Irish Water Spaniel
Tallest spaniel, rare Irish breed with webbed feet and rat tail.
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The Irish Water Spaniel is the tallest of the spaniel breeds and one of Ireland's nine native dog breeds, sometimes called a "bog-dog".[1] The breed is now considered rare, with only a few thousand existing today.[2] This breed has a curly coat, a smooth "rat tail," and webbed feet, and typically lives for 10 to 12 years.[3]
Quick Facts
- Country
- Ireland
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
Its most distinguishing feature is the smooth "rat tail" that tapers at the end, free of long hairs except at the base.[4] The breed was originally bred to hunt waterfowl on marshes, bogs, and rivers of Ireland, and its strong swimming skill suits this work.[5] Hip dysplasia affects about 30% of the breed, and elbow dysplasia affects about 18%.[6] The Irish Water Spaniel has been recognized by the United Kennel Club since 1948.[7]
What the specialist sources record
The United Kennel Club breed standard notes that common ancestors may include the Poodle, Barbet, and Portuguese Water Dog.[7] The IWSA states that the earliest reference to the modern type was in the 1830s, and the breed was originally a wildfowling dog for marshes, bogs, and rivers.[8] The VCA Animal Hospitals account reports that by the 1600s, references to "Rat-Tail Spaniels" and the name "Irish Water Spaniel" appeared in print.[9] The same source credits a dog named Boatswain, in the 1800s, as the progenitor of the modern breed.[9]
The American Kennel Club notes that the name "Irish Water Spaniel" was used by the 1100s to describe dogs south of the Shannon River in Ireland.[10] The VCA account adds that Irish Water Spaniels were the third most popular sporting breed in England in 1875.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Irish Water Spaniel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Knox, "Irish dogs and Irish writers", The Irish Times (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Irish Water Spaniel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McCoy, "Native Irish Dogs", Currach Press, 2015, p. 57–64 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Irish Water Spaniel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McCoy, "Native Irish Dogs", Currach Press, 2015, p. 57–64; McCoy, "Native Irish Dogs", Currach Press, 2015, p. 57–64; "Irish Water Spaniels/About", IWSA; McCoy, "Native Irish Dogs", Currach Press, 2015, p. 57–64 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Irish Water Spaniel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Breed Standards : Irish Water Spaniel United Kennel Club (UKC)", www.ukcdogs.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Irish Water Spaniel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Breed Standards : Irish Water Spaniel United Kennel Club (UKC)", www.ukcdogs.com; "Irish Water Spaniels/About", IWSA (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Irish Water Spaniel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Irish Water Spaniel VCA Animal Hospitals", Vca; "Irish Water Spaniel Club of America Inc - IWS Health Issues", iwsca.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Breed Standards : Irish Water Spaniel United Kennel Club (UKC)", www.ukcdogs.com. facts only, no text reused. ukcdogs.com
- "Irish Water Spaniels/About", IWSA. facts only, no text reused. irishwaterspaniels.org.uk
- "Irish Water Spaniel VCA Animal Hospitals", Vca. facts only, no text reused. vcahospitals.com
- "8 Things You Didn't Know About the Irish Water Spaniel", American Kennel Club. facts only, no text reused. akc.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Irish Water Spaniel (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Dog Breeds
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Irish Water Spaniel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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