Dog Training and Dog Care advice from UK Professionals

Irish Water Spaniel Dog Breed Profile

The Irish Water Spaniel is the only spaniel developed in the British Isles that survives today.

All of today's dogs can trace their ancestry back to Boatswain, belonging to Justin McCarthy of Dublin, born in 1834.

Other Names: Whiptail. Shannon Spaniel. Rat Tail Spaniel. IWS

K9Obedience Breed Profile

Origin: Ireland

Breed Purpose: Retrieving water fowl.

Kennel Club Dog Group: Sporting

Height: Dog, 53cm – 58cm. Bitch, 51cm – 56cm.

Weight: Both, 25kg – 30kg.

Lifespan: 10-12 years

Exercise Needs: The Irish Water Spaniel like all working dogs has tremendous stamina and as such they need plenty of daily exercise preferably including swimming and retrieving. They have an excellent “nose” and love to follow trails. So great is the desire to retrieve that these dogs will quickly learn to fetch slippers, newspaper and other household objects.

Feeding Needs: They have no special nutritional requirements. To keep the IWS in optimum health, feed a natural diet as much as possible.

Common Ailments: The IWS is prone to Epilepsy, hypo-thyroidism and eye Entropion. Only purchase puppies from breeders whose stock has been tested.

Physical Description: The Irish Water Spaniel is the largest of the spaniel group. The head is rather large with an arched skull and a long square muzzle. The ears are long and covered with curly hair but there is little hair on the face and tail. The body is strongly built and compact with a deep narrow chest. The rat-like tail is thick at the root and tapers to a point. The feet are large, round and slightly webbed to assist in swimming. A characteristic of the breed is the coat colour which is a rich dark liver that appears almost purplish and is called 'puce-liver'. The oily and water repellent coat is hangs in tight crisp ringlets. All in all the Irish Water Spaniel is a striking looking dog .

Irish Water Spaniel K9 Obedience Dog Breed Summary:

This working dog is intelligent, easy to train and eager to please its owner. They are bold and confident but also can be strong-willed, stubborn and independent.

They are very quiet dogs and only bark to warn the family or ward off an intruder which many IWS's do with vigour. When they do bark it is deep and rather menacing.

Because of their compulsive desire to work they need an owner that has a genuine love of the outdoor life and has a good grasp of training methods.

Given adequate exercise and training the Irish Water Spaniel is a wonderful family companion and great deal of fun.