Advice For New Owners
Who do I contact if I want to find a reputable Curly Coated Retriever breeder?
Contact a Breed Association or Club for further information.
The Royal Kennel Club has an online Puppy Sales List listing breeders who have litters available. Please note: the Royal Kennel Club cannot guarantee that breeders appearing on this list are reputable so would-be buyers should bear this in mind & be prepared to check breeders out for themselves. This advice also applies to Royal Kennel Club Assured Breeders who agree to abide by certain basic good breeding practices but are not vetted in advance of acceptance onto the scheme.
Can you give me some guidance on buying a puppy, how to tell if a breeder is reputable, what questions should I ask etc?
Curlies are a vulnerable breed and as a result, there are not many breeders producing puppies and only small numbers available per year in the UK. When looking for a breeder, ensure they are paying attention to the health, functionality & temperament of the puppies they produce in addition to confirmation and breed standard. It is therefore important that would-be buyers look for reputable breeders & avoid purchasing from the sort of retail outlet that has numerous popular breeds on sale.
Due to small numbers of puppies being produced per year, it is advised that would-be purchasers find and speak to breeders they relate to and go onto the breeders waiting list. Always be sure to notify a breeder if you have found a puppy elsewhere, to enable them to remove you from their list and make a puppy available to another person searching for their Curly puppy.
- Never buy a puppy unless the breeder is willing to show you the mother of the litter & preferably other relatives too
- Good breeders do not have puppies available all the time so be prepared to be patient in your search for a puppy
- Check that the litter is Royal Kennel Club registered. Royal Kennel Club registration is not a guarantee that a litter comes from a reputable breeder
- Check that the breeder is willing to provide after-sales help & advice and is happy to answer any questions you may have. Most responsible breeders will also offer to take back any puppy they have bred for rehoming should the need ever arise.
- Good breeders will almost always be members of at least one breed club and will usually be involved in some activities with their dogs besides breeding eg showing, working, agility etc.
- Good breeders will ask you questions to make sure your situation is suitable for owning a Curly puppy. Be wary of any breeder who asks no questions but is only interested in making a sale.
- Good breeders will be knowledgeable about the hereditary conditions which are connected with Curlies (please see our Health page) & will be happy to advise on what steps they have taken to reduce the likelihood of their puppies developing problems in the future eg Hip scoring, DNA testing parents AND puppies for EIC, GSD & PRAcord1 status
Here is the link to the Royal Kennel Club website which offers further advice on buying a puppy :-