Origin:
The Curley Coated Retriever originated in England in the late 18th century, making it one of the older retriever breeds. It's unsure exactly what breeds were used to develop the CCR however it is believed they include the Newfoundland, Poodle, English Water Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel and Labrador.

Purpose:
The CCR was bred (as their name would suggest) for retrieving. They served as a fantastic hunting and gun companion dog being able to gently retrieve small hunted animals and return them undamaged. 
Today, they are most popular as pets throughout Australia and New Zealand and are rarely found anywhere else in the world. They are still fantastic as working tracking and retrieving dogs as well an competitive agility and obedience. 

Coat care:
The CCR is unique in the fact that it has smooth fur over its face and front legs and a curly coat over the rest of its body. Their coat is very easy to maintain, they require no brushing or clipping (brushing causes their tight curls to become frizzy) and bathing only when needed. As they were bred to come in and out of waters often their skin and coat almost maintains itself. 

Health & Temperament:
A CCR is a laid back, loyal, smart and confident breed. Their eagerness to please makes them easy to train. Being a working dog, it's in their DNA to want to run and burn off a lot of energy, both mental and physical, every day. They are best suited to a high energy house hold that has time to exercise them daily. They love to 'work' to activities such as retrieving toys (especially if a body of water is involved) are a favourite as well as obedience and tracking are great ways to keep them satisfied. 
When socialised from a young age they will get along well with other dogs however due to the nature of what they were bred to do, should never be trusted alone with smaller animals. 
Their breed is prone to health issues including hip dysplasia, eye issues and epilepsy so DNA testing of breeding parents is highly recommended. Their life expectancy is between 8 - 12 years. 

As with humans, dogs can suffer from an airborne virus, called 'Tracheobronchitis' or Canine Cough. Although this can be caught at anytime of year, it is more prevalent during the colder months of the year.
A lot of confusion can surround Canine Cough for a number of different reasons.

1. Called 'Kennel Cough' for so many years, many people believe their dog can only contract this from being in a kennel/boarding environment. As this virus is airborne and passed between dogs it can be contracted anywhere your dog passes by another dog. They don't need to be touching or even close to one another. The chances are higher of contraction when dogs are in dog dense areas, including kennels, dog parks, leash free areas, dog shows and vet clinics. 
2. The Canine Cough (C5) vaccination will prevent my dog from contracting Cough.  As with the human flu vaccinations, the C5 vaccination can only cover so many strains of the virus and there are many! The vaccination simply lessons the symptoms and can help the virus pass through your dog's system faster if they are to contract it. 
3. Dog's not being vaccinated because of the confusion from points 1 & 2. When many people hear the term 'Kennel Cough' they quickly think that as they don't use a boarding kennel, their dog doesn't need the C5 vaccination, when in fact their dog can contract this anywhere. Unvaccinated dogs help to spread the virus, sometimes without even realising. 

The most important thing to remember with Canine Cough is that it is an airborne virus, no different to the human common cold. For this reason, anti biotics are pointless. Your dog can sound like they are 'gagging' when they cough and this can be very confronting, however once you confirm their airways are clear and they are in fact not choking on something, you can proceed with at home treatments to help sooth their sore throat and help the virus pass quickly. 
As with human, when we are feeling unwell, it's best to rest your dog until they are back to their normal self. Canine Cough has incubation period of 7 - 10 days. During this time, your dog will show no symptoms however they are HIGHLY contagious. This is why it's an impossible virus to track and control. By the time your dog is coughing, they are no longer contagious but can be soothed with cough mixture (refer to our Canine Cough brochure for safe brands and dosages) and a quite and gentle routine at home. 
Should they go off their food at anytime, begin to vomit or have loose bowel motions or show any signs of becoming more unwell, they should be seen by a vet. As your dog's immune system is working hard to fight off the Canine Cough this can weaken it and lead to a secondary infection, although not common, vet intervention is needed in this case.

You can read more information on Canine Cough HERE at our information brochure that you can download or collect a copy from our office at anytime.