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
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
About the Breed
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
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
- Hip Evaluation
- Thyroid Evaluation
- Elbow Evaluation
- Ophthalmologist Evaluation
Grooming
Exercise
Training
Nutrition
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.