Fun Irish Water Spaniel Facts For Kids

Being a native of the country of Ireland, the Irish Water Spaniel's history is intriguing. Although predecessors of this dog have been around for centuries, it is Justin McCarthy who is credited with the breeding of this modern dog.

The dog Boatswain belonging to Justin McCarthy is thought to be the sire of the modern breed.

This dog breed soon gained popularity in the United Kingdom before making its way to the United States of America.

There, the American Kennel Club gave it recognition as a separate breed, and the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America was formed as the breed's official kennel club. Since then, there have many clubs for this dog, commonly described as the clown of the spaniel group of canines.

Despite its active and enthusiastic nature, this dog can suffer from health issues like hip dysplasia, epilepsy, cataracts, and allergies. So, read on to learn more about this beautiful dog and know what to expect when keeping them as pets.

For more relatable content, check out these Field Spaniel facts and American Cocker Spaniel facts for kids.

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Irish Water Spaniel Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Irish Water Spaniel?

The Irish Water Spaniel is a dog that belongs to the family of spaniels and is considered by the American Kennel Club or the AKC to be the tallest dog amongst the spaniel family. They belong to the sporting group of dogs.

What class of animal does an Irish Water Spaniel belong to?

The Irish Water Spaniel is a dog breed that belongs to the class Mammalia. They belong to the genus of Canis and their scientific name is Canis lupus familiaris.

How many Irish Water Spaniels are there in the world?

The population status of most domestic dogs is hard to keep track of. This is no different for the Irish Water Spaniel, belonging to the spaniel family.

There is no estimation in regards to the total number of Irish Water Spaniel dogs in the world right now as records from owners and breeders are difficult to get hold of.

However, this dog breed was once the third most popular dog in the United States of America! The American Kennel Club (the AKC) now ranks the dog at 159 out of their 197 registered breeds of dog.

Where does an Irish Water Spaniel live?

Irish Water Spaniels are not found in the wild. This high-energy, crispy-curled spaniel usually lives with its breeders and owners.

They are not really suited to apartment life. As their history suggests that these dogs were bred for the life of a hunting dog, their hunting nature means that they love running and exercise, so they need a large space to live in.

This breed of dog is commonly found in countries such as Ireland, England, and the United States of America. The dog has also been kept as a pet in various parts of Europe.

What is an Irish Water Spaniel's habitat?

The high-energy level along with the hunting characteristics of the Irish Water Spaniel (and their exercise and running requirements) make the countryside best suited for these dogs. Called the clown of the spaniel breed, they are always enthusiastic and can make a right mess out of doing the simplest of tasks!

This dog is suited as a family dog and can be excellent for the role of a guard dog.

Considered to be canines of great intelligence, Irish Water Spaniels excel as a sporting breed and regularly compete in dog sports.

These dogs are also easy to train like the Boykin Spaniel, with their trainability attributed to their history as hunting dogs. Irish Water Spaniels are also extremely sensitive, love swimming and have the adaptability of not getting too wet due to their double coat.

Who does the Irish Water Spaniel live with?

Like most breeds of dogs, the Irish Water Spaniel lives with its breeders and owners in their homes. This sporting breed is not found in the wild.

This is one of the best breeds of dogs for your home.

They mix pretty well with children and strangers, although there have been cases where Irish Water Spaniels haven't been too comfortable with strangers.

However, this shouldn't deter you from getting an Irish Water Spaniel as with proper training from a young age, Irish Water Spaniels can get along well with strangers as well as other dogs in the house well.

Yet, due to their characteristics and history as hunting dogs, you must be careful in keeping them away from smaller animals especially birds.

Again, this habit can be kept in check with early socialization and training to which the dog generally responds well due to its high trainability. Sadly, due to being sensitive, the breed can develop anxiety issues when left alone for long durations of time.

How long does an Irish Water Spaniel live?

The life span and of adult Irish Water Spaniels is relatively similar to other dogs. The life span of an Irish Water Spaniel will be on an average between 10-12 years.

However, there are some dogs who age beyond 12 years. The AKC concludes that the breed's longevity is around 12-13 years. An adult dog's life span can be cut short due to the breed's various health conditions, inclduing common health issues like hip dysplasia, allergies, and cataracts.

How do they reproduce?

These dogs from Ireland follow similar patterns to other breeds' mating processes. The Irish Water Spaniel dog breeds when female dogs go into an estrus cycle.

The gestation period of this dog lasts for around 63 days, but births can take place earlier or a little later. The total number of puppies in the litter can be anywhere between four to 12 puppies.

This dog's puppy will be very adorable and cute and the owner must take proper care of the puppy, including lots of grooming.

The temperament of the puppy can be easily molded with early training. A puppy from this breed is generally born healthy, but despite this, you should take your puppy to the vet for checkups regularly.

What is their conservation status?

Irish Water Spaniels were once one of the most famous sporting breeds which excelled in all forms of dog sports. However, their popularity has decreased and now they are ranked 159th in the list of popular dog breeds.

