What is the Life Expectancy of a Flat-Coated Retriever?

When you bring home a Flat-Coated retriever, you may want to know the best steps to take care of them and ensure that they have a happy and long life. 

There are different steps that you can follow for this, but how long is the Flat-Coated retriever supposed to live to start with?

What is the Life Expectancy of a Flat-Coated Retriever?

Most Flat-Coated retrievers are going to live between 13 to 14 years, but the average is 10 to 14 for most of these dogs. The lifespan of the Flat-Coated retriever is going to depend on their health, their genetics, and whether there is anything else that pops up with them. 

A healthy diet, routine vet visits, and more will help the dog live to the higher end of this average. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the things you can expect with the health of the Flat-Coated Retriever and learn more about how long they are going to live. 

When this dog is healthy and given an active and happy life, they will be able to live for a long time. 

Compared to some of the other breeds out there, this dog is going to live for a long time. 

This can make them the perfect companion for any family who would like to add a new dog to their home. 

This dog breed has a good lifespan when they are taken care of well. 

You can expect them to live somewhere between 10 to 14 years, with most of them living closer to 13 and 14 years. 

This is a larger breed, so they tend to do a bit better with their lifespan. 

But if they are not given the best diet or activity plan, then they are not likely to live as long. 

What Factors Determine How Long the Flat-Coated Retriever Will Live?

There are a lot of different factors that will determine how long the Flat-Coated retriever is going to live. 

The owners need to be prepared for how long the dog is supposed to live and then figure out some of the different ways that they can take care of this dog to help keep them healthy and happy for a long time. 

The first thing to consider is the longevity of the parents.

If the parents and grandparents ended up living closer to 14 or 15 years for this dog breed, then it is more likely that your dog is going to live for a long time as well. 

If the ancestors of your Flat-Coated retriever did not live that long, then you will need to be prepared for them to not live as long. 

The care that you give your Flat-Coated retriever will matter as well. 

This is an active dog that likes to move around a lot and go on long walks.

You need to take them out for 90 minutes or more of activity during the day to keep the energy in check. 

Providing them with all of that exercise and activity will allow them to stay healthy and live a longer life.

If you keep them stuck in the home all the time, then you are going to end up with a dog who gains weight and will not stay healthy. 

The type and amount of food that you provide the dog will make a difference too. 

If you are feeding your dog a lot of food that has fillers and other bad things, it is going to make them sick and can make it hard to live a long and healthy life. 

Make sure that you pick out foods that are going to be full of all the healthy grains, vegetables, and meat that the dog will need to live their best life. 

Routine vet visits need to be part of the care as well. 

One of the best ways that you can take care of your pet and ensure that they are able to live for a longer amount of time is to work with routine vet appointments. 

You can set up a good schedule with a vet you trust to make sure that you are able to catch any diseases and problems early on so they do not get sick before their time. 

Health problems are often the biggest issue that can affect how long the Flat-Coated retriever is going to live. 

Cancer is a condition that this type of retriever is going to deal with more than some of the other breeds since the Golden Retriever is one of the parents. 

There isn’t a genetic type of testing to help find these cancers. 

However, if it is caught early on, it is possible to save the life of the dog and help them live a long time. 

The vet visits that we talked about above will be able to help you catch cancer early on and extend the life of your Flat-Coated retriever. 

This is just one of the diseases that can take over your dog. 

You will need to look for any joint or hip problems, eye problems and more. 

The more of these conditions that affect your dog, the lower their lifespan may be over time. 

How to Help My Flat-Coated Retriever Live a Long Life

The good news is that there are a few steps that you can take to help your Flat-Coated retriever live a long and healthy life. One of the first things to consider is their diet. 

It found that dogs who were raised with a restricted-calorie diet, which would be about 25% less than the normal recommended amount, they can live an average of two years more than dogs who are fed more. 

You should not drastically reduce the food for the dog or they will be hungry and can get sick. 

But watching the food that the dog eats and being careful with how healthy they are in their diets can help them live a bit longer than letting them eat too much food. 

You can work with their vet to make sure that the dog is getting the right amount of food and not too little. 

Another thing to consider is the amount of exercise that this dog will need. 

The Flat-Coated retriever will need to be out and moving quite a bit. 

They will spend 90 to 120 minutes a day running around and playing. 

If you can give them this kind of exercise, then they will stay healthy and can live for a long time. 

The problem comes when you do not give the dog the amount of activity that they need. 

If the dog spends all day in the home and is never taken on a walk or played with outside, this is going to cause some problems along the way. 

They will not wear out those calories and that can make them keep too much weight. 

This will leave them having health problems that can make them feel bad and have trouble living as long. 

Some of the other things that you can do to help your Flat-Coated retriever stay healthy includes:

1. Keep their mind sharp: When the dog is not able to go through training or learn something new, then they will not only get bored, but it can make their mind not stay strong and sharp. It is never too late to help the dog learn a new trick. Whether you teach them or have someone else train them, help work on the mind of your dog. 
2. Brush the teeth: Dental hygiene is an overlooked aspect of pet care. It is easy to not give the dog any dental care, but regularly brushing their teeth and giving them the right dental treats and toys can help keep the dental health, and then the rest of their health, as good as possible. 
3. Follow the orders from the vet: Each dog is unique and special. It is important to take the dog into their vet visits to learn more about how to take care of the dog and give them the health that they need. They can give you some options to ensure that your dog stays healthy for a long time. 

With some attention and help to your pet, you will be able to help them to stay healthy and live a good long life. 

Keeping Your Flat-Coated Retriever Healthy for a Long Life

The good thing is that there are different steps that you are able to take in order to keep your Flat-Coated retriever healthy and to ensure that they are not going to get sick or pass on before their time. 

With the right food, the right exercise, and routine vet visits will be a great option. 

Check out some of the tips above to make sure that your dog stays healthy and lives a good life.