Irish Water Spaniel Dog Breed

Thinking of getting an Irish Water Spaniel Dog and want to know if an Irish Water Spaniel is suitable for your household?

Use the Irish Water Spaniel information on this website to learn more about adaptability, health issues, life span of Irish Water Spaniel and more.


Irish Water Spaniel Breed Facts

Basic Facts Appearance Temperament Playfulness Easy to Train Intelligence Watchdog Ability Barking Tendencies Lifespan Health Issues & Symptoms Grooming Needs Shedding or Not Exercise Requirements Adaptability Apartment Friendly Children Friendly Stranger Friendly Cat Friendly Dog Friendly Puppy Price & Litter Size Irish Water Spaniel Names

Irish Water Spaniel Facts

  • Name: Irish Water Spaniel
  • Other Names: Whiptail, Shannon Spaniel, Rat Tail Spaniel, Bog Dog
  • Origin: Ireland
  • Breed Group: Sporting (AKC:1884)
  • Breed Type: Purebred


Irish Water Spaniel Dog Facts

Irish Water Spaniel Information

The Irish water spaniel is built like no other spaniel, being much taller and racier. The body is of medium length, the whole dog being slightly rectangular in appearance. The general appearance suggests both dash and endurance. The gait is smooth and ground-covering. The coat is one of the breed's distinctive features. The body is covered with a double coat consisting of crisp ringlets. This combination imparts water, weather and thorn resistance to the dog, enabling it to hunt in the harshest of conditions. The Irish water spaniel's expression says it all: alert, intelligent and quizzical.

Like most dogs of the American Kennel Club Sporting group, the Irish Water Spaniel is essentially an active, willing and energetic companion. Because it has been bred from stock used to fetch game and return it to hand without a fuss, it has the natural instinct of wanting to please. Its keen sense of working as a team makes it a relatively easy dog to train and discipline. Because of its great intelligence and quizzical nature, it has the reputation of being the clown of the spaniel family and will do ordinary things in extraordinary ways to achieve that which is asked of it. Some individual dogs can be very wary of strangers and not every IWS can be trusted to get along with other pets. Early socialisation and training is a must.

What to do if you lose your Irish Water Spaniel

If your Irish Water Spaniel Dog or any other pet has gone missing and it does not have an identification tag with a phone number, you can:

1. List your missing pet details at Pet Reunite website here.

2. List the lost pet on the Local Lost Pets Facebook Groups Here.

3. Call the local vet clinics to see if anyone has brought in your missing pet.

4. Call the RSPCA or Visit the RSPCA Lost Pets website and complete a Lost Pet Report.

5. Visit Lost Pets Pages of Animal Shelters.

What to do if you find a lost Irish Water Spaniel

If you find a Irish Water Spaniel Dog or any other pet and it does not have an identification tag with a phone number, you can:

1. Report the found pet details at Pet Reunite website here.

2. List the missing pet on the Local Facebook Lost Pets Groups.

3. Contact the Local Authority to collect the lost animal.

4. Take the animal to the local Animal Shelter near to your area.

5. Take the pet to the local Vet Clinic who normally scan the animal’s microchip and locate the registered pet owner.

Laws Regarding Missing Pets

1. It is against the law to keep any animal that you find.

2. Pets are generally considered property and it is illegal to take and keep someone else’s property.

3. You must call your local animal control unit and file a FOUND AN ANIMAL report for any dog or cat you find.

4. To reclaim your lost dog, cat or other pet from the animal shelter you must pay a release fee.

5. If your dog or cat is unregistered, you will have to register your pet before you can take it home.




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