A retriever isn't one dog: six breeds and how to choose

Say "retriever" and most people picture a golden dog loping across a meadow with a stick in its mouth. But retrievers are a whole family, six breeds united by a love of water and of fetching, yet differing in size, energy and how much grooming they ask for. Choosing "a retriever" is a bit like choosing "a car".

If you're thinking about a retriever, this six-way rundown will help you narrow things down before you fall for the first puppy photo. We'll go through how the breeds differ and who they suit, from the famous ones to those you may not have heard of.

What they all share

First, the common ground: retrievers were bred as hunting helpers that bring back shot game, often from water. That gives a few traits across the board: drive to work, a need for exercise, joy in fetching, and usually a friendly, people-oriented nature. No retriever is a couch dog content with a short walk round the block.

There's one thing people forget, too: retrievers love company and cope badly with being alone. Whichever you choose, expect a dog that wants to be part of everything.

The six at a glance

Six retrievers, six temperaments

• Golden Retriever: gentle, easy-going, a great family dog; the long coat needs regular care.
• Labrador Retriever: energetic, trainable, highly adaptable; short coat, but don't underestimate the shedding.
• Flat-Coated Retriever: a perpetual puppy in an adult body; playful, lively, slow to mature.
• Curly-Coated Retriever: the largest and most independent; curly coat, calmer, more reserved with strangers.
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever: the toughest worker, hardy and more watchful; wants an experienced owner.
• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (toller): the smallest, sharp and very lively; needs a job for its brain.

For families with children and first-time owners

If this is your first dog or you have small children, stick with the two best known: the Golden and the Labrador are popular for good reason. Both are tolerant, trainable and forgiving of beginner mistakes. The main difference is coat and temperament: the Labrador tends to be a notch more energetic and easier to keep tidy, the Golden a little calmer but with a more demanding coat.

The Flat-Coated is also wonderful with families, just count on a longer stretch of boisterous youth, it matures slowly and has energy to spare.

For the active and the experienced

The Chesapeake Bay and the toller are for people who'll give the dog a job. The Chesapeake is hardy and more self-reliant, less of a cuddler than the Golden, and rewards experienced handling. The toller, by contrast, is a small bundle of energy and intelligence that bores quickly; without activity and tasks it'll find its own work, and not always to your taste.

The Curly-Coated stands a little apart: largest, most independent and reserved. It suits people who appreciate a dog with its own mind and don't need constant affection.

How to choose well

Start honestly with yourself, not the breed: how much time you give a dog each day, how active your life is, how much grooming you'll manage, and whether this is your first dog. Choose on that basis. Then visit a breeder registered under the national kennel body (ČMKU in Czechia, SKJ in Slovakia), where you'll see the parents, the temperament and the setup, and get a puppy with health tests rather than one from a classified ad.

Once you've chosen, set up your retriever's profile in PetPal: from the first vaccination to notes on temperament and care, the whole story in one place. Golden or toller, every dog deserves the same good start.