The Curly Coated Retriever often referred to as a Curly is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting.

It is the tallest of the retrievers and is easily distinguishable by the mass of tight curls covering its body.

Curly Coated and Wavy Coated (now known as the Flat-Coated Retriever) were the first two recognized retriever breeds, established as early as 1860.


Appearance
The Curly is an active, well-muscled dog bred for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. The Curly is somewhat different in structure than the more common retrievers.

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A well-bred Curly will appear slightly leggy but is actually slightly longer than tall.

The breed sports a coat of tight, crisp curls. It is balanced and agile with a significant air of endurance, strength, and grace.

Color
The only acceptable colors for the Curly Coated Retriever are solid black and solid liver or brown. Occasional white hairs are permissible, but white patches are a serious fault.

Eyes should be either black or brown in black dogs, and brown or amber in liver dogs. Yellow eyes are unusual.

The nose should be fully pigmented, and the same color as the coat as the dog.


Height and weight
Show standards call for dogs: 25 - 27 in at the withers and females: 23 - 25 in however a wide range of sizes occurs, particularly in those dogs bred for the field, which generally run smaller.

Weight should be in correct proportion to the size of the dog.