Sulimov vs Curly Coated Retriever - Breed Comparison

There isn’t much on the origin of the Curly-Coated Retriever and his history hasn’t been well documented.

The dog originated some time ago in the early 19th century, with some believing that the dog was in England during the late 1700s already.

It is thought that this dog, which is identical to the Labrador but with a tight, curly coat, descended from the Old English Water Dog, the Irish Water Spaniel and the smaller Newfoundland. This mix was later crossed with the Poodle and this is where the curls come into the picture.

The Curly-Coated Retriever gained substantial recognition in England during the mid-1800s and exported to the United States in 1907. The dog was also later exported to Australia and New Zealand and has been recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1924.

Another name for the Sulimov dog is Shalaika.

This Russian jackal-dog-hybrid is thought to have developed from golden jackals and Lapponian Herders. In fact the dog was developed by a certain Klim Sulimov to be a robust security- and sniffer dog at Aeroflot, a Russian airline.

Jackals were used because it is believed that they have a better sense of smell than any domesticated dog there is. The Jackal can also perceive things at a distance. Later on, other dogs were also bred into the line, making it an intelligent dog with an excellent sense of smell.

There aren't many of these dogs available.

The Curly Coated Retriever is a medium sized dog standing at about 58–69cm and weighing anything between 25 – 40kg. The dog, mainly black or chocolate brown, is active and muscled and was used for hunting and retrieving waterfowl.

The coat has small, tight curls over the body except for the face and the legs. He has floppy ears and they eyes of the black dog are brown while in the liver-colored dogs, the eyes are amber or gold.

The tail is long. He has a wedge shaped head, and its the fact that the face is more long than wide which makes him easily distinguishable from other retriever breeds. Of course, it is the curly coat which is the dog’s most distinguishing feature.

Temperament:

The Curly Coated Retriever has been used as a gun dog, and today, like most retrievers, they make superb pets and are a lively, social and fun-loving breed. He becomes loyal and devoted to his human family members, making a splendid pet, but then he must be exercised.

Have him trained and socialized and he becomes an obedient, relaxed dog, eager to please. He is intelligent and self-confident and gets on well with children in the home as well as with other pets.

He fits in easily to city and country life, but if he could have large grounds to run, play and swim, which he loves, he would be at his happiest.

Th Sulimov looks like, and also has characteristics of jackals and huskies. The body is large, the ears are triangular and erect, the eyes bright, alert and enquiring and the muzzle is long.

The legs of the dog are slim but strong, like the Jackal and the tail is long and bushy. The coat is fairly long, smooth and thick and can be in a range of colors such as tan, fawn, grey, white and black.

The Sulimov is a medium sized dog and stands at between 40 and 50cm in height and weighs between 12 to 15kg.

Temperament:

This hybrid dog is brave, confident, wily, robust, loving, affectionate and loyal. They are intelligent too and you won’t have any trouble training him.

The truth is, there isn’t much information on the personality of this breed, but they are eager to please, are full of energy and can be cheerful and feisty, even in extreme temperatures.

They’ve been bred for work and aren’t a typical family pet. Because of their wild side, they aren’t recommended for the first time dog owner or for a family pet where there are children.

If you were to keep one, it would be far better suited to life on a farm where it could have a role to play. Life in the city for this active hybrid is out of the question.

Curly Coated Retrievers are such fun dogs, full of personality, robust and active. He makes such a wonderful pet and is loving, loyal and protective. He is brave, courageous, independent and confident as well. He gets on well with children and loves to be part of all their games. He is capable of getting on well with other animals in the home.

He is an active dog and won’t fit in well with those who like to sit around all day. He wants to be active, and then loves to settle down with his human family at night. He is an excellent all-rounder and makes a loving, loyal pet.

The Sulimov makes an excellent working dog and in fact he loves to be busy. They've got an unusual feature - their tails, which are normally curled up and over the back like a husky, hang down limply when tired. Their handler know when these dogs are ready to call it a day.

They are essentially working dogs, being loyal and devoted to their handlers, but wouldn't be considered as an ideal family pet.

With good care, the average life expectancy of the Curly-Coated Retriever can reach between 10 and 12 years. However, there are some health concerns that your dog may have to contend with and which are common in most other dog breeds too.

Ear Infections:

Apart from hip dysplasia, bloat, dental decay and eye diseases such as cataracts, ear infections are a common canine health problem, particular when your dog has floppy ears and loves the water.

Ear infections can also be caused because of bacteria, ear mites, allergies and hair growth in the ear canal. Your pet will shake his head, maybe off balance and be scratching his ear. You might notice his ears are red and oozing. Get him to the vet immediately.

Parasites and Worms:

When you brush your dog, check for fleas and ticks. Worms too, can make your dog ill, and can actually be the death of a puppy. Worms can cause weight loss, a rough, dull coat and a generally run-down appearance. Your vet will be able to guide you as to what medications are available.

There is ongoing debate about the health of hybrid dogs against that of purebred dogs. Hybrids inherit genetic dispositions that their parents would have, including certain heath issues.

Parasites:

Parasites are a huge cause of disease in dogs. Apart from ticks and fleas, internal parasites live inside the gastrointestinal tract and can be things like hookworms, tapewarms and roundwarms among others.

Parasites are usually transmitted when the dog ingests parasite eggs in contaminated water, food, feces or soil.

It’s important to get your dog treated as these parasites can cause weight loss, swollen abdomen, malnutrition, diarrhea, vomiting and anemia. Apart from this, they can affect people too. Fortunately these parasites are treatable and easy to prevent.

Other common dog ailments to look out for include bloat, obesity, cancer and hip dysplasia.

Grooming:

The Curly Coated Retriever is a single-coated dog breed and this makes him a low maintenance dog. He doesn’t shed much and a good brush twice a week will keep the curly coat in good condition. There are some dog owners that trim the feathering around the legs, feet, tail and belly.

Diet:

The Curly Coated Retriever is an attractively low maintenance breed. Therefore he doesn’t require any special diet. He does well on a top quality manufactured dog food where protein is listed at the top.

These dogs are inclined to put on weight easily so you want to be sure to follow the directions on the packaging and not overfeed him. With his kibble, sometimes add in some cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken.

Raw meat can be expensive but if you can, try and include it into your pet’s diet to avoid nasty skin rashes and allergies. Always make sure that cool, fresh water is available to your dog and make sure the food and water bowls are regularly washed.

▪ Diet:

This is a medium sized dog so you can buy a high quality dry kibble for him manufactured for medium sized energetic dogs.

Try and avoid the low quality dog foods which come with lots of ingredients that are plain ordinary bad for your dog, and can jeopardize his health.

Try and feed him some home-made food too – boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some nutritious vegetables such as spinach,sweet potatoes and carrots. Chop it all up and add some of it to the dry kibble twice a week.

You can also provide him with some raw fish and raw red meat occasionally as this keeps the skin and coat healthy. Make sure he always has fresh, cool water available.

▪ General

Provide your Sulimov with a nice, warm, dry place to sleep.

Brush him twice a week to keep the fair shiny and free of loose hair.

Keep his vaccines up to date. Get him to the vet if he is sick.

Have him trained and socialized. As it is, for the job he does as a security dog, he is trained and socialized.

Provide him with lots of exercise – walks, ball games, exercises that stimulate mind and body.