Irish Water Spaniel’s were and are a working dog, so are active and very intelligent. It important to socialise Irish Water Spaniel’s if they are to blend into family life. Irish Water Spaniel’s must have plenty of regular exercise and effort spent on dog training to make the most of them. Irish Water@ Spaniel’s are defensive of their family and have a deep, fierce sounding bark if aggravated. They on average live for eight to twelve years
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The Irish Water Spaniel coat is non-shedding so many people who suffer allergic responses might not be affected by the Irish Water Spaniel. They do not require regular daily grooming unless showing. An occasional spruce up to remove straggle ends with a comb and scissors to eliminate the mats. No surprise with their name that they love swimming, so find them opportunities for a swim, their coat always looks better afterwards.

The Irish Water Spaniel was breed in the the early nineteenth century in Ireland. The origins of the breed are unclear, experts generally thinking they may have come from the Portuguese Water Dog, Poodle and Barbet. They hunted as a gundog in the marshes, rivers and bogs in Ireland.

Although happy to curl up and sleep at home, routine walks and exercise are crucial for a healthy, contented Irish Water Spaniel. An unexercised Irish Water Spaniel may mean a mischievous, naughty dog. A great home for them is an active one, with plenty of activities going on and space, where their minds in addition to their bodies are exercised. Dog walkers love them, as they appreciate good walks. Many Irish Water Spaniel owners exercise their dogs in the hunting field, in obedience tests, in conformation show ring or agility competitions.

The Irish Water Spaniel’s intelligence results in them enjoying agility and obedience activities and combined with their great nose often leads to them being trained for drug and explosive detection.

The major health issue with the breed is caused by their size and may be afflicted by hip dysplasia, if planning to breed from them, the potential mother and father should be scored for this.

They can be greedy, so you need to control their food intake.

A great dog for an active family or couple who have the time and either experience of other dogs, or are willing to train them, maybe with the aid of a professional dog trainer.