Height: 23 to 27 inches at shoulder
Weight: 65 to 100 pounds (males average 90 pounds, females average 75 pounds)
Coat: crisp and curly
Life span: 9 to 12 years
Breed Group: Sporting Dogs

Created to retrieve game from land or water, the Curly-Coated Retriever was popular with English gamekeepers, hunters, and poachers alike. Today he competes in such dog sports as field trials, agility, obedience, and flyball and has been successful as a therapy dog, drug detection dog, and search and rescue dog. When he's not out working or competing, he's happy to lie beside his favorite person, enjoying a nice back scratch.