Irish Water Spaniel

General Information - Irish Water Spaniel

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History

The Irish Water Spaniel is the only survivor of the original water spaniels in Ireland. It dates to the early 1800s, with its likely ancestors possibly including the Curly-Coated Retriever, Portuguese Water Spaniels, Poodles, and/or the Irish Setter; on the other hand, some historians claim that this dog is one of the ancestors of the Poodle. It was used as a water fowl retriever, and being a tireless and strong swimmer, it could easily handle the retrieval of large geese from the water.

Temperament

The Irish Water Spaniel is intelligent, easy to train, and possesses a desire to please. Many are loving family dogs, but some are one person dogs. It can have a mind of its own, but generally is easy-going and gentle. Some are good guard dogs. It generally does well with other pets if properly introduced, but tends to be fairly dog-aggressive. Reserved and protective with strangers, it should be well-socialised as a puppy and does best with older considerate children. The Irish Water Spaniel is a quiet dog, barking only when necessary to warn the family. An excellent swimmer, he has considerable stamina and drive, and a very good nose. Some are timid, nervous, or suspicious, and can be prone to snapping when startled or annoyed.

Upkeep

This active, athletic, inquisitive breed needs lots of mental and physical exertion to keep it from becoming frustrated or bored. An hour of free running or strenuous playing a day is necessary to satisfy its needs. Obedience work can also be helpful in giving it the mental challenges it enjoys. The curly coat needs brushing and combing two to three times a week, plus scissoring every few months. Like all dogs, it loses its coat periodically; however, the hairs tend to become trapped in the other hairs rather than fall off. If not combed out, they will form mats and cords. This breed may drool and slobber.

Irish Water Spaniel

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions and exaggerations, as well as being mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

Breed Standard - Irish Water Spaniel

Characteristics: The gait, peculiar to the breed, differs from that of any other variety of Spaniel.

General Appearance: The Irish Water Spaniel is a gundog bred for work in all types of shooting and particularly suited for wild-fowling. His fitness for this purpose should be evident in his appearance; he is a strongly built, compact dog, intelligent, enduring and eager.

Head and Skull: The head should be of good size. The skull high in dome, of good length and width sufficient to allow adequate brain capacity. The muzzle long, strong and somewhat square with a gradual stop. The face should be smooth and the skull covered with long curls in the form of a pronounced top knot growing in a well-defined peak to a point between the eyes. Nose large and well developed, dark liver colour. Overall an impression of fineness.

Eyes: Comparatively small, medium to dark:brown colour, bright and alert.

Ears: Very long and lobe:shaped in the leather, low set, hanging close to the cheeks and covered with long twisted curls of live hair.

Mouth: The jaws should be strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e., the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck: Strongly set into the shoulders, powerful, arching and long enough to carry the head well above the level of the back. The back and sides of the neck should be covered with curls similar to those on the body. The throat should be smooth, the smooth hair forming a V-shaped patch from the back of the lower jaw to the breast bone.

Forequarters: The shoulders should be powerful and sloping. The chest deep and of large girth with ribs so well sprung behind the shoulders as to give a barrel-shaped appearance to the body but with normal width and curvature between the forelegs. The forelegs should be well boned and straight, with arms well let down and carrying the forearm at elbow and knee in a straight line with the point of the shoulder.

Body: Should be of good size. The back short, broad and level, strongly coupled to the hindquarters. The ribs carried well back. The loins deep and wide. The body as a whole being so proportioned as to give a barrel-shaped appearance accentuated by the springing of the ribs.

Hindquarters: Powerful with long well-bent stifles and hocks set low.

Feet: Should be large and somewhat round and spreading; well-covered with hair over and between the toes.

Tail: Peculiar to the breed, should be short and straight, thick at the root and tapering to a fine point. It should be low set, carried straight and below the level of the back; and in length should not reach the hock joint. 7.6 to 10.1 centimetres (3 to 4 in) of the tail at the root should be covered by close curls which stop abruptly, the remainder should be bare or covered by straight fine hairs.

Coat: Should be composed of dense, tight, crisp ringlets free from woolliness. The hair should have a natural oiliness. The forelegs covered with feather in curls or ringlets down to the feet. The feather should be abundant all round, though shorter in front so as only to give a rough appearance. Below the hocks the hindlegs should be smooth in front, but feathered behind down to the feet.

Colour: A rich, dark liver having the purplish tint or bloom peculiar to the breed and sometimes referred to as puce:liver.

Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.