Base colour
Colour either solid liver, brown or dark chocolate
- Permissible: A little white on toes and chest
About the American Water Spaniel
Origin: United States Of America
- Typical life span
- 10-14 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 14-20 kg
- Female
- 11-18 kg
- Height
- 38-46 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs
- Origin
- United States Of America
- Also called
- Perro de Agua Americano
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a American Water Spaniel?
Medium-sized versatile sporting dog with distinctive curly or wavy chocolate or liver coat, bred for hunting waterfowl in the icy waters and marshy banks of the Great Lakes region
American Water Spaniel history and origins
Developed in the 19th century in the Fox and Wolf River valleys of Wisconsin as a compact, versatile hunter that could work from a skiff or boat. Ancestry likely includes Irish Water Spaniel and Curly-Coated Retriever. Named the state dog of Wisconsin in 1985 and foundation breed for the Boykin Spaniel, recognized by AKC in 1940.
American Water Spaniel appearance and size
Males typically weigh 14-20 kg and females 11-18 kg.
American Water Spaniel temperament and personality
Generally described as eager to please, intelligent, energetic, alert and happy.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- The American Water Spaniel was developed in the United States as an all-around hunting dog, bred to retrieve from skiff or canoes and work ground with relative ease
Quoted from FCI standard n°301. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “The American Water Spaniel was developed in the United States as an all-around hunting dog, bred to retrieve from skiff or canoes and work ground with relative ease” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 5 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the American Water Spaniel
What you get with the American Water Spaniel
- Purpose stated in the standard: “The American Water Spaniel was developed in the United States as an all-around hunting dog, bred to retrieve from skiff or canoes and work ground…”
- Commonly described as: “Eager to please, intelligent, energetic, alert”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “Coat may be trimmed to present a well- groomed appearance”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; The Dog API. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · American Water Spaniel
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged permissible.
Coat
Coat can range from marcel (uniform waves) to closely curled.
The amount of waves or curls can vary from one area to another on the dog.
It is important to have undercoat to provide sufficient density to be of protection against weather, water or punishing cover, yet not too coarse or too soft.
The throat, neck and rear of the dog well-covered with hair.
The ear well-covered with hair on both sides with ear canal evident upon inspection.
Forehead covered with short smooth hair and without topknot.
Tail covered with hair to tip with moderate feathering.
Legs have moderate feathering with waves or curls to harmonize with coat of dog.
Coat may be trimmed to present a well- groomed appearance
the ears may be shaved
but neither is required
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°301 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the American Water Spaniel down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Yellow eyes
Temperament
Eager to pleaseintelligentenergeticalerthappy
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the American Water Spaniel in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a American Water Spaniel
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the American Water Spaniel on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where American Water Spaniel owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No American Water Spaniel breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.