Coconut Retriever: Facts, Training, And More

Written by: Bojana Radulovic
Have you heard about Coconut Retriever? What do you know about this dog breed developed in the 21st century? Read on and discover what kind of dog a Coconut Retriever is.

Coconut Retriever is one of the recent dog breeds. As a young breed, the Coconut Retriever was developed in the States sometime in the early 21st century, making it really one of the youngest dog breeds alive.

As a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Standard Poodle, the Coconut Retriever is described as an intelligent, active dog of calm nature and soft personality.

As a Poodle and Lab mix, it is only fair to say that Coconut Retriever is an intelligent dog who loves water and regular exercise and grooming.

Just like purebred parents, this mix is great with children and loves spending time with people and other pets.

All in all, Coconut Retrievers are great family dogs, great when it comes to entertaining everyone around them, and all in all loyal and loving companions who are great to have around.

Let’s discover more about this lovable breed.

Coconut Retriever Introduction

Coconut Retriever is a mixed breed between Labrador Retriever and a Standard Poodle.

If you are familiar with breed parents, you know that these two breeds are highly loved and appreciated globally and especially loved across the States.

Knowing about breed parents should help you understand your mixed breed better.

Another important thing that comes with mixed breeds is that they are always bred with a specific intention. This means that every mixed breed is created due to perform a certain task.

That being said, Coconut Retrievers are often the first choice for service dogs, therapy dogs, and assistance dogs.

They are also very often the first choice as family dogs, especially for families with children.

Coconut Retriever Physical Appearance

As for the size, Coconut Retriever will be a medium-to-large dog with a thick and water-resistant coat that is usually black or golden in color.

These calm dogs will always be powerful in the stand, muscular, but lean in appearance.

One of their most common physical traits is their long tail. When it comes to mixed breed’s appearance you can never know for sure what you can expect.

Without breed standards, it is not possible to know 100% how a dog will look. Luckily, when breed parents are known, you can assume based on their appearance.

Let’s have a quick look at the breed’s parent appearance-wise.

Labrador Retriever Appearance

Labrador Retriever is a well-balanced dog of medium to large size. This sporting breed has between 55 to 80 pounds, and 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder, making them great for many activities, including working duties.

As for the color, they may appear in different colors, including black chocolate, and yellow.

In some rare cases, they may be also white. White Labrador Retrievers are identical to any other Labrador Retriever with the biggest difference being in color.

As for the coat, they will most frequently have a short and dense coat that is weather-resistant, making them, great water lovers and swimmers.

Standard Poodle

The Standard Poodle is the biggest dog in the Poodle family.

As a breed, Poodle is mostly known as a breed of curly coat and sharp mind. They are gentle with people, great with other animals, and love when there is a job to be done.

Nice run around the block? Your Poodle will be first on the line. There is a family member who is feeling blue? Be sure that a Poodle will stay next to the person until happiness emerges again.

They are that sensitive to human emotions, which is why they are often seen as therapy dogs.

Standard Poodle ranges between 10 to over 22 inches tall at the shoulder and commonly between 6 to 70 pounds because they come in Miniature and Toy sizes as well.

Thanks to their variety and fantastic traits, Poodles are often used for creating new breeds.

Did you know that so far there are over 50 different Poodle types?

Poodles come in different colors, including pure black, chestnut red, and tricolor. In some cases, their coat may be brindle.

As for the coat, they are known for having a curly coat that is short and soft.

Their coat is water-repellant so know that your Standard Poodle will always happily jump into first water.

For more information on breed’s parents, both Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle, or to compare than with dogs of similar size, use this compare dog breeds tool and find a perfect pooch for your home and lifestyle.

When it comes to getting a dog you should be mindful of what kind of dog you need.

Do not get a Great Dane if your living space is small, a Dalmatian if you don’t enjoy long running sessions, or a Belgian Malinois if you know that you can meet a dog’s training needs.

Be honest about how much time you have, if a dog is your ideal pet, and if you can meet the dog’s needs.

Let’s see where does Coconut Retriever fit when it comes to living with humans.

Is Coconut Retriever A Good Family Dog?

Coconut Retrievers were specially bred to retrieve coconuts, which is why they are often seen as island dogs.

As such, they can tolerate hot weather as long as they have the right kind of shelter and drinkable water within easy reach.

For dogs, in general, to excel at retrieving duties it is important to be smart, obedient, and love to work, this is where the side of the Labrador Retriever jumps in.

Although these dogs are considered to be a relatively new breed, it is known that they are great with people and as such a great choice as family dogs.

Dogs that are suitable to be family dogs are dogs who have a set of specific desirable traits, such as:

  • Being child-friendly
  • Highly affectionate
  • Trainable
  • Loyal
  • Intelligent
  • Not too energetic, but energetic enough
  • Easy to groom

Dogs with Golden Retriever traits are without mistake great family dogs.

Just like Goldens, Coconut Retrievers are great with people, highly trainable, smart, and affectionate dogs who love to be around children.

