Murray River Curly Coated Retriever

The Murray River Curly Coated Retriever is an extremely rare dog breed that was developed in Australia over a hundred years ago, as evidenced by photographs of these dogs as far back as the 1880s. While they are similar in name to the more commonly seen Curly Coated Retriever that developed in England, they are a smaller dog with longer, looser curls. These dogs were used mostly in the area of the Murry River that they were named for in order to retrieve ducks that had been shot from the riverbank and while they have been breeding true to type since at least 1894, it was designed as a working breed and records of their ancestry are sparse. Recent DNA testing on several Murray River Curly Coated Retrievers shows a genetic link to several breeds, including the American Water Spaniel, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the English Springer Spaniel, and the Irish Water Spaniel and many hunters and fanciers believe that there may be a link to the Norfolk Spaniel, a breed that became extinct in 1903. While these DNA tests showed markers indicating that these were purebred dogs, they have not yet been recognized by any kennel club, but the Murray River Curly Coated Retriever Association was formed in 2010 by several breeders and fanciers in an attempt to save the breed from extinction as recent laws in Australia threatens their existence by severely restricting the breeding of dogs that are not listed as a recognized breed by the Australian National Kennel Council.