The Curly Coated Retriever (often referred to as a Curly) was thought to originally be bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. Out of all the retrievers, the Curly is the tallest and easily identifiable by the tight, crisp curls that cover their bodies. It is thought that this breed is a mix of the Poodle, Water Spaniel and setter bloodlines. The Curly's origins can be traced back to sixteenth century England, which would make him the oldest of the retrievers.

The Curly is a very active and well-muscled dog but built a little differently than most of the more common retrievers. The well-bred Curlies are a little longer than they are tall. The Curly is somewhat different in structure than the more common retrievers. This breed is very agile and versatile and has a presence of extreme grace and strength. The Curly also possesses an amazing amount of endurance.

The Curly Coated Retriever's coat is usually either a solid liver (brown color) or a solid black. The Curly-Coated Retriever can be anywhere from twenty-two to twenty-five inches tall at the shoulder and weigh anywhere from between fifty-five to seventy-five pounds. Their medium-sized strong body possesses a single coat with no undercoat. His coat, although covered with tight curls, is very easy to maintain and very weather-resistant, which is an advantage when out for hours to retrieve. The coat should just be dampened and massaged using movements that are circular; it should never be brushed or combed. Their grooming is not detailed or fancy, but they do need to be kept clean and the curls kept free of mats. They do not shed any more than most normal dogs.

The Curly Coated Retriever is very athletic and is known for his endurance. This breed is most content when they have plenty of exercise, stimulate of the mind and plenty of play time. They were bred for their endurance in exercise, be it work (retrieving) or play. They love any kind of activity where dog agility, running, working with people, romping or jumping are involved. They also love to swim and are very agile and skillful when crossing a river or a stream. They are very enthusiastic while they are outside running around, but, contrary to what their outside personality is like, they are very calm indoors and at home. At home, they make an excellent house pet and are very laid back and calm. They love their family members and show their loyalty and are very affectionate. A Curly is an intelligent dog and is happiest when it has adequate exercise, mental stimulation and play.

With strangers, the Curly can appear to be aloof and "standoff-ish". Because Curlies like to be stimulated and are very enthusiastic, they can sometimes get bored with any sort of training that is repetitive. Overall, they are very smart and pick up quickly. .

This breed can be fed five cups of a dry dog food that is complete with minerals and vitamins or one and a half to two and a half cans of a high-quality meaty product.