Dog
Group:
Sporting 
Irish Water Spaniel Champions
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Pronunciation:
ahy-rish waw-ter span-yuhl
Breed Description:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog is an athletic, medium sized dog that should be well-proportioned and sturdy. They should be slightly longer than they are tall and they should have a level topline. The head should be broad with a long muzzle and long ears that hang down the side of the head. The tail should be medium in length and should taper to a point.
The coat of the Irish Water Spaniel should be a double coat with a dense, short undercoat. The top coat should be long and curly and should have a slightly hard texture to it. There should be a top knot on the head and the hair on the face should be much shorter than the hair on the rest of the dog. The breed are found in only one color, a solid liver color, although it can range in shades from light to dark and can even be puce liver, which is a purple tinged liver color. No other markings are allowed, with the exception of gray from age.
Temperament:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog is a devoted breed that is known for being very calm and well-mannered. This is a gentle breed that usually does well with children of all ages. The breed is usually reserved with strangers but with their owners, they are very affectionate and loyal. The Irish Water Spaniel tends to be a mischevious breed and when their energy needs are not being met, they can become very destructive and can get into all sorts of trouble. The breed does well with other dogs and pets but they can have some dominance problems if they are not socialized and trained properly.
Height:
The average height for an Irish Water Spaniel is between 21 to 23 inches for a female and 22 to 24 inches for a male.
Weight:
The average weight for an Irish Water Spaniel is between 45 to 58 pounds for a female and 55 to 65 pounds for a male.
Health Problems:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog is considered to have an average to low health. It is important to really understand this breed since they can have a sensitivity to vaccinations and certain other medicatoins that can be life threatening. Drugs to avoid with this breed are Borgal Sulphadioaxine Trimethroprim, Co-trimoxazole Sulphamethoxazole Trimethroprim Tribressen, Zaquilan Sulphadimethoxine Baquiloprim, Dulphatrim Sulphadiazine Trimethroprim, Leptospirosis,Norodine and Delyoprim. Health problems that are seen in the Irish Water Spaniel are Alopecia,Hypothyroidism, Entropion,Sebaceous Adenitis, Megaesophagus, Bloody tail tip,Von Willebrand's Disease,Paronychia, Ear Infections, Epilepsy,Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Hip Dysplasia.
Living Conditions:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog can do well in apartments if they have proper exercise, however, the ideal home is one with a large, fenced yard.
Exercise:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog is an active breed and they do require a lot of exercise in a day. Expect to give them between 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day. If they are not properly exercised, they can become bored and destructive. This breed loves being in water so make sure to offer them some time swimming.
Life Expectancy:
10 to 12 years
Grooming:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog can be difficult to groom if you are not ready for their coat. Gernerally, the coat should be brushed two or three times a week and it is important to work out the mats since they hair mats very easily. Bathing should be done only when it is necessary but the coat will need to be trimmed every few weeks. Generally, pets are trimmed completely, but if you are showing your Irish Water Spaniel, then you will need to trim the hair into a show trim. Ears should be cleaned weekly and careful attention should be given to them since the Irish Water Spaniel can suffer from ear infections. Nails should be trimmed once or twice a month.
Origin:
The Irish Water Spaniel breed of dog was developed in Ireland and is considered to be an old breed that was developed in the late 1500`s or early 1600`s. In fact, the breed was first mentioned in the `Historie of the four footed Beasties`, which was published in 1607. While we have a rough estimate on when the breed was developed, we do not know which breeds went into the development of the Irish water Spaniel. We do know that in the 1850`s, the breed was separated into two different breeds, the South Counrty Water Spaniel and the North Country Water Spaniel. Both breeds had a curly coat and look but the North Country Water Spaniel had short ears and a white and liver coat while the South Country Water Spaniel had long ears and a liver coat. It is from these two breeds that the Irish Water Spaniel was refined, with the care of Justin McCarthy, and the breed became a very popular breed in Ireland and other parts of the world before it became an uncommon breed. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
