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The complex origin of the Flat-coated Retriever, like that of other Retrievers, is lost in obscurity and cannot be satisfactorily unraveled. The beginning of the breed was probably due to a mixing of various dogs used for sport, long before the concept of purity, and the keeping of pedigrees and dog shows came about.

It is said to have been produced from the Newfoundland and the Labrador, both of which originated in the United States, and it is thought that blood from the Irish Setter, Gordon Setter and Pointer were also introduced. A dog called Wyndam was shown at a show in Birmingham in 1860 and is said to be the first which closely resembled a Flat-coated Retriever.

The popularity of the breed was helped enormously by the patronage of S.E. Shirley, M.P., founder of The Kennel Club. When Retriever field trials became established around the turn of the century, they were dominated by the Flat-coat. The breed was also popular in the shooting field when it was thought to be fashionable.