Irish Water Spaniel

Good to know

• Built for cold water: bred in Ireland to retrieve ducks from icy marshes, they still love to swim and retrieve.
• A signature look: a crisp coat of tight curls, a curly topknot on the head and a smooth, thin "rat tail" set them apart from other spaniels.
• Coat care: the curly coat sheds little but needs regular brushing and trimming to keep it from matting.
• Clown with a reserve: playful and comical with their family, they are often reserved with strangers, so early socialization helps.
• A low-shedding coat. Some people with allergies find that easier to live with, but no breed is allergen-free.

Getting out with a Irish Water Spaniel

They need daily exercise beyond a stroll: longer trails, games of fetch and time to run at the park.

Explore more breeds in the Sporting group