Although the American Water Spaniel is the state dog of Wisconsin, designated so in 1985; it is a very rare breed of dogs. The breed appeared because of the necessity to obtain a dog that can operate easily both on land and in the water, a compact one that can easily be carried in a small boat and is able to stand cold river waters.
The breeds thought to be involved in obtaining the American Water Spaniel are the Irish and English Water Spaniel, the Poodle, the Curly Coated Retriever and a type of field spaniel. The American Water Spaniels' inherited characteristics make them excellent hunters, being able to point very small animals on the ground and also being very good swimmers, even in turbulent waters.
This is a breed of medium sized dogs, active and muscular. Their eyes vary in color from yellow-brown to dark brown, usually very close to the coat color, which can also be liver, brown or chocolate. The coat hairs are wavy or curly, making the dogs look quite unique; the coat needs brushing twice a week. The oily fur should be washed only when necessary, because every bath removes the natural oil of the fur, and too rare or excessive bathing can cause skin problems to the dog.
The medium height for this breed is around 36-46 cm, and the weight is between 11 and 20 kg. The litter size reaches 4-6 puppies.
If the American Water Spaniel has a normal lifestyle (an adequate diet, a regular exercise program), its life expectancy will be around 12-15 years. The dog needs daily long walks and many physical exercises to consume its energy. Such a dog can live quite well in an apartment, but it is better to have a small fenced yard.
The American Water Spaniel is intelligent and eager to learn. Used for hunting small game like ducks, rabbits, squirrels and many others, it is agile, energetic and resistant, being able to run fast and to swim fast. Usually, it is very enthusiastic and that is why it is recommended to train him to be calm, obedient and quiet - these are important characteristics for a good hunter.
It is a good companion for adults and children alike. However, it is important to not allow the dog to reach the leader role in a family, because that will cause a troublesome behavior, very difficult to be removed. It is not advisable to be very authoritative with such a dog either, because it does not respond very well to anger. It is also better to socialize it when it is a puppy, in order to avoid timidity when it reaches the adult age. You should not forget that we are talking about a hunting dog, and the nature of such a dog includes violence and aggressiveness. This is why you have to train it to be suitable for a family life.
The American Water Spaniel will reach its peak performance if the owner will have time to educate and take care of his dog.
