Murray River Retriever

The Murray River Retriever is the only gundog developed in Australia. Dogs Australia records that the breed has stayed true to type since the 1800s and that DNA testing has found it unrelated to any other modern breed.

It began as a duck dog on the Murray, and it stayed versatile. The standard describes a natural ability to find, flush and retrieve game with a soft mouth, and to track larger game as well.

It is stocky and rectangular in outline, with a solid liver-coloured curled coat, a strong head with a marked stop and loosely hanging ears. The standard gives an ideal height of 46 to 53 cm and sets no separate figures for males and females.

The breed is registered by Dogs Australia.

What the standard asks for

“The Murray is stocky in build with a solid liver-coloured curled coat.”
— Dogs Australia breed standard

Temperament: Friendly, self-confident, highly intelligent and inquisitive.

Size, standard by standard

• Dogs Australia — ideal height 46-53 cm

Full standards: Dogs Australia.

Country of origin: Australia

• It is the only gundog whose country of development is Australia.
• DNA testing found it unrelated to any other modern breed.
• It has held its type since the 1800s.
• The coat is always liver-coloured and curled.
• The standard sets one height range for both sexes.