American Water Spaniel Dog Breed Profile
The American Water Spaniel is small in size and can
be raised in an apartment as long as he has the opportunity
for plenty of exercise. Better quarters for this dog
would include a properly fenced in exercise area. This
is a hunting dog but she will adapt to apartment or
home life. She is generally good with children and other
pets. She sheds little but does have a hunting dog odor.
She trains easily and would make a good watch dog. She
can tend to have separation anxiety if left alone for
long periods of time and can get noisy.
General Appearance
The American Water Spaniel is medium size, muscular,
and has a curly continuous wave or marcel effect coat.
The coat color is often chocolate, solid liver, and/or
brown with a bit of white possible on the chest and
toes.
Approximate Adult Size
The American Water Spaniel stands approximately 15 to
18 inches at the withers (the highest point of the shoulder)
and males can weigh 30 to 45 pounds and females from
25 to 40 pounds.
Special Health Considerations for this breed can include
cancer, diabetes, cataracts, skin problems, epilepsy,
follicular dystrophy and hip dysplasia (genetic based
looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis
pain and lameness). The insides of her ears may not
dry properly when wet so you may need to manually dry
them to help prevent ear infections.
Grooming
This breed can have an odor due to the amount of water
shedding oil in her coat. She should be brushed several
times a week and bathed infrequently because it will
strip the protective oils from her coat. She is a very
light shedder. Her teeth should be brushed at least
twice a week with toothpaste and a toothbrush designed
for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque
and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal
disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss
of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease. Also
check her nails. To avoid health problems, her toenails
also need to be clipped. The toenails of the rear feet
grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally
a guillotine type trimmers is the best for this chore
and competent instructions to do this can be found on
the net.
Life Span
The American Water Spaniel can live from 12 to 15 years
with proper nutrition, exercise and health care.
History
This breed was originated in the United States as a
waterfowl retriever and hunting dog around the mid eighteen
hundreds. The main location this breed comes from seems
to be the Wolf River and Fox River valleys of Wisconsin.
Hunters needed a strong, cold water resistant dog that
could fit in the small watercraft used for commercially
hunted waterfowl of the time. The United Kennel Club
recognized this breed in 1920 and the American Kennel
Club recognized them in 1940.
Registries
AKC, FCI, UKC, ACR, APRI, AWSC, CKC, NKC
Category
Gun dog.
Terms To Describe The Breed
Friendly, plenty of energy, controllable, smart, built
solid, well muscled
SPECIAL GOOD POINTS
* Eager to please.
* High intelligence.
* Excellent physical ability.
* Can withstand cold weather and water.
* Trains well.
* Good watchdog.
SPECIAL BAD POINTS
* Has a mind of her own.
* May bark excessively.
* Can have separation anxiety.
* May be suspicious of strangers.
* Can be difficult to find a puppy.
* Can be sneaky.
About the Author
For more information on the American
Water Spaniel or a full list of dog breeds take
a look at this Dog Training website.
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