Spanish water dog was developed on the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain and Portugal) for hunting, helping farmers, herding livestock, and assisting fishermen. Although his name makes him sound like he belongs in the Sports Group (and actually he likes both water and sports), the American Kennel Club classifies it as herding animals because of its strong herding instincts and history. The breed was fully recognized by the AKC in 2015. This dog is rated 145 .order Popularized in 2021 by AKC.
How much does a spanish water dog weigh?
Male Spanish water dogs weigh between 40 and 49 pounds. Females weigh between 31 and 40 pounds.
How long does Spain live?
They live about 12 to 14 years. Health concerns are hip dysplasia, retinal atrophy, and hypothyroidism.
What is the Spanish Water Dog’s activity level?
SWD is not a couch potato. As a high-energy breed, the SWD is capable of long and strenuous exercise. He’s a great companion for families who camp, run, hike, and enjoy water and shore activities. What equipment will you need? Lots of toys to take.
Do Spanish Water Dogs Like Water?
Water and SWD is a match. After all, SWD was partly developed to help fishermen: Dogs would jump off piers and boats to get fishing rods, fishing lines, and stunned fish on board. Today he is an avid swimmer and aquatic predator. His webbed toes facilitate his swimming, as does his body structure and coat. SWDs are often excellent swimmers, and play fetch in water is a great way to help them expend energy. Some SWD dogs have the ability to dive for underwater items.
Spanish water dogs and dog sports
Most SWDs love to jump in the water, which leads to the sporty Dock Diving option. In Dock Diving, dogs run the length of the dock and jump into the water for a valuable toy, to compete for height or distance.
The Spanish Water Dog is also eager to participate in non-water sports, including agility, obedience, ballooning, and herding. Many people also enjoy the sport of tracking, in which owners place scent trails for dogs to follow.
Does the Spanish Water Dog get along with others?
The SWD is a controlled herding dog, which means he can chase anyone (animal or human) he thinks is running wild. This breed may try to control children’s playground by chasing and running around, the same way they do with messy livestock. Children will not appreciate this attention (maybe the cattle aren’t either, but they’re resting!), so SWD owners will want to curb this behavior early on.
Spanish water dog training
Although the Spanish Water Hound is intelligent, quick to learn, and willing to obey, it has an independent side and its genes are bossy. When training herding dogs, owners should keep in mind the dog’s natural herding instincts. The breed is expected, with minimal training and human guidance, to manage goats, sheep, cattle and pigs. The SWD puppy’s instinct to chase, master, or bite for control will be easier to redirect if owners understand it’s innate, not intentional, and certainly not aggressive behavior.
Spanish Water Dogs and Strangers
Often suspicious of strangers, SWD is closely associated with family. Their protective instincts lead them to appoint themselves as protectors of their people and property. While ideally not shy or timid, SWDs are naturally wary of strangers. Puppies need to be socialized widely, learn to distinguish friends from enemies and accept strangers into the house.
The coat and grooming of the Spanish Water Dog
The color of the SWD can be solid (with shades of black, brown, beige or white) or sub-color where the second color is white. He has a single and curly coat – a breed that sheds less hair. So what’s the story behind the distinctive curly coat? The coat is an adaptation to the weather of this breed’s native Spain. jacket oneadapt to changes in humidity and drought. The curly coat can form strings when long.
When SWDs are competing in the show ring, show jackets are not combed or combed. Dogs that do not participate in the program can be trimmed as many times as the owner wants, with some owners choosing to let it grow for months. Traditionally, the Spanish Water Dog is trimmed once a year (along with the sheep), the length being the same all over the body.
SWD’s beautiful curls need specific attention. But surprisingly there is no need to brush or blow. When washing and drying the dog’s coat, the owner should not rub or rub the dog’s coat. Instead, shampoo should be squeezed, not rubbed, through the hair. Curls can be dried by absorbing moisture from the shirt, again focusing on avoiding rubbing.
Are Spanish Water Dogs Allergic?
Although the SWD is a single coat breed that sheds less than most other breeds, it does not (There’s also no such thing as) a “low-allergenic” breed. Even with his low-shedding coat, allergy sufferers may react to his hair, fur, and saliva.
SWD sheds significantly less hair than many dogs, which can be a boon for families who want their home as hairless the better.
The Work History of the Spanish Water Dog
SWD’s medium-sized ancestors worked passionately in the Spanish countryside for some 800 years. Developed as an all-round farm dog with a tenacious herding instinct, the SWD collected sheep, goats or cattle. He also assisted fishermen, picked up water chickens and protected the farm.
The exact original origin of this breed is debated by experts. It is agreed that this breed was developed in Spain many centuries ago for all his occupations, including hunting, working in the water, herding cattle, guarding houses and As a companion, of course.
In the central and southern regions of Spain, dogs mainly herd sheep, cows, pigs and goats to seasonal pastures. They also help with chicken hunting and mini-games. In the northern coastal regions, the Spanish Water Dog retrieves fish and belongings from boats and swim lines. Probably northern dogs also hunt, especially in the off-season. The Spanish Water Dog is mostly owned by the less affluent, who certainly can’t afford to buy single-duty dogs.
Early SWDs may also have worked in mines in Spain to protect mule transports, ward off thieves, and keep rats out of the mines. The dogs’ shaggy coat helps protect them in hot, humid mines.
In more modern times, the Spanish Water Dog is no longer needed for much of their original work. While one can still find SWDs herding cattle in the southern regions of Spain, the breed is poised to take on new jobs, such as search and rescue, body search. death, bomb detection and drug discovery.
Spain has only two breeds of AKC dogs that begin with the country’s name: the Spanish Water Dog and the Spanish Mastiff. Historians surmise that the two breeds may have cooperated during the animals’ annual migrations to and from seasonal grasslands. SWD livestock and animal control; The Spanish Mastiff (weighing about 140 to 200 pounds) is a formidable cattle guard.
