Irish Water Spaniel

One of the oldest water dogs of the West, the Irish Water Spaniel was developed from sheepdogs and hounds of Central Asia brought to Spain from Persia and then imported into Ireland after being crossed with Poodles, Bloodhounds and Portugese Water Dogs. In Ireland the breed existed under different names and several types were developed, such as the Shannon, Tweed, Northern Irish, Southern Irish and others. These types are believed to had been crossed and eventually created the modern Irish Water Spaniel breed. By the late 1800's, this versatile worker became a popular show dog in Britain and America.

Playful with children and loving of water, it makes an excellent family pet. The Irish Water Spaniel is a gentle and devoted companion, but needs obedience training, due to its somewhat stubborn and timid nature. Athletic, intuitive and strong, it is still used for hunting purposes and retrieveing field trials.

The coat is curly and oily, naturally waterproof and accepted only in uniform shades of liver brown. Average height is around 22 inches.