Irish Water Spaniel
ALL BIG DOG BREEDS
These dogs are generally classified as a sporting breed. Their average height is 1’9” to a full 2’ at the shoulders. They weigh around 4565 pounds and are expected to live for 1012 years.
This kind of dog usually has a unique top knot as well as curly hair all over the body. Its ancestors might have had a poodle somewhere, but this spaniel is not a poodle at all. It’s much bigger than the modern poodle and resembles a more standard, versatile dog.
It’s commonly used for hunting, retrieving, swimming, and pointing. It can even retrieve waterfowl along with grouse, pheasant, and quail.
The Irish Water Spaniel has the interesting and unique addition of webbed feet. These are obviously useful for when it’s in the water for hunting or entertainment purposes.
The Irish Water Spaniel is a goodlooking dog and an entertainer to boot. Even the simplest of tasks could be turned into a game with this breed since it’s always looking for a fun time. Along with this, it’s quite intelligent, energetic, and willing to try anything under the sun. Since it’s been trained for centuries to retrieve, it has a builtin desire to please its human.
The origin of Irish Water Spaniels is heavily debated, as is the case with many breeds from this area. They were first known to appear in Ireland around the 1830s from Justin McCarthy’s kennel. He had a dog named Boatswain, who was probably the first ancestor of the breed we know today. To this date, no one knows how he managed to get this breed just so. He never revealed his secret and took it with him to his grave.
The speculation about the parent of the first Irish Water Spaniel focuses on either the poodlelike French dogs or an early Barbet. There might also have been some Portuguese Water Dogs in the mix. Water Spaniels were not unknown then either. One variety available then had curly fur and might have contributed to making the breed what it is today.
This breed had its first show in 1862 in Birmingham. In 1899, the Irish Water Spaniel went through a field trial. Four dogs of this breed entered the first Westminster Kennel Club show in the year 1877. The breed entered USA in the 1870s but hasn’t become as popular as it is in Ireland.