Like any other dog, Irish Water Spaniels are Not Evaluated in the Red List of the International Union For Conservation Of Nature.

Irish Water Spaniel Fun Facts

What does the Irish Water Spaniel look like?

Irish Water Spaniels have several distinguishing characteristics. One of the features that is always talked about is their double coat.

The coat has two parts: an outer coat and an under coat. This coat has adaptability as it allows the dogs to be somewhat waterproof while swimming in water.

There are also natural oils present in the water-repelling double coat. Their coat is filled with crisply curled hair that has a liver to dark brown coloration.

Other than the Irish Water Spaniel's coat, they also possess a short and smooth tail. This short and smooth tail is the reason behind the Irish Water Spaniel's other name: rat tail spaniels. This smooth rat tail is an important breed standard.

This curly-haired, liver-colored dog breed interestingly has a smooth face. However, the smooth face of this active dog is accompanied by long loose curls of hair that may take the appearance of a sideburn!

Their crisply curled hair is longer beneath their ribs and there is also lots of hair present on their necks. On their head, the presence of a topknot of long loose curls is a common breed characteristic, how cute!

The body of these rat tail spaniels is very muscular due to breed standards and this will develop even more from training and a healthy diet. A long neck is connected to its sloping shoulder, giving this dog a tall body frame. This body structure is also the reason behind their enhanced agility.

How cute are they?

Due to their curly coat characteristics, their short smooth tail, and their active nature, this group of dogs is very cute and adorable. What many people also love about this dog is its intelligence and active, healthy nature.

How do they communicate?

Most dogs communicate via physical actions and barking. As these dogs can be trained to be guard dogs, this breed will often only bark when there is an imminent danger.

Being the most energetic amongst the spaniel group, they will often communicate their need for exercise by being restless. As sensitive dogs, they may become violent and aggressive when they are anxious or nervous.

How big is an Irish Water Spaniel?

The Irish Water Spaniel's size is between medium to large. Males of this group of canines are bigger than females and stand at around 21-24 in (53.3-61 cm). Females are between 21-23 in  (53.3-58.4 cm). In comparison with other pet canines like English Cocker Spaniels, the adult Irish Water Spaniel's height at the shoulder is almost one-third taller.

How fast can an Irish Water Spaniel run?

As a breed that has been bred for hunting, the rugged and tough rat tail spaniel is assumed to have a good running speed. Their strong and healthy body frame also aids them in this.

Unfortunately, there is no official data about the running speed of the Irish Water Spaniels. We can assume it to be similar to the 25 mph (40.2 kph) speed of English Springer Spaniels.

How much does an Irish Water Spaniel weigh?

The weight of the Irish Water Spaniel varies between genders. The male has a weight range of 55-68 lb (24.9-30.8 kg).

For the female dog's weight, 45-58 lb (20.4-26.3 kg) is the common average. Due to the difference in weight as well as size, we can conclude that this curly-haired pet breed shows sexual dimorphism. The weight range of this dog can be kept in check through training.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Like other dog breeds, males and females of the Irish Water Spaniel breed are known by the names 'dog' and 'bitch' respectively.

What would you call a baby Irish Water Spaniel?

A baby Irish Water Spaniel goes by the name of 'puppy'.

What do they eat?

The diet of this pet dog must be filled with protein. This is to sustain the energy level of the dog. Also, during training proper care must be given not to give your dog too many extra treats because this breed has a tendency to become overweight sometimes. Certain health conditions may be aggravated by a poor diet.

Are they slobbery?

No, this breed, like the American Water Spaniel, is generally not very slobbery at all. They are only seen to drool when they are tired or exhausted from exercise.

Would they make a good pet?

Of course, this dog breed will make for a great pet for many people. They are especially fun to play with children and watching the child match the canine's never-ending energy can be an adorable sight!

Plus, they love to be outdoors and as their name suggests, they love to swim too. Of course, owners should only keep them as pets if they can take care of the breed's grooming and exercise needs. They are easy to groom and only require brushing once or twice a week.

It is important to brush their coat because the natural oils in the coat can lead to the accumulation of dirt and debris. Grooming helps clear this debris.

Did you know...

Irish Water Spaniels are one of the oldest breeds in the world. They have been recorded as far back as the seventh century and their name was used in the 11th century to describe canines found south of the Shannon River in Ireland.

England's King James I was thought to have gifted an Irish Water Spaniel to the King of France.

Can Irish Water Spaniels be left alone?

The temperament of Irish Water Spaniels means that these canines are susceptible to boredom and anxiety when left alone for long durations. They should not be left alone for long periods of time.

Is the Irish Water Spaniel hypoallergenic?

As Irish Water Spaniels shed very little, they can be considered to be hypoallergic in nature.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our meercat facts and American Staffordshire terrier facts pages.  

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable irish water Spaniel coloring pages.