Whereas the precise mixture of canines that had been crossbred to create the American Water Spaniel are usually not absolutely identified, many individuals suspect that the Irish Water Spaniel, the English Water Spaniel (now extinct), and the Curly-Coated Retriever had been used.
American Water Spaniels had been bred in Wisconsin and Minnesota as looking canines who can be good at retrieving waterfowl. Wisconsin and Minnesota are chilly, and the European immigrants had been seeking to create a canine who would fare nicely swimming in colder water to retrieve waterfowl.
Dogs from this medium-sized breed are very expert swimmers like their seemingly ancestors the English Water Spaniel, Curly-Coated Retriever, and Irish Water Spaniel. They’re able to shortly retrieve waterfowl which were shot down. Moreover, this breed can be used for chook flushing with totally different recreation birds reminiscent of pheasants, quails, and grouse. There are usually not a lot of this breed left; it’s estimated that there are solely about 3,000 nonetheless round.
This breed of canine is a reasonably even-tempered canine. They’re energetic and love taking part in. They can be very affectionate and is usually a nice alternative for a household pet, as long as they’re given loads of train.
3 Pros and Cons of Proudly owning an American Water Spaniel
| Pros! | Cons! |
| Simple to coach These canines are desperate to please their house owners. This makes them simpler to coach than different canines. |
Grooming You will have to brush this breed of canine two to 3 instances every week to take away lifeless hair from their coat. |
| Even-tempered This breed has been bred to be a pleasant canine. They’ll make a terrific household pet. |
Want lots of train As a looking canine, these canines are very energetic canines that can require common train each day. |
| Playful American Water Spaniels are looking canines that had been initially bred for retrieving waterfowl or chook flushing. Due to this background, they are often very playful and revel in working round with their house owners. |
Vocal These are vocal canines, so they could bark greater than another breeds. |
American Water Spaniel Dimension and Weight
These are medium-sized canines. Each men and women are between 15 and 18 inches tall. Males, who usually a bit heavier than their feminine counterparts, weigh between 30 and 45 kilos. Females weigh between 25 and 40 kilos. Three-month previous puppies weigh between 16 and 21 kilos and 6-month previous puppies weigh between 29 and 39 kilos. Each female and male puppies will likely be absolutely grown by the point they’re 16 months previous.
| Top | Weight | |
| Male | 15 to 18 inches | 30 to 45 kilos |
| Female | 15 to 18 inches | 25 to 40 kilos |
American Water Spaniel Frequent Well being Points
There are a number of key well being issues you have to be conscious of with this breed. One is hip dysplasia. With this situation, a canine’s hip doesn’t kind accurately and there’s a poor match between the hip socket and the femur. The bones rub collectively, which may result in ache and should make it tougher on your canine to stroll.
American Water Spaniels additionally generally endure from Progressive Retinal Atrophy. Additionally known as PRA, it is a situation by which the photoreceptor cells of the retina begin to degenerate. This situation will finally result in blindness, and there may be at the moment no treatment or remedy for it.
Epilepsy is one other potential downside. Epilepsy is a neurological dysfunction that causes recurring seizures. Roughly 1% of all canines are affected by this dysfunction.
To evaluate, some potential well being points could embody:
- Hip dysplasia
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
- Epilepsy
American Water Spaniel Temperament
American Water Spaniels had been bred to be looking canines. As such, they’re a really energetic breed who get pleasure from taking part in, looking, and doing different kinds of work. When their exercise wants are met, these canines exhibit a wide range of traits that permit them to make a superb household pet. They’ve an affectionate and playful persona and revel in spending time youngsters and different relations.
This breed typically develops a detailed bond with its relations, typically with one member of the family specifically. In some cases, they could be cussed or exhibit possessive behaviors, however breeders have been making an attempt to breed canines which might be extra even-tempered and nicely-suited to households.
The best way to Take Care of an American Water Spaniel
Understanding about this breed will help you present one of the best care potential on your canine. Since all canine breeds are distinctive, caring for this breed specifically will look totally different from caring for different canine breeds.
The Greatest Dog Meals for American Water Spaniels
This canine breed needs to be fed a excessive-high quality pet food that can meet their dietary wants. Chances are you’ll select to feed your grownup canine or pet a bagged meals, or it’s possible you’ll select to supply them a house-ready weight loss program.
Both manner, it’s vital for American Water Spaniels to get the precise vitamins they should stave off the most typical well being issues.
When choosing or making ready meals on your canine, it is best to seek the advice of with its veterinarian. The veterinarian will help you be sure that the meals you might be providing accommodates the important nutritional vitamins and vitamins your canine will want. Taking your canine’s age, exercise degree, and well being into consideration when planning their weight loss program may even be vital. Grownup canines usually eat between 1 and a couple of cups of meals a day, however your canine’s particular wants will assist decide the quantity of meals they’ll want.
