The Dog Site

The Irish Water Spaniel is an uncommon breed, native to the Emerald Isle that is strongly built and taller and squarer than most spaniels. In fact the tallest of spaniels. Their fur consists of dense locks with a distinguishing puce / liver colour with a dominant purple tint. Irish water spaniels are about 60 cms (two feet) tall and weigh twenty five – thirty kgs (around 60 lbs). The Irish Water Spaniel’s throat and face are smooth with the head topped with a “top knot” raising as a peak between the eyes. Irish Water Spaniel’s have an unusual  medium sized smooth, rat like tail. Which contrasts strongly with their curly fur.

Irish Water Spaniel’s were and are a working dog, so are active and very intelligent. It important to socialise them if they are to blend into family life. Irish Water Spaniel’s need plenty of routine exercise and time spent on dog training to really profit from them. They are defensive of their family and have a deep, fierce sounding bark if aggravated. They usually live for 8-12 years
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The Irish Water Spaniel coat is non-shedding which could be great for those who have someone in their family who suffers from allergic responses might not be affected by this breed. They do not require regular daily grooming unless showing. Every so often a trim to remove straggle ends with a comb and scissors to eliminate the mats. No surprise with their name that they love swimming, so an occasional swim will curl up the coat again and keep them contented.

The Irish Water Spaniel developed in the 1830s in Ireland. Many experts believe the Irish Water Spaniel came from the Poodles, Portuguese Water Dog and Barbet. The Irish Water Spaniel hunted as a gundog in the marshes, rivers and bogs in Ireland.

Although happy to curl up and sleep at home, routine walks and exercise are crucial for a healthy, trouble free Irish Water Spaniel. An unexercised Irish Water Spaniel is likely to lead to a mischievous, naughty dog. A great home for them is an active one, with plenty of activities going on and space, where their minds as well as bodies are exercised. Dog walkers love them, as they appreciate good walks. Numerous Irish Water Spaniel owners work their dogs in the shooting field, in obedience tests, in agility competitions, or in the conformation show ring.

Their intelligence leads them to enjoying agility and obedience activities and combined with their great nose often leads to them being trained for drug and explosive detection.

The major health issue with Irish Water Spaniel’s is caused by their size and may suffer from hip dysplasia, prior to breeding, the potential parents should be scored for this.

They can be greedy, so you need to regulate their food intake.

The Irish Water Spaniel is a wonderful dog for an active family or couple who have the energy and either experience of other dogs, or are willing to train them, maybe with the help of a professional dog trainer.

Tags: dog obedience training, dog socialisation, dog trainer, dog training, Irish Water Spaniel, Spaniel