Did you know that apartment living is actually detrimental to the health of your Flat Coated Retriever? It's true. This dog breed remains quite inactive indoors; its energy level remains so low that it hardly moves from its chosen spot. It needs to romp "wildly" outdoors to remain healthy. Without proper exercise and a lot of mental stimulation, the Flat Coated Retriever can become destructive.

Here are other facts you may want to know about your Flat Coated Retriever pet.

The Flat Coated Retriever is prone to such illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and epilepsy.

Flat Coated Retriever dogs make the poorest guard dogs in the entire dog breed line. They are so overly friendly that they will be willing to go with any stranger that offers them a stick to fetch!

"Power without lumber and raciness without weediness." This phrase is the most traditional description of the desired conformation of the Flat Coated Retriever. This actually refers to the dog's smooth effortless movement and boundless energy.

Originally bred in Europe (United Kingdom, to be more specific), the Flat Coated Retriever was once a favorite among English aristocracy and their game keepers. Nowadays, the Flat Coated Retriever's popularity has been eclipsed by the Labrador and the Golden Retriever.

The Flat Coated Retriever is a very athletic dog and usually excels in such physically demanding sports like fly ball and field testing. Among all other dog breeds, the Flat Coated Retriever usually comes in third when it comes to earning sport titles. Only the Border Collie and the Belgian Tervurens surpass it.

Flat Coated Retriever dogs are just about the easiest dogs to train. They are so people oriented that the dogs seem to like pleasing their human trainers. Their lively and friendly temperament makes them a joy to train. Unfortunately, these last two traits also mean that Flat Coated Retrievers get easily bored with routine, and they can't focus on the simplest tasks. The best way of training this breed of dog is to keep instructions short, simple, and sweet.

Unlike many other sporting dogs that have "minds of their own," the Flat Coated Retriever thrives on human interaction, and cannot seem to find a way to amuse itself otherwise. Aside from their "bad" habit of chewing, the Flat Coated Retriever also "digs" itself into trouble. It can destroy a backyard or a garden with its incessant digging in 20 minutes or until you command it to stop.

The exuberance and kindly nature of the Flat Coated Retriever can pose a bit of a problem especially when it accidentally injures itself. The Flat Coated Retriever is notorious for being stoic and will not show outward signs of discomfort or pain until whatever "condition" it is afflicted with becomes so severe that medical (sometimes surgical) intervention is needed. The dog also seems to believe that it is perpetually at its peak form and goes about its business even after a major surgery or two.