Follow the Spanish Water Dog Breed – Dogster

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The Spanish Water Dog was developed on the Iberian Peninsula (which covers Spain and Portugal) to hunt, help farmers, herd and assist fishermen. Although its name gives it the impression that it belongs to the Sporting group (and indeed he loves both water and sports), the American Kennel Club placed him in the herding group due to his strong history and herding instincts. The breed was fully recognized by the AKC in 2015. The dog was ranked 145e in popularity in 2021 by the AKC.

How much does the Spanish Water Dog weigh?

Male Spanish Water Dogs weigh between 40 and 49 pounds. Females weigh 31 to 40 pounds.

How long does Spanish Water last?

They live approximately 12 to 14 years old. Health concerns are hip dysplasia, retinal atrophy and hypothyroidism.

What is the activity level of the Spanish Water Dog?

The SWD is not a couch potato at all. A high-energy breed, the SWD has the ability to do long, intense exercises. He is a great companion for families camping, running, hiking, and enjoying water and land activities. What equipment will you need? Lots of toys to collect.

Does the Spanish Water Dog like water?

Water and SWD are a match. After all, the SWD was partly developed to help anglers: dogs jumped off docks and boats to retrieve tackle, lines and stunned fish overboard. Today, he is an avid swimmer and water scavenger. Its webbed toes make it easier to swim, as does its body structure and coat. SWDs are generally good swimmers, and playing fetch in the water is a great way to help them expend energy. Some SWD dogs have the ability to dive to retrieve objects from water.

The Spanish Water Dog and Canine Sports

Most SWDs like jumping in the water, which leads to the sporty Dock Diving option. In Dock Diving, dogs race along a dock and jump into the water to retrieve a valuable toy, competing for height or distance.

Spanish Water Dogs are also enthusiastic participants in non-aquatic sports including agility, obedience, flyball, and herding. Many also revel in the sport of tracking, in which owners set a scent trail for a dog to follow.

Does the Spanish Water Dog get along with others?

The SWD is a controlling herding breed, meaning it can hunt anyone (animal or human) it thinks will go wild. The breed may try to control children’s play in the yard by chasing and circling, as it would a messy stock. Children will probably not appreciate this attention (maybe not the cattle either, but they are the breaks!), so SWD owners will want to curb this behavior from an early age.

train spanish water dog

Although the Spanish Water Dog is intelligent, quick to learn, and ready to obey, they have an independent side and they have authority in their genes. When training a herding dog, owners do well to keep the dog’s natural herding instincts in mind. The breed was expected, with minimal training and human direction, to manage goats, sheep, cattle and pigs. The SWD puppy’s instinct to chase, dominate, or nip for control is more easily redirected if owners understand it as an innate working behavior, not willpower, and certainly not aggression.

The Spanish Water Dog and Aliens

Often wary of strangers, SWDs maintain close ties to their family. Their protective instincts make them self-proclaimed guardians of their people and their property. Although ideally neither timid nor shy, the SWD is naturally wary of strangers. Puppies need to be socialized intensively, to learn to tell friend from foe and to accept strangers into the house.

Spanish Water Dog Coat and Grooming

The coloring of the SWD can be plain (in shades of black, brown, beige or white) or particolor where the second color 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 country, Spain. The coat oneadapted to variations in humidity and drought. The curly coat can form cords when long.

When SWDs are competing in the show ring, the show coats are not brushed or combed. Unexposed dogs can be trimmed as often as owners wish, with some owners choosing to let it grow for several months. Traditionally, the Spanish Water Dog was shorn once a year (along with the sheep), the same length all over the body.

The beautiful loops of the SWD require special attention. But surprisingly, no brushing or blowing is required. When washing and drying the curls, owners should not rub or rub the dog’s hair. Instead, the shampoo should be pressed, not rubbed, into the hair. Curls can be dried by blotting moisture from the coat, again focusing on avoiding chafing.

Is the Spanish Water Dog hypoallergenic?

Although the SWD is a single coat breed that sheds less than most breeds, it is not (nor is there such a thing as) a “hypoallergenic” breed of dog. Even with its low-shedding coat, allergy sufferers may react to its hair, dander, and saliva.

The SWD sheds significantly less than many dogs, which can be a blessing for families who want their home to be as hair-free as possible.

A Working History of the Spanish Water Dog

The medium-sized ancestors of the SWD have been working enthusiastically in the Spanish countryside for around 800 years. Developed as an all-around farm dog with resilient herding instincts, the SWD herded sheep, goats, or cattle. He also helped fishermen, scavenged waterfowl, and protected the farm.

The exact early origins of the breed are disputed by experts. What is agreed is that the breed was developed in Spain centuries ago for all its work including hunting, water work, herding, home guarding and of course , the company.

In the central and southern regions of Spain, dogs mainly drove herds of sheep, cows, pigs and goats to seasonal pastures. They also helped to hunt poultry and small game. In the northern coastal regions, Spanish Water Dogs retrieved fish and tackle from boats and swim lines. Northern hounds probably hunted too, especially out of season. Spanish Water Dogs were mostly owned by less wealthy people, who certainly couldn’t afford dogs that specialized in a single task.

Early SWDs may also have worked in the Spanish mines defending mule transports, guarding against thieves, and keeping rats at bay in the mines. The woolly coat of the dogs protected them in the hot and humid mines.

In more modern times, Spanish Water Dogs are no longer needed for much of their early work. While SWDs can still be found in the southern regions of Spain, the breed has voluntarily taken on new jobs, such as search and rescue, search for corpses, bomb detection, and drug detection.

Spain has only two AKC breeds that begin with the name of the country: the Spanish Water Dog and the Spanish Mastiff. Historians speculate that the two breeds may have worked together on the annual migration of animals to and from seasonal pastures. The SWD kept and controlled the animals; the Spanish Mastiff (about 140-200 pounds) was a terrific herdsman.

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