Human orientation
Tied to his family, humorous, but reserved with strangers.
THE PAW CATALOG
Irish Water Spaniel
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History of the Irish Water Spaniel breed
Origin: Ireland
Probably arose from two early Irish lines: South County and North County. The breed appeared in the 1830s, the modern dog most closely resembles the South County type.
The Irish Water Spaniel is a medium (53-58 cm and 25-30 kg in males, 51-56 cm and 20-25 kg in females) strong compact dog with thick curly liver coat. Vigilant, inquisitive, active and persistent. Humorous, for which he is called "the clown of the dog world". He can be reserved with strangers, but not timid. An excellent swimmer and retriever.
Sizeaverage
OriginIreland
Life is nearby
Suitable for active families, adapts to conditions from small houses to spacious plots. Needs daily movement and communication. He enjoys swimming, so swimming is natural for him.
Walks
High Daily movement, swimming, fetching, agility, flyball. It also requires communication.
Training
Trainable, performs successfully in obedience, agility, rally and exhibitions. Basic obedience is a must. Early socialization helps to avoid excessive restraint with strangers.
Care
The thick curly coat is combed and combed once or twice a week to prevent tangles from forming. Or take it to the groomer every 4-6 weeks. Ears are dried and cleaned after water.
Children
Suitable for active families. Children and the dog are always supervised by an adult.
Other animals
Generally friendly, especially during early socialization. The hunting instinct is aimed at birds and small animals.
Peculiarities of the breed
Estimates help compare breeds. For zooaggression, 5/5 means less tendency to aggression towards dogs. The behavior and health of a particular dog depend on many factors.
Training
Educable, successful in sports.
Zooaggression
In general, the friendly, hunting instinct is aimed at game.
Health and reproductive risks
In the British cohort, the median lifespan of the breed was 10.8 years; small sample: 68 deaths. Among the described breed risks: dysplasia of the elbow joints, allergic skin diseases; examination of the parents is confirmed with the veterinarian.
Ease of care
Thick curly hair needs regular combing or grooming.
Health
Dysplasia of elbow joints
Dysplasia of the elbow joints: the results of X-ray evaluations of the parents are studied before the purchase. Excess weight increases the load on the joints, so the puppy should not be overfed. Lameness is shown to the veterinarian.
Allergic skin diseases
Allergic skin diseases: itching, redness and baldness require a veterinary examination.
Photo of the breed
