The Spanish Water Dog was developed on the Iberian Peninsula (which covers Spain and Portugal) to hunt, assist farmers, herd and help fisherman. Although his title makes him sound like he’d belong within the Sporting Group (and certainly he does like each water and sports activities), the American Kennel Club positioned him within the herding group due to his sturdy herding historical past and instincts. The breed was absolutely acknowledged by the AKC in 2015. The canine was ranked 145th in recognition in 2021 by the AKC.
How a lot does the Spanish Water Dog weigh?
Male Spanish Water Dogs weigh 40 to 49 kilos. Females weigh 31 to 40 kilos.
How lengthy does the Spanish Water dwell?
They dwell for about 12 to 14 years. Health issues are hip dysplasia, retinal atrophy and hypothyroidism.
What is the Spanish Water Dog’s exercise degree?
The SWD will not be a sofa potato by any stretch. A high-energy breed, the SWD has the capability for prolonged, strenuous train. He makes an incredible companion for households who camp, run, hike, and luxuriate in water and shore actions. What gear will you want? Plenty of retrieving toys.
Does the Spanish Water Dog like water?
Water and the SWD are a match. After all, the SWD partly was developed to assist fishermen: The canine would leap off piers and boats to retrieve overboard sort out, strains and shocked fish. Today he’s an enthusiastic swimmer and water retriever. His webbed toes facilitate his swimming, as does his physique construction and coat. SWDs are normally sturdy swimmers, and playing fetch within the water is a good way to assist them expend vitality. Some SWD canine have the capability to dive to get better gadgets down within the water.
The Spanish Water Dog and canine sports activities
Most SWDs enjoyment of leaping into water, which ends up in the Dock Diving sport possibility. In Dock Diving, canine run the size of a dock and leap out into the water to retrieve a prized toy, in competitors for top or distance.
Spanish Water Dogs are keen contributors in non-water sports activities as properly, together with agility, obedience, flyball and herding. Many additionally revel within the sport of monitoring, during which homeowners set a scent observe for a canine to observe.
Does the Spanish Water Dog get together with others?
The SWD is a controlling herding breed, which implies he could chase anybody (animal or human) he thinks is operating amuck. The breed could attempt to management youngsters’s yard play by chasing and circling, as he would do with disorderly inventory. Children gained’t seemingly respect this consideration (maybe the livestock don’t both, however them’s the breaks!), so SWD homeowners will need to curb this habits early in puppyhood.
Training the Spanish Water Dog
While the Spanish Water Dog is clever, fast to study, and keen to obey, he does have an impartial aspect, and he’s received bossiness in his genes. When coaching a herding canine, homeowners do properly to maintain the canine’s pure herding instincts in thoughts. The breed was anticipated, with minimal coaching and human course, to handle goats, sheep, cattle and pigs. The SWD pet’s intuition to chase, boss, or nip to manage, is extra simply redirected if homeowners perceive it as inborn working habits, not willfulness, and definitely not aggression.
The Spanish Water Dog and strangers
Often suspicious of strangers, SWDs bond intently with household. Their protecting instincts make them self-appointed guardians to their individuals and property. Although ideally not timid or shy, the SWD is but naturally cautious of strangers. Pups have to be socialized extensively, to study to discern pal from foe, and to simply accept strangers into the house.
Spanish Water Dog’s coat and grooming
The SWD’s coloring could also be strong (in shades of black, brown, beige or white) or parti-color the place the second shade is white. He is single coated and curly — a low-shedding breed. So what’s the story behind the distinctively curly coat? The coat was an adaptation to the climate of the breed’s native nation of Spain. The coat adapted to the variation of humidity and drought. The curly coat could kind cords when lengthy.
When SWDs are competing within the present ring, present coats aren’t brushed or combed. Non-show canine could be clipped as usually as homeowners desire, with some homeowners selecting to let it develop for a lot of months. Traditionally the Spanish Water Dog was sheared one time per yr (with the sheep), the identical size everywhere in the physique.
The SWD’s lovely curls want some particular consideration. But surprisingly, no brushing or blowing wanted. When washing and drying the curls, homeowners shouldn’t rub or scrub the canine’s hair. Instead, shampoo must be squeezed, not rubbed, by way of the hair. Curls could be dried by blotting the moisture out of the coat, once more specializing in avoiding rubbing.
Is the Spanish Water Dog hypoallergenic?
Although the SWD is a single coated breed that sheds lower than most breeds, he isn’t (neither is there such a factor as) a “hypoallergenic” canine breed. Even together with his low-shedding coat, allergic people could react to his hair, his dander and his saliva.
The SWD does shed notably lower than many canine, which generally is a blessing for households wanting their properties as hair-free as possible.
A working historical past of the Spanish Water Dog
The medium sized ancestors of the SWD have been working with gusto within the Spanish countryside for some 800 years. Developed as an all-around farm canine with resilient herding instincts, the SWD gathered sheep, goat or cattle. He additionally assisted fishermen, retrieved water fowl and guarded the homestead.
The breed’s actual early origins are contested by specialists. What is agreed upon is that the breed was developed in Spain centuries in the past for all his jobs, together with searching, water work, herding, house guarding and, after all, companionship.
In the central and southern areas of Spain, the canine primarily drove herds of sheep, cows, pigs and goats to seasonal pastures. They additionally helped hunt fowl and small sport. In the northern coastal areas, Spanish Water Dogs retrieved fish and sort out from boats and swimming strains. The northern canine in all probability additionally hunted, particularly in the course of the low season. Spanish Water Dogs primarily had been owned by less-wealthy folks, who actually couldn’t afford canine specialised in just one activity.
Early SWDs can also have labored in Spanish mines to defend mule transports, guard towards thieves, and hold rats at bay within the mines. The canine’ woolly coat helped shield them within the scorching and humid mines.
In extra fashionable occasions, Spanish Water Dogs are not wanted for a lot of their early work. While SWDs could be discovered nonetheless herding within the southern areas of Spain, the breed has willingly taken on new jobs, equivalent to search and rescue, cadaver search, bomb detection and drug detection.
Spain solely has two AKC breeds that start with the nation’s title: the Spanish Water Dog and the Spanish Mastiff. Historians surmise that the 2 breeds could have labored collectively on the annual migration of animals to and from seasonal pastures. The SWD herded and managed the animals; the Spanish Mastiff (some 140 to 200 kilos) was a formidable livestock guardian.
