American Water Spaniel
Group: Sporting
Lifespan: 12-15 Years
Pups per Litter: 4-6
Average Weight: 25-45 lbs.
Average Height: 15-18 inches
Exercise/Actvity Level: High
Temperment with:
Children 
Other Dogs Other Animals
History
The American Water Spaniel is a more rare breed of dog and is somewhat unknown. It is thought that they were starting to be bred around the middle of the 1800’s. They are used widely in the United States as hunting and retrieving dogs and hunt game such as pheasant, rabbit, duck, and quail. It is the national dog breed of Wisconsin where it is specifically bred for function.
As the name states, it is a water dog excelling in swimming in rivers and lakes where their master hunts for game. It is thought that they were a mixture of Irish Water Spaniel and the Curly Coated Reteriever. Most American Water Spaniels are bred purely for their function which is to be the right hand man to their master in flushing out game and bringing it back.
Traits
The American Water Spaniel is a companion dog. They are obedient and intelligent but are actually quite a sensitive breed. They are of the easier to train dog breeds but need to be trained in a kind manner as they don’t respond well to harsh or strict training as they only want to please their owners.
The American Water Spaniel is a swimmer! They enjoy the water and can swim with ease in tougher turbulence areas of lakes or rivers. They love affection but can keep themselves busy when nobody is there to entertain them. The American Water Spaniel is a great family dog and gets along with children and the other family pets just fine.
Appearance
Weighing in at 25-45 lbs (11-20kgs) and averaging 15-18 inches high, the American Water Spaniel is an athletic dog that lives to serve his owner. They are quite muscular and have a double layered coat which is very curly on the outer layer and a thick inner layer which was made to protect them from the cold lakes and rivers of where they must retrieve their game from at times.
Their coat should be a dark chocolate brown, or a liver colour. Their ears are long as most spaniel’s are, and are curly as well. They should have friendly circular eyes that match with their coat, so if they have a darker coat then they should have darker eyes as where if they have a liver coat they should have lighter eyes. The tail is straight but curves up and is used like a paddle would be for a boat!
Health
The American Water Spaniel is a healthy dog but can be genetically prone to some types of skin conditions or allergies, cataracts, cancer, epilepsy and hypothyroidism. Diabetes and follicular dystrophy are also conditions which they can be prone to.
Training
The American Water Spaniel is an easily trainable dog because they love to please their owners! They should be trained in a very kind manner as they do not excel with harsh or strict training. They are sensitive dogs and need to be socialized as puppies as they can grow up to be timid adults. They excel in hunting, swimming and retrieving so any of these activities either for fun or for actual use would be great exercise and fun for this breed!
Care
For this breed, weekly brushings are needed as they have an oily coat and this distributes the oils. Bathing is not required unless it is necessary because bathing this dog often will take away the oils of the skin and coat which will dry out their skin. The American Water Spaniel is a not a heavy fur shedder and can be easily maintained with the appropriate grooming!
Breed
The breed is categorized in the Sporting Group. They are ideal family dogs as they love children and other family pets. They would do best in a home with a backyard or acreage but will be fine in an apartment if they get a lot of exercise. The American Water Spaniels average lifespan is 12-15 years. They have around 4-6 pups per litter. When obtaining a baby American Water Spaniel, keep in mind that every puppy is different and to research your breed before bringing the baby home!
Reference pages for Information:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanwaterspaniel.htm American Water Spaniel Breed Information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Water_Spaniel American Water Spaniel Information
http://www.nextdaypets.com/directorydogs/rescue/1100014/ American Water Spaniel Rescue
http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_water_spaniel/index.cfm American Water Spaniel AKC Standards
http://www.americanwaterspanielclub.org American Water Spaniel Club
