sitting on their feet. I always said it was because she wasn’t going to put her bare backside on the cold ground if she could avoid it! These first four Flatcoats were all related. Lige’s dam was a full sister to Callum, and Mo was Mattie and Cal’s granddaughter, it was rather neat to keep it in the family.
After a long time in Australia I returned to the UK when my mother was up there in years and on her own. Of course, Lige and Mo went with me. They arrived in March, so not it the total depths of winter, but they both put on a lot of coat quickly. They both enjoyed the greater freedom of off lead runs, and I was lucky to live in an area with a lot of places to take my dogs.
I lost Lige two years after her arrival in the UK, and Mo had to adjust to being an only dog but there was another Flatcoat waiting in the wings. I was on vacation in Florida, having lunch with Pam Hind when I said I’d have been prepared to rehome a rescue Flatcoat if no one else could and it wouldn’t matter about age if they didn’t mind the dog going overseas. Pam said ‘How about a 3 year old?’. Uh oh. Bette (Ch Mallard Pointe Divine Miss M JH) came to stay with me for the rest of the time I was there. It was summer and too hot for her to fly. I was back later in the year and Bette flew home with me on the same plane. I can’t thank Beth Meaney and Pam enough for letting me have her, and letting her live so far away from them. She and Mo got on like a house on fire, once Mo laid the ground rules about not checking out her food bowl until she’d finished! Mo was happy to show her all the good places to check out on our walks.
Sadly they didn’t have a lot of time together, but the gap was filled by Remus who arrived at 8 weeks of age to annoy Bette. Working line bred by a friend, he was the one in the litter no one had been interested in. He’s turned into a good all rounder. Pretty enough for the show ring, and Crufts qualified from the moment he could be, and qualified for Gamekeeper’s class as well. A natural retriever, he’ll go into any type of cover, dense cover is his specialty! To think all I wanted was a pet! His breeder has taken both Bette and Remus out on shoots, and both loved doing what they were bred for, no competition involved except for how many each picked up.
I have now been back in Australia for a year, with Bette and Remus, of course. We flew separately as they had to do ‘time’ in quarantine, just ten days. The first thing I did on their release was to take them to the same beach I used to run my other dogs. They loved that, and it brought back many memories for me.
While Bette has been living the quiet life, Remus has been strutting his stuff in the show ring and gained his Australian title, his best win being Best of Breed at the Royal Brisbane Show in August, all thanks to handlers far more capable than me. I’ve had a pool put in and the dogs are loving that. It means they can swim every day and we don’t have to worry about tides or the things which might be lurking in the water. The pool is more important now as Bette has recently needed to have a front leg amputated after they found a mass. She’ll be needing the hydrotherapy to keep her muscles strong and to hopefully enable her to have better stamina on her remaining legs. Good exercise for all of us.
As for me, I’m really a very lazy owner and just want the companionship of my dogs. When travelling I do try to get to dog things if I can, to meet up with friends I’ve known for many years, and to see what they and their dogs are doing. I’m pleased all mine have all done something, and even now retrieving bumpers from the pool is keeping the instinct alive, but I’m all for the quiet life these days.
I love this breed and can’t ever see not having one in my life.
Although I grew up in the UK, I was living in Australia when I finally got Mattie, my first Flatcoat. She joined a house with a Golden Retriever and three bitzers. A typical Flatcoat puppy, who was perfection the first night in her new home, and a nightmare the second and third! The fourth night I got sick of it and brought her bed into my bedroom, silence and that was it for the sleeping arrangements. When she was a year old she was joined by Callum, who came out from the UK. He was from Wizardwood, and a typically slow maturing English Flatcoat.
They both did their thing in the show ring and gained their Australian conformation title. I did start obedience training with Mattie, but blame the handler, ahem, for her woeful acceptance of instruction. She was my ‘mush’ dog, she pulled when on a lead regardless of collar, halti, harness etc, but perfect off lead. At least she could pull me up hills. Both Mattie and Callum loved the beach and the water, Mattie was also obsessed with tennis balls. Combine ball and water and it was difficult to prise either of them away. I moved close to the beach just for them, and we were there every day.
