Irish Water Spaniels are among the best swimmers in the canine world. They are alert and curious, fearless and diligent in the field, and playful and friendly at home. They have a crisply curled coat and a tapered “rat tail.” With a height of 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder and a weight range of 55 to 65 pounds, the tallest AKC spaniel falls in between a medium and big dog on our scale of size. The liver-colored, weatherproof coat, tapered “rat tail,” and finely chiseled head with a topknot of long, loose curls are some of its defining features. The IWS has a fluid, ground-covering gait that enables him to work hard all day in the field.
Irish Water Spaniel
playful / hardworking / brave
Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.
Height
22-24 inches (male)
21-23 inches (female)
Weight
55-68 pounds (male)
45-58 pounds (female)
Life Expectancy
12-13 years
Breed Traits & Characteristics
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Affectionate With Family
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Openness To Strangers
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!
Playfulness Level
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.
Watchdog/Protective Nature
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.
Adaptability Level
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.
Trainability Level
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!
Energy Level
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.
Barking Level
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.
Mental Stimulation Needs
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.
About the Breed
What To Expect When Caring For a Irish Water Spaniel
Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.
Health
Remind your veterinarian that sulfa medicines and the deworming drug ivermectin may cause an unpleasant reaction in IWS. The majority of IWS are healthy dogs, and ethical breeders check their stock for diseases including thyroid disease, allergies, and hip and elbow dysplasia. To create puppies that are as healthy as possible, good breeders will use genetic testing and health screening. So that you may make decisions regarding your dog's health, talk through any concerns you have about its health with your veterinarian and your puppy's breeder.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
- Hip Evaluation
- Thyroid Evaluation
- Elbow Evaluation
- Ophthalmologist Evaluation
Grooming
When the Irish Water Spaniel is still a puppy, when he may not require much grooming, start. Early on, he should discover that taking time to groom yourself is enjoyable. The grooming routine should always include gentle brushing, cleaning of the ears, and nails. The hypoallergenic coat of the breed, which is suitable for allergy patients, should be brushed at least once a week and should be trimmed every two months to keep it tidy and in shape. Making routine appointments with a groomer who is experienced with the breed is an option if you do not want to learn how to scissor your IWS to keep him from looking ragged.
Exercise
The Irish Water Spaniel is a lively, high-energy companion and is a typical sporting dog. He is eager to please, which makes training him quite simple, although he need a lot of daily activity. He'll stay comfortable and quiet inside the house if he gets daily exercise, such as lengthy walks or hikes, running next to a bike, chasing a ball in the backyard, or playing with other dogs.
Training
IWS is amusing, perceptive, and eager to please. He has a lot of energy and will like having a task to complete. He is a trustworthy worker who will do his best to comply with your requests—as long as he is aware of what they are. To prevent him from being bored during training, make sure it is enjoyable and engaging. He will respond best to teaching techniques that focus on positive reinforcement; never adopt a harsh or overbearing approach because it will have unintended consequences. The IWS excels in dog sports like agility, dock diving, rally, tracking, and flyball. They are also excellent therapy and support dogs due to their sensitive disposition.
Nutrition
The Irish Water Spaniel should do well on high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.
History
Centuries ago, spaniels were divided into land and water varieties. The water variety consisted of the now-extinct Tweed Water Spaniel as well as English and Irish breeds. In Ireland prior to the 1850s, two different water spaniel strains existed: the South Country Water Spaniel and the North Country Water Spaniel. The Irish Water Spaniel as we know it today developed from both of these strains, but most closely resembles the South Country type.
Beginning in the 1830s, Justin McCarthy, a sportsman from Dublin, refined the type away from its aforementioned varieties and into a distinct and repeatable breed. His dog, Boatswain, was the first purebred IWS. By 1859, the Irish Water Spaniel began to appear in dog shows.
The popularity of the IWS grew quickly with English and Irish sportsmen due to its retrieves, disposition, and its ability to handle the cold waters of the North Sea. Soon, word spread to America and in the 1870s, a number of dogs were imported. By 1875, the Irish Water Spaniel became the third most popular sporting breed in the US.