🔦 Breed Spotlight: The American Water Spaniel
The American Water Spaniel was developed in Wisconsin during the 19th century. Their origin is somewhat shrouded in mystery. They are a medium-sized breed, with a thick curly coat that protects them in the cold water and winter. They range in colour from brown to more brown. They are a relatively low-shedding breed, though their curly coats may pick up many leaves and burrs.
The American Water Spaniel is a versatile hunting dog, used on land and in water, to hunt just about anything. The breed was developed to be able to hunt and retrieve from small boats, hence their smaller size. They may not be as fast or as exuberant or as strong as the larger dogs, but they have great stamina and endurance.
American Water Spaniels enjoy the attention of their people. They can be very vocal and stubborn. With some training effort and ample exercise, they are fine hunting, companion, and sporting dogs.
American Water Spaniels, never particularly popular, fell out of fashion, largely replaced by Labradors, Springers, and other gundogs after WWII. There were efforts to revive the breed, but they are still relatively rare. There are only around 3000 worldwide.
The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1940. They became the state dog of Wisconsin in 1985.
Stay tuned for more American Water Spaniel content in the next few days!
Sources and More Information:
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/american-water-spaniel/
https://www.gundogmag.com/editorial/american-water-spaniel/369557
https://web.archive.org/web/20110725025053/http://www.awsfa.org/Club%20Info/AWS%20History.htm
https://www.americanwaterspanielclub.org/aws-history
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/american-water-spaniel-history/
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