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Quick Glance

  • size-icon.svg
    Size
    Medium (11kg - 27kg)
  • exercise-icon.svg
    Exercise
    20 min/day
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    Training
    Weekly
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    Size of home
    House with garden
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    Time at home
    Alone with support
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    Grooming
    Frequent
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    Barking preference
    Low
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    Personality
    Independent + affectionate
Photo 200770618 .Dog Natalia Romero . Dreamstime.com

History

The Spanish Water Dog is said to originate in the southern region of Spain and was especially bred in the rural areas. It was regarded as a multipurpose dog because of its intelligence and easy trainability; it could be trained to assist in hunting, fishing or any other kind of rural activity. However, its most prominent use was for herding of livestock, like sheep and goats for which it seemed to have a natural instinct. 1.

His characteristics, most particularly the quality of his coat, are adapted to the variation of humidity and drought of the marshy regions, which qualifies him as a shepherd dog and as a helper to the hunters of waterfowl and fishermen in those regions. 2.

Appearance

Rustic dog, well proportioned (medium weight), dolichocephalic, of rather elongated harmonious shape and attractive appearance, of an athletic nature with well developed muscles owing to his regular exercise; the profile is rectilinear; his sight, hearing and scent are well developed. 2.

The Spanish Water Dog has a strong, robust body, and yet has an elegant air about him. He usually has very expressive eyes whose colour matches with the colour of his coat, and can be hazel, brown or black. The skin is tight fitting and supple and upper thighs are especially well muscled. 1.

The most unique feature about this dog is its coat, which is extremely curly, as opposed to the usually straight or wavy hair that most dogs have. The coat also has a woolly texture. 1.

The dog comes in a variety of colours and patterns in his coat. The coat may be a single solid colour of black, brown, beige or white or it may have two colours i.e. white and brown or white and black. The coat is distinctive in its length and texture. This means that the grooming of this kind of coat requires special attention. 1.

Sizes and Weight – The height of a Spanish Water Dog can be between 44 to 50 cms for males and 40 to 46cm for females, while weight varies from 18 to 22kgs for males and 14 to 18kgs for females, making it a medium sized dog.1.

Temperament & Suitability

The Spanish Water Dog is diligent, loyal, affectionate, and intelligent. They have very strong natural herding and guarding instincts, leading them to become the “self-appointed” guardians of their homes. The breed thrives on work and play and their athleticism and extremely hard working nature leads them to excel at any number of tasks. 3.

Being a very intelligent dog he can adapt to many situations and do different kind of tasks, making him quite versatile. The energy level of this dog is very high and he is diligent and hard working in any job he is given to do. 1.

They can be wary with strangers, and early and continuing socialisation with a variety of people and other animals is essential for a well-adjusted, social dog. Good socialisation at an early age greatly helps them cohabit with small children. 3.

Exercise Requirements
As a house pet, he is extremely energetic and playful and has high protective and territorial instincts. The Spanish Water Dog requires a large open space, such as a field, or at least a big yard to run and play in. It requires a lot of daily physical and mental exercise to keep it in good health. However, when they are puppies, they are not very energetic and tend to sleep a lot. At that time, they should not be over-taxed with exercise as it may lead to joint pains at a later stage of life. 1.

Trainability
These dogs rank quite high on trainability, especially if they are trained as puppies. One thing which must be kept in mind is that the trainer should establish himself as the leader to ensure the puppy will listen to him and not try to take the lead himself. 1.

Behavioural Traits
The Spanish Water Dog is an extremely devoted and loving companion for its adopted family. He is quite confident and dignified at the same time and has all the traits of being a pack leader. 1.

Grooming
The curly, woolly coat of a Spanish Water Dog requires more attention for grooming than other dogs. It cannot be brushed down like other dog’s hairs and instead needs to be sheared when the hair grows too long as they form cords. The shearing can be done once a year if he is a house pet, or as often as required if he is a working dog, as long hair can hinder him in his work. 1.

Health
This breed of dog is quite prone to eye infections and other eye related diseases like progressive retinal atrophy, cataract and cherry eye. For this reason, it is important to have regular eye check-ups for this dog. It is also prone to hip dysplasia and even Addison’s disease in rare situations. 1.

Life expectancy is 10 -14 years.

