Irish Water Spaniel

AKC Group: Sporting

Club: Irish Water Spaniel Club of America

Corresponding Secretary : Deborah Bilardi
Address: 1930 Marion Ave, Novato, CA , 94945-1755
Website: clubs.akc.org/iwsc/
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Irish Water Spaniel presents a picture of a smart, upstanding strongly built sporting dog. Great intelligence is combined with rugged endurance and a bold, dashing eagerness of temperament. Distinguishing characteristics are a topknot of long, loose curls, a body covered with a dense, crisply curled liver colored coat, contrasted by a smooth face and a smooth "rat" tail.

Size:

Strongly built and well boned, the Irish Water Spaniel is a dog of medium length, slightly rectangular in appearance. He is well balanced and shows no legginess or coarseness. Dogs 22 to 24 inches, bitches 21 to 23 inches, measured at the highest point of the shoulder. Dogs 55 to 65 pounds, bitches 45 to 58 pounds.

Coat:

Proper double coat is of vital importance to protect the dog while working. The neck, back, sides, and rear are densely covered with tight, crisp ringlets, with the hair longer underneath the ribs. Forelegs are well covered with abundant curls or waves. The hind legs should also be abundantly covered by hair falling in curls or waves, except that the hair should be short and smooth on the front of the legs below the hocks. The hair on the throat is very short and smooth, forming a V-shaped patch. All curled areas should be clearly defined by curls of sufficient length to form a sharp contrast with the smooth coat on face, throat, tail, and rear legs below the hocks. Fore and hind feet should be well clothed with hair both over and between the toes. Dogs may be shown in natural coat or trimmed. However, no dog should be groomed or trimmed so excessively as to obscure the curl or texture of the coat.

Temperament:

Very alert and inquisitive, the Irish Water Spaniel is often reserved with strangers. However, aggressive behavior or excessive shyness should be penalized. A stable temperament is essential in a hunting dog.

History:

The Irish Water Spaniel is a dog of very ancient lineage, and there is evidence of Irish Water Spaniel-type remains going back as far as the 7th and 8th centuries AD. In the late 1100's, dogs found in southern Ireland below the River Shannon were called Shannon Spaniels or Irish Water Spaniels, among other things. Specimens were given to royalty, and records document the "Water Spagnel" with "long, rough, curled hair and a tail somewhat bare and naked."

"Boatswain," the famous sire of many outstanding gun and show dogs, is often credited as having been the first of the breed as it is known today. Bred by Justin McCarthy in the 1830s, Boatswain lived to be almost 20 years old and left a clear type that was bred, exhibited, and accepted by kennel club officialdom. In 1849, the first special class for the breed was provided, and the first Westminster Kennel Club show in American shows an entry of four Irish Water Spaniels in 1877.

Fun Facts:

• Irish Water Spaniels in the late 1100s were known as Shannon Spaniels, Rat-Tail Spaniels or Whip-Tail Spaniels.
  
  
• There were 4 Irish Water Spaniels entered in the first Westminster Kennel Club show in 1877.
  
  
• The Irish Water Spaniel is often called the clown of the spaniel family, possibly due to the peak of curly hair between the eyes.
  
  
• The Irish Water Spaniel is the tallest of the spaniels.
  
  
• The coat of the Irish Water Spaniel is naturally water-repellant.
  
  
• The cut and trim of the Irish Water Spaniel's coat reflects the breed's purpose and is not merely decorative.