Simon Fitzherbert-Brockholes (Mosstarn)

Simon Fitzherbert and his flatcoats

1.     What is your relationship with the breed? When did you get your first Flatcoat?

I first came across and fell in love with Flatcoats back in the 1980s, when I saw Joan & Duncan Marsden working their dogs on shoots. Since then, I have had 11 Flatcoats, the first three were Tarncourt dogs which came from Joan Marsden. I have subsequently bred 3 litters and in doing so, have always used dogs from working lines.

2.     What do you like the most in a working Flatcoated Retriever?

Their grace of movement when working and their ability to totally surprise you – finding game that other have missed.

3.     What abilities do you look for when you are breeding a working Flatcoated Retriever

Bidability, a good nose and hunting instinct.

4.     What could be done to promote the Flatcoat as a field trial/working test dog?

Primarily time and effort, which many owners/trainers do not have.  I suspect that most retriever field trial judges her in the UK are looking for the “skills” displayed by the Ft labradors and as the Flatcoat tends to work in a different way, they are probably at somewhat of an disadvantage from the start.

5.     How does a working Flatcoat excel as a picking up dog?

Their ability to find lost game and in particular to track and retrieve a “runner”.

6.     What’s important to emphasize when training a Flatcoated Retriever?

The gentle approach and a lot of patience! No two Flatcoats are the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

       © Alex Faarkrog 2017