Information, Facts & Origins of the American Water Spaniel Dog
The American
Water Spaniel
comes from the USA and was bred originally in the 1800's to
hunt small
game and waterfowl - bird flushing and retrieving.
This dog is classified as one of the
Sporting Dog Group which we
go on to describe in detail in the section at the bottom of this
page. The American Water Spaniel was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in
1940. Name Facts and Dog Names: This dog's name is sometimes mis-spelt as
Spanial.
Information, Facts &
History of the American Water Spaniel
This breed has been known in the mid western states of the US
since the late 1860's. Unfortunately little exists in the way of
records. It would seem likely that the greater part of its
breeding program would have been based on the Irish Water Spaniel
with a degree of both Field and Cocker spaniels elements. The
American Indians, who lived in the Great Lakes regions, have also
been mentioned in relation to the history of this dog.
Description
of the American Water Spaniel Dog & Puppies - Coat and Colours information
The American Water Spaniel's coat is normally a shade of light or
dark brown.
The coat is normally closely curled or wavy.
Dog & Puppies Health information - potential problems of the American Water
Spaniels
All owners of dogs and puppies
are concerned about the health care of their pets and just as with
humans dog health issues arise from time to time. Resolving dog
health problems, including those of the American Water Spaniel, can prove to be
costly and it would be wise to consider the benefits of obtaining
dog health insurance. Diseases in dogs may occur because of
trauma, infection, immune system abnormalities, genetic factors,
or degenerative conditions. Common health problems and questions
occur in relation to the Bones, Joints, Muscles, Nerves, Ears,
Eyes, Teeth and the Mouth. Other, more serious, issues can relate
to the Digestive System, Heart & Respiratory Systems, Immune &
Blood Systems, Reproduction and Urinary Systems. Potential health
problems of the American Water Spaniel can include:
Skin Problems
Online
Encyclopaedia of Common Dog Health Problems Please click the following link for additional
information which we have provided via our:
This describes the most common canine health problems concisely but simply without using medical jargon. A section on Dog and Puppy Vaccinations is also included offering information on each of the diseases, symptoms and effects for which immunization vaccines are available. Not sure of the name of the dog or puppy illness? A Dog Symptom Sorter is also featured. The Online Encyclopaedia of Common Dog Health Problems should only be used as an informational guide and when and if any dog or puppies health problems occur it is essential to raise any questions you may have with a Dog Health care professional.
Information
on Grooming and Care of the American Water Spaniel Dog Breed
The American
Water Spaniel
requires weekly care and grooming. All dog breeds require a certain amount of grooming
and care is necessary to keep dogs and puppies looking at their best.
Grooming consists of not only brushing out the coat and bathing
but also giving attention to the eyes, teeth, ears, feet and
nails. A regular routine also ensures that any potential health
problems are identified as quickly as possible, especially
important in puppies and older American Water Spaniel dogs.
Life
Expectancy information of the American Water Spaniel Dog Breed
The life
expectancy for this particular breed is 10 – 12 years.
Age
comparison between the American Water Spaniel Dog Breed and a Human
Age
comparisons between dogs and humans are always a matter of
debate - we hope that the following information clarifies the
situation. After the first year of life, a dog is equivalent to
sixteen human years. After two years, they are equivalent to a 24 year old, at
three years a 30 year old, and each year after, add 5 human years to determine
a dog's age.
The
Pictures reflect the Size of Adults - not Children and Puppies!
The pictures above allow for a useful comparison of sizes
providing an accurate portrait of the size of an average American
Water Spaniel- essential
information but unique to this site. It should also be noted that
the pictures feature adults. The size of puppies are naturally
considerably smaller and the full grown size of the animal can
easily be forgotten when confronted with cute puppies! The slogan
" A dog isn't just for Christmas - it's for life!" was necessitated
by well meaning people buying puppies at the Christmas, unaware of
the puppies growth rate. The pictures provided make it extremely
clear exactly how small puppies will develop and whether it will
suit the life and living conditions of the family.
American Water Spaniel
Puppies info
The
Puppies section, accessed via the Site Index, provides detailed
information about Choosing the right puppy, Puppy Training, Puppy
Care and Puppy Behavior, Growth & Development. We recommend that
the following considerations should always be taken into account
when choosing puppies:
Budget
- Purchasing, training, equipment, medication and feeding
costs of the breed
Convenience
and Grooming time e.g. long or short hair
Personal
situation - time available and medical conditions such as allergies,
asthma or back pain
Exercising
requirements for the American Water Spaniel breed
Living
Conditions for the dog breed - suitability for puppies
Family
- child suitability
Puppy and Dog
Names - The Importance of choosing the right names
Sporting Dog (Gundog) Breed Information Dogs in the Sporting group, which are referred to in England as Gundogs, which include the American Water Spanial, can be divided into three main categories - Retrievers, Pointers and Setters. These dogs were bred primarily to work with people to hunt game birds. Some of these dogs work in water whilst other dogs are more suited to work on land and many of the dogs in the Sporting dog category are comfortable and capable of working in either land or water environments. Sporting dogs, including the American Water Spaniel, are particularly suited to wood and field activities. The Retriever, Pointer and Setter dogs and their main functionalities are as follows:
The Retriever dog - Retriever dogs find and return killed game to the hunter. Some Retrievers are especially equipped, for instance with a water-repellent coat and webbed feet, for retrieving downed waterfowl.
The Pointer dog - Pointer dogs stand in front of their quarry, with their nose and body rigidly still , thus directing (or pointing) the hunter to its location.
The Setter dog - Setter dogs were originally trained to set, or crouch, in front of game preventing the escape of the quarry. The hunter would make the capture with a net.
Sporting Dogs hunt by air scent, as opposed to ground scent used by the dogs categorised as being in the Hound category. Characteristics and features of Sporting Dogs have been introduced and strengthened by breeding with animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. Thus, the various Sporting breeds, or Gundogs, including the American Water Spaniel, were initially introduced to help man according to his specific requirements such as:
Hunting game birds
Hunting waterfowl
Retrieving game that had been shot and wounded
Pointing to game to allow the hunter to catch or shoot the quarry
Startling, or flushing, birds from their cover
In this day and age only a few American Water Spaniels might undertake these tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made the original American Water Spaniel breeding program successful.
It is said that they are perhaps the most intelligent of the
breeds, resulting in their wide variety of uses and their
ease of training. These dogs like to be around people and
are active and alert and require regular, invigorating
exercise and lots of attention.
Examples of other Breeds within the Sporting Dog Group The Sporting group includes the American Water Spanial and all of the following breeds:
Pointers, German Shorthaired Pointers, German Wirehaired Pointers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers, Flat-Coated Retriivers, Labrador Retrievers, English Setters, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters, American Water Spaniels, Clumber Spaniels, Cocker Spanials, English Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, Field Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniels, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrivers, Spinone Italianos, Sussex Spaniels, Welsh Springer Spaniels, Vizslas, Weimaraners and Wirehaired Pointing Griffons. This dog's name is sometimes mis-spelt as Spanial
or Spanials. Pictures and information about all of the above Sporting breeds, together with all other dog groups, may be found on this website via the following links:
