Being a confident and outgoing dog breed, the Flat Coated Retriever has an innate desire to please their owner. The dog is also very athletic and requires daily exercise like running, walking, fetching and swimming. The breed has a playful and energetic demeanor, which makes the Flat Coated Retriever thrive when it gets lavished with attention from the ones it loves.

A Flat Coated Retriever will maintain a lighthearted and playful nature even well into adulthood. It is imperative an owner provide the dog with enough activities to harness their energy into something positive. It takes much patience and diligence to train a Flat Coated Retriever, because the dog is known to be strong-minded and willful at times. Obedience training is a must for this breed; it will help instill the dog with self-control, calmness and polite manners.

The Flat Coated Retriever is a breed of dog that does well in all sorts of professional dog competitions. There are many different activities which the dogs enjoy, but prior to undertaking any type of event, the dog needs to have a firm grasp of obedience commands. After the dog has passed basic and advanced obedience training, you can enter them into any of the popular events found at dog shows.

Conformation is a dog show competition which relies heavily on the dog adhering to the standards of the breed. Though it may seem a bit like a sedentary type of sport, conformation is actually very physically demanding on the Retriever. If the dog measures up to the conformation standards of the breed, and has the proper training and guidance, it can be an ideal event in which they can compete.

Agility trials are by far and away one of the most grueling physical activities a Flat Coated Retriever can participate in. There are many different types of agility competitions, but the basic ones include an obstacle course in which the dog must compete within an allotted time period. Other types of agility trials allow a judge to test the dog's endurance levels. This is done at a more "advanced" level and consists of activities like distance jumping and wall scaling. The Flat Coated Retriever breed is a very active and energetic dog, when trained to be at peak performance the dog can quite easily maneuver simple obstacles and has remained the most popular for competing in more advanced agility trials held all over the world.

Other types of activities a Retriever enjoys are Canine Disc Competition which is basically Frisbee catching, Hunting/Field Trials, Flyball Competition which is actually catching a boomerang, and Musical Freestyle which is a dance competition.

With the Retriever being naturally outgoing and friendly breed, they are easy to train in a wide variety of competitive activities which the breed truly enjoys. The dog is well suited for families who are seeking a playful, loyal and devoted companion. When trained and given the proper amount of exercise, a Flat Coated Retriever makes an outstanding addition to any family.