Know that when it comes to dog-children relations you should educate your children on how to behave around dogs, to train your dogs to move carefully around children, while providing supervision when they interact.

Children should know the following:

  • How to behave around dogs
  • To know house dog rules
  • To know dog’s training basics
  • Not to pull dog’s ears, hair, or tail

No matter how well a child and Coconut Retriever might get along, their interaction should always be supervised.

Coconut Retriever Is An Active Dog Breed

Every dog breed comes with a certain activity level. Some dog breeds such as Border Collies are high-energy breeds that need vigorous exercise and additional training.

If a high-energy dog doesn’t get enough exercise, you can expect to have a dog with enormous energy amount who will eventually become bored and destructive.

To put this into perspective, know that a larger size dog of high energy, such as King Shepherd can easily destroy furniture if their exercise needs aren’t met. That being said, make sure that you can meet the dog’s exercise needs.

Both Labrador Retrievers and Standard Poodle are dogs with a fair amount of energy.

These dogs are far from being couch potatoes and far from being highly active like shepherds, but they do need a certain amount of exercise to help them burn that energy.

Their mix, Coconut Retriever needs a lot of exercise, up to a minimum of 30-minutes per day. Think in terms of indoor and outdoor games, games that can help them keep their minds busy, and their bodies fit.

If your Coconut Retriever turns out to be more energetic than you might have expected him to be, think about dog sports, such as agility. Otherwise, provide enough training sessions.

Every dog can master basic commands as of eight weeks of age, and Coconut Retrievers are no exception.

Coconut Retriever Grooming Needs

Coconut Retriever will require regular grooming. Like with any other mixed breed, you can never know for sure what kind of coat your dog might have.

Since we know the parent breeds, it is obvious that brushing will be demanding and you should expect some dog hair here are there. Depending on the dog’s coat you will have to brush his coat once or more times per week.

Regular brushing is the very basic step of overall grooming practice and you should make it a positive experience as much as possible.

Use the right grooming tools and stick to rules of great grooming:

  • Brush weekly
  • Bathe only when needed
  • Clean ears when needed
  • Trim or grind nails monthly
  • Check gums weekly
  • Check eyes for any eye discharge daily

Next to great grooming practice, you should be mindful of training your Coconut Retriever properly.

Coconut Retriever Loves Good Training

Dogs love when there is a job to be done. They thrive when there is a specific duty, which is why dogs enjoy training so much.

Coconut Retrievers were carefully bred to assist humans in their daily coconut-related duties.

Retrieving coconuts is something that is trusted only by smart and active dogs who love excelling at physical duties, hence the creation of the Coconut Retriever.

Start training your Coconut Retriever as soon as you bring your Fido home.

As mentioned earlier dogs are more than capable of mastering basic commands as of eight weeks of age, and you should use this period to implement proper training and start early socialization.

These two factors, training, and early socialization are what separates a good dog from a well-trained canine citizen.

To get the maximum out of training sessions, make them:

  • Fun
  • Short
  • Packed with treats
  • Based on rewards
  • Consistent
  • Interactive

By the time the socialization windows end your Coconut Retriever should know the following:

  • Basic dog commands
  • House dog rules
  • How to walk on a leash
  • What is a backyard
  • How to behave around the house visitors
  • If jumping on furniture is allowed or not

Since Coconut Retrievers are compact dogs of great endurance and trainability, they are often used as assistance dogs, therapy dogs, and service dogs.

Are Coconut Retrievers Good Dogs?

Simply said, yes. Coconut Retrievers are considered to be one of the sweetest dog breeds around who enjoy summertime and experiencing activities with their family members.

They are great family pets and massive people-pleasers. As such they are often used as service dogs in different areas.

Coconut Retrievers are mostly seen n Puerto Rico, where they were originally bred, but as their popularity grows they can be seen in other parts of the world as well.

They are intelligent, playful, and highly trainable dogs which makes them great for retrieving either work time or playtime.

Does a goof fetch in the dog park count? Know that your Coconut Retriever will be the first one to run.

Bear in mind that having a ‘good dog’ depends on several factors, including heredity, the dog’s personality, and activity levels, as well as training.

What Is The Most Popular Retriever?

There are many different Retrievers out there, but it is fair to say that Labrador Retriever is the most popular one.

For decades, this is one of the most loved breeds across the States. In fact, Americans love them so much that since 1991 the Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog breed in the States.

What is so special about them? People love their calm nature, their affection, and the need to please humans, which makes them highly trainable dogs.

Not only that they are great to train, but they are also great to be around.

What Is The Largest Retriever Breed?

Curly-Coated Retriever is considered to be the largest retriever breed.

Is Coconut Retriever For You?

If you have experience with Retrievers then the lovely Coconut Retriever should be on your list. They are gentle, great to train, and amazing with people.

Coconut Retrievers are a great choice for even movie owners who will have the right training support and understand what doesn’t it mean to own a dog.

If you want a breed that is furry, obedient, smart, and highly trainable then a Coconut Retriever is a breed to consider having.