Flat-Coated Retriever is originated from United Kingdom but Schnoodle is originated from United States. Both Flat-Coated Retriever and Schnoodle are having almost same height. Flat-Coated Retriever may weigh 9 kg / 19 pounds lesser than Schnoodle. Flat-Coated Retriever may live 5 years less than Schnoodle. Both Flat-Coated Retriever and Schnoodle has almost same litter size. Both Flat-Coated Retriever and Schnoodle requires Moderate Maintenance.
The Flat-Coated Retriever traces its heritage to 19th century England. A popular gamekeepers’ dog, the actual descendants of the breed are not entirely known. Like so many well-established breeds, there are many lines of thought about the breed line. There is an unverified line of ancestry that includes the St. Johns Water Dog – an extinct breed from North America. Another story has Canadian sailors bringing their Newfoundlands to England and mixing them with Colliers and Setters. This story has more truth to it and it took 20 years to establish the final breed type.
The breed was originally a retriever with two purposes – to retrieve the hunters’ bounty on land and on water.
The Flat-Coated Retriever was then introduced to the United States as a gun dog. By 1873 it was a “stable type” and in 1915 the AKC recognized the breed. After this, their popularity grew quickly until the American public fell in love with the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever. Then the Flat-Coated Retriever’s numbers and popularity fell. The irony was that both the Golden and the Labrador credited the Flat-Coated Retriever as an ancestor. The survival of the breed was questionable following World War Two. They were brought back by a specific breeding program in the 1960’s.
Breeders in the ‘60s made sure they bred for both show dogs and companion animals. The Flat-Coated Retriever survived and is less popular than other retrievers, but he has his fans. The breed is more popular in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States in part because of Best in Show wins at Crufts
The Schnoodle was developed in the 1980s. It is believed the dog originates from the USA. This was when it was discovered that breeding the poodle with other dogs produced excellent mixes.
The idea with the Schnoodle was to develop a low-shedding dog. The Schnoodle is a mix between a Schnauzer and a Poodle,but because both the Poodle ad Schnauzer have different sizes, there is no knowing what size the Schnoodle will be.
Major kennels don’t recognize the Schnoodle as a breed.
The Flat-Coated Retriever has a straight and strong topline with unique head, strong jaws, a long muzzle and small ears. His eyes are dark brown almonds with a friendly and intelligent expression. He has an arched neck and a moderately long tail. The Flat-Coated Retriever is more of an athlete, lighter and certainly more elegant than any other type or breed of retriever.
The Schnoodle is a cross between a poodle and a schnauzer and with the poodle parent in the mix, the dog is considered to be hypoallergenic.
Because there are three sizes of Schnauzer, the Schnoodle can be medium sized but also fairly large. Weight of this dog can be anything from 6 to 45 Kg and he can stand at between 38cm to 66cm. The coat can be either wavy, straight or curly and will need to be brushed, stripped or clipped according to the coat they have.
The most common coat colors are grey, a mix of grey, silver and white, a fawn or creamish color and black. The medium sized ears are floppy.
Because this is a mixed breed you won’t get a fixed personality type and you won't find fixed looks. Because the dog comes from two excellent parent breeds, you can expect your schnoodle to be friendly, alert and very active.
They may not take readily to kids so it is up to the human owners to see that their children are brought up to be kind and respectful to dogs and animals. Your Schnoodle can be gentle too and stubborn but he will bond closely with his human family.
The smallish size of these dogs makes it a good choice for city or country life, but wherever he is, he will need lots of exercise. Schnoodles are smart and respond well to training.
The Flat-Coated Retriever is great with children. Just be careful they don’t knock over small children in their enthusiasm.
They are confident great family dogs. They are “thinking dogs” and need something to work for or they will work for themselves. They can be clowns.
They are adaptable although their size might preclude small locations without yards.
Smart, thinking all the time, they are very trainable. However, they are considered the “Peter Pan” of dogs – they never grow up.
Thanks to their parents, Schnauzer cross Poodles are smart, easy to train and fast learners.
Schnoodles are also fun-loving dogs, and they make great playmates for children. They are also a good choice for first time dog owners. A bonus part for dog owners is that these dogs are low shedding, making them great for anyone who suffers from allergies.
The Schnoodle forms strong bonds with their human family and this makes them both protector and watchdog. He is a great family dog with some excellent characteristics from each of the parent dog breeds involved.
Flat-Coated Retrievers have their share of health concerns from dysplasia to cancer. The breeds problems include:
Hemangiosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Malignant Histiocytosis, and Fibrosarcoma. Studies show that about half of all Flat-Coated Retrievers die of cancer.
The Schnoodle is a robust, healthy breed, but unfortunately he can also succumb to any one of the many dog illnesses there are -
This refers to an eye disease which results in the deterioration of the retina. Your dog develops night blindness and this can lead to total blindness. Unfortunately there is no cure.
It can be horrible seeing your pet jerking and twisting out of control with seizures. You will need to get your pet to the vet as epilepsy can be a symptom of a bigger issue.
This is a life threatening disease where your dog’s stomach fills with gas and becomes hard and swollen. The stomach can twist. Symptoms of bloat include restlessness, drooling and trying to vomit.
He will be a medium size dog. Feed puppies 3-4 times a day about a 1/8 cup of high-quality food. Feed a puppy food designed for medium size dogs or specifically for retrievers.
Feed 2 times a day about !/2 cups of dry food per meal. Do not overfeed. They have a tendency to be obese.
Maintain a healthy weight and avoid exercise before and after meals. The good news is dysplasia and epilepsy are rare in the breed.
They are very energetic and need good exercise. Long walks and a yard to run in. Remember they are hunting dogs and will chase to retrieve things so don’t let them off leash outside your yard. They will excel at agility, tracking. Rally, obedience, swimming, hunting, and jogging. They make great therapy dogs.
The Schnoodle is a dog that will need a good dose of exercise. Provide him with daily walks, walks in the park, hikes, runs along the beach as well as ball and rope games.
Always try to feed your dog a high quality food. Many people give their dogs one of the commercially manufactured foods there are because they are wonderfully convenient, and you get some good ones.
You don’t want to give this food to your dog day after day after day. Feed him some home-made food occasionally which can be added to his dry kibble twice a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet.
You can boil it, chop it all up and add smaller portions to the dry kibble twice a week as a wonderful, tasty treat for your dogs.
Try and include some raw meat into the diet as this can help to fight of skin diseases. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water for him.
Make sure all the necessary vaccines are up to date to avoid some of the deadly canine diseases there are.