About the Breeding
Goals
My goal is to preserve and further develop the breed’s hunting abilities while maintaining the characteristic Flatcoat temperament – friendly, confident, and sociable dogs, both with people and other dogs.
I aim to breed dogs with sound, functional conformation and no exaggerated features. They should have a strong desire to work, a willingness to cooperate, and be fast, enduring, and agile in the field. Good game handling is also something I place great importance on. I prefer dogs that are within the breed standard in size, ideally on the smaller side rather than too large – although, of course, no outcome can ever be guaranteed.
As a talented geneticist once said during a webinar I attended: Breeding is a biological lottery.
Temperament and health are always my top priorities. It is important to me to use breeding dogs that are easy to live with in everyday life and have a stable, sound temperament. I only make combinations that I genuinely believe will benefit the breed in the long term, and where either I or friends of mine would like to keep a puppy.
I also strongly believe in openness and honesty when it comes to health and any diseases or conditions that arise. For that reason, I choose to share information openly on my website. I believe it is important for the future of the breed that we are honest and willing to learn from our experiences.
In addition, I am committed to helping preserve as much genetic diversity within the breed as possible. This is challenging in a closed population where many dogs are closely related, but I try to make thoughtful breeding decisions to keep increases in inbreeding as low as possible. I hope that within the next few years, the Norwegian Retriever Club and the Norwegian Kennel Club will introduce measures that can help increase the breed’s genetic diversity, as a closed studbook will eventually lead to inbreeding depression.
At present, the breed’s average genomic inbreeding coefficient is over 30%, which is far too high. The effects of inbreeding include reduced reproductive performance, poorer overall health and immune function, and diminished cognitive abilities. I am supportive of carefully planned outcrossing with other breeds and follow such projects in other breed clubs with great interest.
The Puppies’ First Weeks
I want to give the puppies the very best start in life that I can. During the time they live with us, they are closely cared for and raised as a natural part of our everyday life—inside the house together with us, our other dogs, and our cats.
From around three weeks of age, the puppies are gradually introduced to people of different ages while also being given the opportunity to explore a variety of environments, surfaces, sounds, and scents in a safe setting. It is important to me that the puppies gain many positive experiences at their own pace. The mother is free to choose how much time she wants to spend with the puppies throughout the entire period.
The puppies also enjoy their first short trips into the forest and become familiar with car travel while they are still with us. We begin simple recall training at an early age using a whistle signal, and from around three weeks of age they receive supplementary feeding in the form of VOM puppy food (raw food).
When you bring your puppy home, my goal is for it to be confident, curious, and well prepared to continue exploring the world together with you.
The puppies’ entire early development is documented through regular updates on the Facebook page Nifty Dude Flatcoats. There I share photos, short videos, and updates about what the puppies are experiencing and learning along the way.
Puppy Buyers and Puppy Gatherings
For me, it is important to get to know the people who are interested in a puppy from us. Therefore, I ask all prospective puppy buyers to visit before I decide who will be offered a puppy. This gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, and it also allows you to see how our dogs live and decide whether this feels like the right fit for you.
You will meet the dam and our other dogs, which I believe is important—especially because the dam has a significant influence on the puppies through her temperament and personality. Once the puppies are around four weeks old, we begin welcoming visitors, and until the puppies leave for their new homes, we hold an open house for puppy buyers one day each week.
I greatly value staying in touch with puppy buyers after their puppy has gone to its new home. This allows me to offer support and guidance along the way, while also giving me valuable insight into the health, temperament, and qualities of the dogs I have bred. This information is extremely important in my ongoing breeding program.
We have a dedicated Facebook group for puppy buyers where photos, updates, and everyday experiences are shared. We also arrange walks, gatherings, and other enjoyable get-togethers whenever possible.
For those who are interested in hunting training—whether simply for fun or with the goal of hunting and field trials—I will arrange regular training sessions. I am always happy to offer advice and support throughout the dog's life, and when possible, I am also glad to look after dogs that were bred here.
I also ask that all dogs be hip and elbow scored (HD and ED) between 18 months and 2 years of age, and that they are insured. Should a dog ever need to be rehomed, I reserve the right of first refusal.
Training Classes
I encourage all puppy buyers to start puppy training classes as early as possible. All puppy buyers receive a free puppy course and ongoing support through my dog training school, Romerike Hundeskole. I encourage everyone who lives within a reasonable distance to take advantage of this opportunity. For those who live farther away, the course is available online.
I offer this to ensure that every puppy and owner gets the best possible start together, providing a strong foundation for a rewarding and enjoyable life with their dog.
Bringing Your Puppy Home
The puppies are ready to leave for their new homes at 8 weeks of age. When you collect your puppy, you will receive the following:
Registration certificate from the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK)
Standard NKK puppy purchase agreement, with an additional clause regarding hip and elbow screening (HD/ED) and the breeder's right of first refusal in the event of rehoming
Veterinary health certificate
1 kg of VOM Puppy food (raw food)
Whistle and training dummy
Puppy package from Agria
Puppy training course and access to the course materials from Romerike Hundeskole. This includes theory covering dog behaviour, relationship building, communication, learning theory, the first weeks with your puppy, descriptions of the most important training exercises, as well as advice on environmental training, socialisation, handling, home-alone training, house training, and more.
In addition, your puppy will be microchipped and will have received the recommended deworming treatments.
The photo below shows the puppies born here in 2023 💞
