Natural History

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged curly coated retriever, Labrador retriever, Retiever mix, Retriever cross | 5 Comments

5 Responses

1. on January 12, 2009 at 9:27 pm kathleen

   Interesting. Two of my dogs, Elsa and Finn, have curly coats. Elsa’s is especially curly. Finn’s is more on the wavy side. Someday, when the dog dna tests are more affordable, I might find out what breeds are in the mix. A curly coat can come from a variety of dogs, I would think.

   I hope you are writing a book about breeds of yore. I find it fascinating!

   
   
   • on January 12, 2009 at 11:03 pm retrieverman

     I don’t know why curls exist. The original curly-coated retriever once had longer hair, and a related breed, the Norfolk retriever, was more of a water spaniel.

     Kuvaszok from Hungarian lines have really wavy-coats. That might be a possibility. Even modern lines of Newfoundland produce curly-haired dogs.

     Goldens are allowed to have wavy-coats, and some are really wavy. That’s another possibility.

     The way dog genes work, it’s just so hard to discern breeds.

     I had a mix between a golden retriever and brindle boxer, but you would think she was a Great Dane or a Lab mix. She was solid black with short hair, shorter than Lab’s.

     
     
   • on January 12, 2009 at 11:15 pm retrieverman

     Curly-haired Kuvasz: http://www.breederretriever.com/photopost/data/714/medium/kuvasz.jpg

     
     
2. on January 13, 2009 at 12:45 am kathleen

   Elsa’s coat has the waviness of the Kuvaszok. Or, a Golden’s. She is addicted to swimming and a couple of summers ago was in the pool so much that her coat didn’t fully dry out and she began to smell. The vet thought she might have mildewed. That said, she definitely has more of a Kuvaszok’s personality than a Golden’s. Her brother has the personality of a Golden but isn’t interested in the pool. Neither retrieve. They keep me guessing.

   
   
   • on January 13, 2009 at 12:51 am retrieverman

     A lot of goldens don’t retrieve. And a lot have a sharper personality. I have no idea what they are.

     
     

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