The Flat-Coated Retriever is the perfect suburban or country dog. He has a moderately high energy level and is best suited to a home where he has many opportunities to run and swim. Expect to exercise him about 90 minutes a day, or two 45-minute walks, runs, or other vigorous activity such as playing fetch or training for agility or flyball.

Flat-Coated Retrievers make wonderful jogging companions when they are trained properly and have reached maturity. Remember that jogging on cement or other hard surfaces can damage your dog's joints; it's best to run on grass or other soft surfaces.

Go easy on puppies. They need approximately 5 minutes of exercise for every month of age per day. So if your Flat-Coat puppy is 4 months old, he needs about 20 minutes of exercise per day. Too much exercise can stress his still-growing joints.

Your Flat-Coat shouldn't be difficult to housetrain. Crate training is recommended, both as an aid to housetraining and to prevent your Flat-Coat from getting into things he shouldn't when you're not around to supervise.

Your Flat-Coat is likely to have one habit you'll find disgusting: eating poop, known as coprophagy. The only foolproof way to avoid this is to pick up his stool and dispose of it immediately.

Start training your Flat-Coat as soon as you bring him home. He's a quick learner and wants to please you. He's sensitive, though, and harsh verbal or physical corrections will cause him to shut down and stop working for you. Be kind and consistent, and use positive reinforcement techniques such as praise, play, and food rewards.

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