Page 234 - (DK) The Dog Encyclopedia

CATALOG OF BREEDS | GUNDOGS

Spanish Water Dog

HEIGHT WEIGHT LIFE SPAN White Black
16–20in 31–49lb 10–14 years Brown
(40–50cm) (14–22kg)

This adaptable working dog with a no-nonsense attitude can
be stubborn, but if well trained it makes a good companion

This distinctive breed has had a variety It is still used as a working dog, as well as
of roles and names in its homeland, where being employed in search and rescue work
it is now called the Perro de Agua Español. and as a sniffer dog. The Spanish Water
Records show that Water Dogs with woolly Dog is a generally sensible companion but
coats have existed in Spain since 1110CE. can be impatient with children. The coat
Their origins are unknown, but it is thought should never be brushed but may be Tail barely
reaches hocks
that merchants from North Africa or Turkey bathed as necessary and shorn
may have brought this type of dog to once a year.
Andalusia. Three separate strains developed
in rural Spain: a smaller type in northern
Spain; a type with a long, corded coat in the
marshes of western Andalusia; and a larger
dog in the southern Andalusian mountains.
In the 18th century the Spanish Water
Dog was employed to herd sheep on an
annual migration from the south of Spain
to the north and back again in search of
fresh pastures. The breed was also used
for hunting, especially in water. In addition,
the dogs worked in Spanish ports, traveling
with fishermen in their boats and towing
ropes to help bring incoming boats to shore.
Today the Spanish Water Dog has
become more unified by a standard size
and coat type. Until the 1980s it was little
known outside southern Spain, and it Black
and white
remains rare today, although efforts are
being made to promote the breed.
PUPPY

GAINING RECOGNITION

The recent history of the Spanish Water Dog
began in 1980 when Antonio Perez recognized
a type of dog that he knew well at a dog show
in Malaga. It was referred to as an Andalusian
and Perez asked show organizers, Santiago
Montesinos and David Salamanca, why it was
not considered a breed. They too were familiar
with the dog and agreed to help Perez get it
recognized. In 1983 a breed standard was drawn
up, and by 1985 about 40 Spanish Water Dogs
had been registered. The FCI finally officially
recognized it as a breed in 1999.

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