References
1. https://animalsbreeds.com/spanish-water-dog/
2. DOGS AUSTRALIA.org.au
3. Wikipedia.org

shutterstock_2022759530
shutterstock_2089044751
Spanish Water Dog. Photo 191438684 Dog Kevin George Dreamstime.com
Spanish Water Dog
Spanish Water Dog1
shutterstock_2089044751
Spanish Water Dog. Photo 191438684 Dog Kevin George Dreamstime.com
Spanish Water Dog
Spanish Water Dog1

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Spanish Water Dog, you may think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Spanish Water Dog and its needs, and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Image submitted by Josema Garcia (Spain)

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 01 May 2018)

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Breed Standard - Spanish Water Dog

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Rustic dog, well proportioned (medium weight), dolichocephalic, of rather elongated harmonious shape and attractive appearance, of an athletic nature with well developed muscles owing to his regular exercise; the profile is rectilinear; his sight, hearing and scent are well developed.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :- Length of body / size (height at withers) = 9 / 8- Depth of chest / size (height at withers) = 4 / 8- Length of muzzle / length of skull = 2 / 3

Temperament

Faithful, obedient, gay, hard working, watchful and well balanced. Learning ability is outstanding owing to his extraordinary mental grasp; he adapts to all situations and conditions.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull HEAD : Strong, carried with elegance.CRANIAL REGION :Skull : Flat with only slightly marked occipital crest. Axes of skull and muzzle parallel.Stop : Facial-cranial depression gentle, only slightly marked.FACIAL REGION : Profile is rectilinear.Nose : Nostrils well defined. Nose is of the same colour or slightly darker than the darkest tone of the coat.Lips : Well fitting; labial corners well defined.
Eyes Slightly oblique position, very expressive; of a hazel to chestnut colour, should harmonize with the colour of the coat. Theconjunctiva is not apparent.
Ears Set at medium height, triangular and drooping.
Mouth Teeth : Well formed, white, with well developed canines.
Neck Short, well muscled, without dewlap, well set into the shoulders.
Forequarters General appearance : Strong and vertical.Shoulders : Well muscled and oblique.Upper arms : Sturdy.Elbows : Close to the chest and parallel.Forearms : Straight and sturdy.Carpus(Pastern joint) and pastern : Straight, rather short.
Body Robust.Topline : Straight.Withers : Hardly marked.Back : Straight and powerful.Croup : Slightly sloping.Chest : Broad and well let down - ribs well arched; diameter of thorax ample indicating considerable respiratory capacity.Underline : Belly slightly tucked up.
Hindquarters General appearance : Perfectly vertical with not too pronounced angulations and muscles capable of transmitting to the body a very energetic impulsion and the spring necessary for easy and elegant jumping.Upper thighs : Long and well muscled.Second thighs : Well developed.Hock joint : Well let down.Hock : Short, lean and perpendicular to the ground.
Feet Front feet : Rounded, toes tight, nails of varied colours; resistant pads.Hind feet : As the forefeet.
Tail Set at medium height. Docking must be done at the height of the 2nd to the 4th caudal vertebra.Certain subjects show a congenital shortened tail (brachyouria).
Gait/Movement The preferred gait is the trot.
Coat SKIN : Supple, fine and well adhering to the body. Can be pigmented brown or black, or be without pigment according to the colour of the coat. The same applies to the mucous membranes.HAIR : Always curly and of a woolly texture. Curly when short, can form cords when long. Clipped subjects are admitted; the clipping, always complete and even, must never become an « aesthetic » grooming.The recommanded maximum length of the hair for shows is 12 cm (15 cm extending the curl) and the minimum is 3 cm to see the quality of the curl.The puppies always are born with curly hair.
Colour · Solid : White, black and chestnut in their different shades.· Bicoloured : White and black or white and brown in their different shades.Tricoloured subjects, and black and tan as well as hazelnut and tan dogs are not admitted.
Size Height at withers:Males -  44 to 50 cmFemales - 40 to 46 cm2 cm maximum deviation are admitted in both sexes whenever the subject maintains balance according to his height at withers.Weight:Males 18 - 22 kgFemales 14 - 18 kg

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should beregarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.SERIOUS FAULTS :· Dorso-lumbar region distinctly saddle-backed.· Limbs incorrect.· Belly let down or excessively tucked up.DISQUALIFYING FAULTS :· Aggresive or overly shy.· Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.· Inferior or superior prognathism.· Presence of dewclaws.· Smooth or wavy coat.· Albinism.· Spotty or flecked coat, black and tan or chestnut and tan coat.· Lack of balance in character.

· Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.· Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

History

The presence of this dog in the Iberian Peninsula is most ancient. His origin is the same like that of the old « Barbet ». His most dense population is in Andalusia where he is used as a shepherd dog, and where he has been known for centuries as the « Turkish dog ». His characteristics, most particularly the quality of his coat, are adapted to the variation of humidity and drought of the marshy regions, which qualifies him as a shepherd dog and as a helper to the hunters of waterfowl and fishermen in those regions.

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