Although the "Irish Spaniel" was mentioned in documents as
early as 17 A.D., the ancestry of the Irish Water Spaniel as it exists today
is not known. The modern breed appeared in the 1830s in the kennels of Justin
McCarthy who never revealed the sources of his breeding program. Used to
hunt waterfowl, the Irish Water Spaniel is a strong swimmer and will dive
for wounded birds that otherwise would be lost to the hunter. He is the
largest of the spaniel family. He was recognized in the United States in
1878. The first sporting dog to win an obedience title in the United States
was the Irish Water Spaniel.
The Irish Water Spaniel has initiative and courage. He is a good family
dog and has been called the "clown of the spaniel family." He
loves to swim and should be allowed to as often as possible.
The skull of the Irish Water Spaniel is rather large with a high dome which
is covered with a characteristic topknot of curly hair. His muzzle is strong
and long with a level bite. The hazel colored eyes are medium in size and
without eyebrows. The ears are lobular in shape and set low on the skull.
They are long enough, when pulled forward, to reach the tip of the nose.
They are covered with curls that extend two or more inches below the end
of the ear itself. The neck is long, arched and muscular. The chest is deep
but not too wide. The body is of medium length with a short, muscular loin.
The hindquarters are slightly higher than the shoulder. His legs are strong,
muscular and straight which gives him the power to swim against strong currents.
The feet are large with a thick covering of coat over and between the toes.
The tail is called a "rat-tail" in that it is thick at the root
and narrows to a fine point. It should not be long enough to reach the hock.
A short curly coat covers the neck, body and part way down the tail. Longer
loose curls cover the legs, ears and on the topknot. The face and end of
tail are covered with smooth coat. The coat sheds water and enables the
dog to work in icy waters. Coat color is solid liver. Average height is
between 21 and 24 inches. Average weight is between 45 and 65 pounds.