Breed library

Irish Water Spaniel

Irish Water Spaniel photograph.
Ierse Water Spaniel.jpg - Roete002. CC BY 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ierse_Water_Spaniel.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. License: CC BY 4.0.

Breed overview

The Irish Water Spaniel (Irish: An Spáinnéar Uisce) is a breed of dog that is the tallest of the spaniels. It is one of Ireland's nine native dog breeds, also known as a "bog-dog". As a common hunting dog, they were often kept by historic landowning classes along with minor gentry, who commonly hunted and shot game.

  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.

Breed facts

  • The modern breed as we know it was developed in Ireland in the 1830s.
  • There is a strong case that the breed's ancestors originated in Persia and arrived in Ireland from Spain.
  • The Irish Water Spaniel (Irish: An Spáinnéar Uisce) is a breed of dog that is the tallest of the spaniels.
  • As a common hunting dog, they were often kept by historic landowning classes along with minor gentry, who commonly hunted and shot game.
  • Performing a wide range of skills, such as the combined duties of pointers, setters, retrievers, and spaniels, they were a good fit for people who were unable to keep a team of dogs.

Size and appearance

The Irish Water Spaniel is a sturdy, cobby dog native to Ireland. The coat, consisting of dense curls, sheds very little. The coat colour is a liver-puce to chocolate-brown hue, with a distinct "purple" undertone, not seen in many other breeds. Their coat has a natural oiliness to them.

  • Height reference: Up to 51 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
  • Height reference: 56 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 53 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.
  • Height reference: 59 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: curly
  • Coat texture: smooth

Personality and behavior

As with most breeds classed within the American Kennel Club's Sporting group, such as the various other spaniels, retrievers, setters, and pointers, the Irish Water Spaniel is, essentially, an active, willing and energetic companion. Similarly to its fellow sporting breeds, it has been bred from stock used to fetch game and return it undamaged, thus it maintains the natural instincts of loyalty and of wanting to please. The Water Spaniel has a keen sense of being a "team-player", which makes it a relatively easy breed to train and discipline from a young age. Because of its great intelligence and "quizzical" nature, it has the reputation of being the "clown" of the spaniels, and will often do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Some individual dogs may be very wary of strangers, if not properly socialised early in life; likewise, not every Irish Water Spaniel can be trusted to get along with cats or small pets, including smaller dogs. Early socialisation and training is a must.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: curly
  • Coat texture: smooth
  • Shedding amount: low

Health and lifespan

Care planning: keep your dog's veterinary records, health-check dates and agreed care plan together. Add reminders for appointments and record changes you want to discuss at the next visit. Use the linked breed organizations and original references to explore their current health resources.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Breed history

The modern breed as we know it was developed in Ireland in the 1830s. There is a strong case that the breed's ancestors originated in Persia and arrived in Ireland from Spain. However, it is not known from which other breeds Irish Water Spaniels were developed, as the acknowledged father of the breed, Justin McCarthy (from Dublin), left no breeding records. However, whether or not Irish Water Spaniels are antecedents, descendants, or hybrids of these other breeds is a matter of some speculation. It is believed, in Irish folklore, to be the descendant of the mythological cryptid, the Dobhar-chú.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. File:Ierse Water Spaniel.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Ierse Water Spaniel.jpg - Roete002. CC BY 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ierse_Water_Spaniel.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.
  4. Irish Water Spaniel - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Irish Water Spaniel, revision 1368882181. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irish_Water_Spaniel&action=history
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.