Dog Breeds > Irish Water Spaniel
The Irish Water Spaniel
The Irish water spaniel is considered as one of the largest yet also one of the rare spaniel breeds. This curly and flamboyant dog is an intelligent pet that could become excellent companion as well as one of your prized conformation show dogs.
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Fascinating Facts
The Irish water spaniel, also known as the Whiptail or simply IWS was developed in Dublin, Ireland by Justin McCarthy. The breeds used to develop the Irish water spaniel are Irish setter and Poodle, Curly Coated Retriever and Poodle or Portuguese water dog and Poodle.
Physical Appearance
The Irish Water spaniel’s standard height and weight is 20 – 23 inches and 45 – 65 pounds respectively. This breed is considered as one of the largest spaniels. The coat is naturally curly and sheds very little. The head is square and long with defined muzzle. The color of the nose is dark liver. The ears are covered with curly hair and are hanging loose on both sides of the head. The eyes are small and almond-shaped and brown in color.
The front legs of the Irish Spaniel are straight. The hind legs however are higher than the shoulders. They have deep and narrow chest; the feet are webbed and are covered with furs. The whole body is covered with long curly hair with shorter hair on the face and the tail.
Grooming
Grooming the Irish Water spaniel requires regular trimming and brushing in order to bring out their natural beauty. Regular removal of dead and fallen hair should also be done. Check out for ticks and burrs for the Irish Water spaniel could easily get them because of their coat.
Mood
The Irish Water spaniel is an intelligent, active and eager to please their masters. They could easily attach themselves on their master’s family and friends. They could be a little distant to strangers if they didn’t have enough early socialization. This breed is an extremely quiet type of dog but it barks if there are strangers around. They can be excellent watchdogs.
With Children
The Irish Water spaniel is a fun-loving and affectionate dog. They love to play for long hours especially with active people like the children.
Training & Exercise
Because of the Irish Water spaniel’s hunting nature, it possesses a great stamina. In order to satisfy the IWS, it needs to have daily long or brisk walks or jogs. If they did not get enough exercise for the day, some IWS show signs of irritability, frustration and could even display destructive behaviors such as biting furniture.
The IWS is an intelligent breed and training should not be a problem for them. They respond well to positive, calm and gentle training methods. Food-reward training techniques are also encouraged in order to challenge and motivate the IWS more.
Health & Life Expectancy
The normal life expectancy for the Irish Water spaniel is about 10 – 12 years. Depending on how well this breed is taken care of, they could live the rest of their natural life without showing signs of getting sick. However, there are some cases wherein hip dysplasia, eye entropion, hypo-thyroidism and ear infections could be seen.
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