Since canines can change into chubby, will probably be vital to feed them the correct amount of meals. Additionally, due to this danger issue with this breed, it would be best to cut up their meals into two or three meals as a substitute of providing the total quantity suddenly.
Water Spaniel puppies have smaller stomachs than adults. Puppies ought to eat smaller meals extra steadily all through the day.
American Water Spaniel Upkeep and Grooming
The sort of canine’s coat needs to be brushed weekly, however the course of shouldn’t be too troublesome. This breed has a double-layer coat that’s designed to offer them with insulation towards the chilly water in Wisconsin and the Nice Lakes area the place they had been bred. For a lot of the 12 months, particularly throughout shedding season, you should utilize a slicker brush when brushing your canine. This brush kind will assist pull out the lifeless hair within the undercoat. Their coat will likely be much less full through the summer season, and most instances a rubber-tipped pin brush would be the best choice to scrub it up throughout these months.
Along with brushing its coat, you’ll additionally need to hold its nails trimmed so they don’t get too lengthy.
American Water Spaniel Coaching
Be prepared to start coaching and socializing your canine immediately. Beginning each of those from an early age will assist your canine discover ways to applicable work together with different canines, individuals, and conditions.
Whereas some American Water Spaniels could also be slightly cussed, most are very desperate to please. This trait will assist make it straightforward to coach your canine. Moreover, they are often very proficient and agile and might do nicely in numerous sporting video games, area occasions, or monitoring agility.
American Water Spaniel Train
Ensuring your canine will get sufficient train every day is vital. This breed could be very energetic and love spending time open air swimming or looking. They had been initially bred for retrieving waterfowl and chook flushing and do very nicely when they’re given a job, taken on looking journeys, or given different types of extra vigorous train. Nevertheless, they may even do tremendous when they’re taken to a canine park or given time to play with their very own within the yard every day.
American Water Spaniels could change into damaging or bark extra once they aren’t supplied with sufficient alternatives for train. That is one more reason you’ll need to hold your canine energetic.
American Water Spaniel Puppies
If you will be buying or adopting an American Water Spaniel, the very first thing it is best to do is to arrange your own home for the brand new pet. Puppies might be very energetic and should chew on issues or get into bother, so it would be best to make sure to take away any objects that could possibly be doubtlessly harmful to your new canine. Additionally, if in case you have private belongings that you just don’t need to see destroyed by a pet, it might be a good suggestion to place them away.
When you carry your pet residence, will probably be vital to verify they get sufficient train. American Water Spaniels are very energetic canines, and puppies ought to get loads of playtime and different exercise. Puppies between the ages of 6 and 18 months will want extra exercise than older canines will.
When planning your pet’s weight loss program, needless to say they’ve a smaller abdomen than adults. Due to this, your pet might want to eat smaller meals all through the day. For instance, puppies between the ages of 8 and 12 months needs to be fed 4 instances a day, and puppies between the ages of three and 6 months ought to eat thrice a day.
American Water Spaniels and Youngsters
American Water Spaniels could make household pet. When correctly educated, they’re identified for being very obedient. They’re additionally very affectionate and might be very light with youngsters. In case you are bringing an American Water Spaniel residence to be a household canine, you’ll nonetheless need to carefully supervise your youngsters when they’re with the canine. This will help keep away from both your youngsters or the canine getting injuring accidentally.
Dogs just like American Water Spaniels
Three canine breeds which might be just like the American Water Spaniel are the Curly Coated Retriever, English Springer Spaniel, and Area Spaniel.
- Curly Coated Retriever: Curly Coated Retrievers, like American Water Spaniels, are gun canines. Each breeds have common intelligence and are straightforward to coach. Curly Coated Retrievers are a lot bigger than American Water Spaniels, although. Whereas an American Water Spaniel has a median weight of 35 kilos, a Curly Coated Retriever has a median weight of 72.5 kilos.
- English Springer Spaniel: English Springer Spaniels are one other gun canine breed. Their coat is extra feather, whereas an American Water Spaniel has a curly coat. Grooming an American Water Spaniel is a bit simpler than sustaining the coat of an English Springer Spaniel. Each of those breeds are very affectionate. Additionally they do finest when somebody is residence with them and should develop separation anxiousness if left alone.
- Field Spaniel: Area Spaniels are yet one more gun canine breed. Whereas they’re barely bigger, a Area Spaniel is fairly near the identical dimension as an American Water Spaniel. Area Spaniels have a median weight of 42.5 kilos, and American Water Spaniels have a median weight of 35 kilos. American Water Spaniels are extra territorial than Area Spaniels.
Well-known American Water Spaniels
The American Water Spaniel is the state canine of Wisconsin. Since it is a comparatively uncommon breed, there are usually not too many celebrities or different well-known people who personal an American Water Spaniel.
Well-liked Names for American Water Spaniels
Beneath you’ll discover some standard names you may use on your Water Spaniel.
- Jett
- Ragnor
- Cody
- Bear
- Charlie
- Sadie
- Ginger
- Ebony
- Sophie
- Zoe
