You can find the perfect Flat Coated Retriever in two ways. The first way is to find a respectable breeder who can provide you with a puppy which has all the potential in the world. The second way is to rescue a Flat Coated Retriever from an animal shelter or dog pound. The dog may have undergone a bit of a roadblock in its life, yet it may still reach its greatest potential through you.
Finding a suitable puppy starts with finding the perfect Flat Coated Retriever breeder. A great tip for finding a puppy (of any kind) is not to patronize puppy mills or pet shops. Many Flat Coated Retriever enthusiasts recommend finding a breeder in your area and asking for their services. A great Flat Coated Retriever breeder won't hand you a puppy the moment you come calling on his phone or knocking on his door. The process of "adoption" usually takes time - it does not take considerable time, but a great Flat Coated Retriever breeder would want to know whether you are a suitable adoptive "parent" to the puppy.
If your potential Flat Coated Retriever breeder starts asking you questions like: have you taken care of a Flat Coated Retriever before, have you decided which vet should look over your Flat Coated Retriever adoptee - then you may have found a passionate Flat Coated Retriever breeder. You are guaranteed at the very least that he is concerned about the welfare of his charges, and he wants to ensure that you can give his puppies a great life.
If, on the other hand, you get nothing but evasive, tight-lipped and unhelpful communication with your potential Flat Coated Retriever breeder, then you should be more than wary. Try to visit your "puppy" as much as possible, and see whether living conditions for the dog is alright. Look for any sign of squalor or if any of the dogs seem to be in distress and if your potential Flat Coated Retriever breeder seems to be constantly making excuses, then it is more than possible that your "puppy" may not be suitable for adoption at all.
It may be too much for anyone's bleeding heart to see a puppy in distress and you may just be tempted to "rescue" that animal from its present conditions. But unless you are ready to face a long and disturbed puppy childhood, you may as well find another Flat Coated Retriever breeder. Besides, "rescuing" such puppies only contribute to the proliferation of irresponsible Flat Coated Retriever breeding - an industry where there is a quick buck to be made at the expense of innocent dogs' lives.
Rescuing an adult Flat Coated Retriever dog from animal shelters and dog pounds is an altogether different matter. Dogs that are in these places have either been rescued from distressing circumstances or given up on by its former owners. Yes, it's true that most of these Flat Coated Retrievers may have one or more behavioral problems as a result of their former lives, but animal placement agencies usually evaluate the Flat Coated Retriever dogs in their care first, to see whether they are good for adoption or not. And then they match the dogs to potential adoptive or foster parents.
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