Sadly I lost both of them within six months of each other, but not before another Flatcoat appeared on the horizon. Someone was looking to rehome their six year old, and she sounded very similar to Mattie – ball obsessed and did things her way. She lived in another state, so I went to see her and a few weeks later she came to live with me. Her previous owner works her dogs and Lige had been beautifully trained. Very biddable in retrieving, she rescued many a tennis ball from the sea for other less competent dogs. She was joined about six months later by another rehome Flatcoat, Mo. She was a delightful dog, never a great beauty in looks, but outstanding in temperament. I never met anyone who didn’t like Mo, and Mo didn’t meet anyone she didn’t like. She developed the habit of going up to greet people, turning around and sitting on their feet. I always said it was because she wasn’t going to put her bare backside on the cold ground if she could avoid it! These first four Flatcoats were all related. Lige’s dam was a full sister to Callum, and Mo was Mattie and Cal’s granddaughter, it was rather neat to keep it in the family.
After a long time in Australia I returned to the UK when my mother was up there in years and on her own. Of course, Lige and Mo went with me. They arrived in March, so not it the total depths of winter, but they both put on a lot of coat quickly. They both enjoyed the greater freedom of off lead runs, and I was lucky to live in an area with a lot of places to take my dogs.
I lost Lige two years after her arrival in the UK, and Mo had to adjust to being an only dog but there was another Flatcoat waiting in the wings. I was on vacation in Florida, having lunch with Pam Hind when I said I’d have been prepared to rehome a rescue Flatcoat if no one else could and it wouldn’t matter about age if they didn’t mind the dog going overseas. Pam said ‘How about a 3 year old?’. Uh oh. Bette (Ch Mallard Pointe Divine Miss M JH) came to stay with me for the rest of the time I was there. It was summer and too hot for her to fly. I was back later in the year and Bette flew home with me on the same plane. I can’t thank Beth Meaney and Pam enough for letting me have her, and letting her live so far away from them. She and Mo got on like a house on fire, once Mo laid the ground rules about not checking out her food bowl until she’d finished! Mo was happy to show her all the good places to check out on our walks.
Sadly they didn’t have a lot of time together, but the gap was filled by Remus who arrived at 8 weeks of age to annoy Bette. Working line bred by a friend, he was the one in the litter no one had been interested in. He’s turned into a good all rounder. Pretty enough for the show ring, and Crufts qualified from the moment he could be, and qualified for Gamekeeper’s class as well. A natural retriever, he’ll go into any type of cover, dense cover is his specialty! To think all I wanted was a pet! His breeder has taken both Bette and Remus out on shoots, and both loved doing what they were bred for, no competition involved except for how many each picked up.
I have now been back in Australia for a year, with Bette and Remus, of course. We flew separately as they had to do ‘time’ in quarantine, just ten days. The first thing I did on their release was to take them to the same beach I used to run my other dogs. They loved that, and it brought back many memories for me.
While Bette has been living the quiet life, Remus has been strutting his stuff in the show ring and gained his Australian title, his best win being Best of Breed at the Royal Brisbane Show in August, all thanks to handlers far more capable than me. I’ve had a pool put in and the dogs are loving that. It means they can swim every day and we don’t have to worry about tides or the things which might be lurking in the water. The pool is more important now as Bette has recently needed to have a front leg amputated after they found a mass. She’ll be needing the hydrotherapy to keep her muscles strong and to hopefully enable her to have better stamina on her remaining legs. Good exercise for all of us.
As for me, I’m really a very lazy owner and just want the companionship of my dogs. When travelling I do try to get to dog things if I can, to meet up with friends I’ve known for many years, and to see what they and their dogs are doing. I’m pleased all mine have all done something, and even now retrieving bumpers from the pool is keeping the instinct alive, but I’m all for the quiet life these days.
I love this breed and can’t ever see not having one in my life.
GMSALE22GMSALE22
