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Featured Breed....

Spanish Water Dog

From Wikepia, the free encyclopedia

Spanish Water Dog
Alternative names
Perro de Agua Español Turco de Andaluz Andalusian Turk
Country of origin
Spain
Common nicknames
SWD
Classification and breed standards
FCI:	Group 8 Section 3 #336	Stds
AKC:	FSS	Stds
	The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration.
KC (UK):	Gundog	Stds
NZKC:	Gundogs	Stds
UKC:	Gun Dog	Stds

The Spanish Water Dog or Perro de Agua Español is a breed of dog developed by the shepherds in Spain as a multi-purpose herder who was also used sometimes as a gundog, as well as an assistant to fishermen.

The SWD is a medium size, athletic, robust dog that is slightly longer than tall. Their tails are usually docked in the US, but undocked tails are not a fault in show dogs.

The head should be strong and carried with elegance. The skull is flat and the top is parallel with the top of the muzzle. The nose, eye-rims and paw pads are the same colour as the darkest part of the coat or darker. The eyes are expressive and set fairly wide apart. They should be hazel, chestnut or dark brown in colour, depending on the coat colour. The ears are set at medium height on the skull, and are triangular.

Two parti-colored SWD's

Coat and colour

It has a distinctive curly coat which is woolly in texture and may form cords when long. The coat should not be clipped or groomed for aesthetic purposes. Instead, it should look entirely natural, as though it is not groomed at all. It should never be trimmed, but sheared down at least once a year. SWD puppies are always born with curly hair.

The SWD can be seen in a variety of colours. It may be black, beige, brown, white or bicolour where the second colour is white (brown and white or black and white)

 Size

The Spanish Water Dog is a medium-sized dog. The approximate measurements are:

One SWD in the water.

Temperament

The SWD is diligent, loyal, affectionate, and intelligent. SWD’s thrive on work, play, and swim. Their athleticism and extremely hard working nature illustrates how they need a lot of exercise. They have strong, natural herding and guarding instincts. They may be wary with strangers, and early socialization is essential. They enjoy working, and can be trained to perform a variety of tasks. They are also fantastic with children.

Grooming

SWD's require minimal grooming.

Nine week old SWD brown and white boston colored puppy

• SWD's should never be brushed, instead, as the cords grow they should be checked for matting. When matting does occur they should be gently pulled apart without tearing the cords. If there is too much matting the cords should be sheared.
• SWD's should be bathed every two to four weeks in lukewarm water. Use a neutral shampo, never use human shampoo. SWD's should be allowed to air dry. If needed they can be blow dried on a low heat setting.
• The cords must be sheared one or more times a year.
• Ears and eyes should cleaned as often as they are dirty.
• As with all dogs nails should be trimmed.
• SWD's puppies should be trimed for the first time at around the age of 6 months

 Health

The breed's life expectancy is about 14 years. SWD's have few known health problems.^{[citation needed]} Some health problems seen in SWD's are:

• Hip dysplasia ^[1]
• Cataracts
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
• Glaucoma ^[1]
• Hypothyroidism

They are also prone to ear infections due to their floppy ears and the thick hair of the ear canal. These trap moisture and create an enviroment that promotes bacteria. This problem is easily avoided by cleaning the ears on a regular basis (especially after swimming).

Spanish Water Dogs are highly versatile. This one is herding sheep

There are many different theories as to its origin. but one of the most popular ones is that it was introduced by the Turks who traded in sheep and used them as sheepdogs. In Spain it is often called the "Andalusian Turk". It was also known by many other names such as ,"Perro de Agua"."Perro Turco", "Laneto", "Perro de Lanas", "Perro Patero", "Perro Rizado", "Churro", "Barbeta" and most recently "Perro de Agua Espanol".

Regardless of its exact origins, it is documented that there was a wooly coated Shepherd Dog on the Iberian Peninsula around 1100 AD

Historically, the SWD were primarily used as sheepdogs to move the flocks of sheep and goats from one pasture to another. The dogs were also called upon to work wherever a dog was required. For example, they were taught to work with fishermen as well as being taught to retrieve when hunting with the farmers.

SWDs vary in colour

Revival of the breed

In about 1975, two enthusiasts, Antonio Garcia Perez and Santiago Montesinos travelled around the countryside of Southern Spain, through the remote villages and farms of the mountainous region of Andalucia and bought or borrowed a number of dogs from the shepherds that they felt most fit the type they were looking for to establish a breeding program.

In 1980 the Spanish Water Dog Club (Spain) was formed in order to promote the breed and help get it recognized in its own country.

In 1985, after a lot of hard work and displaying the breed at various venues and dog shows the Spanish Kennel Club accepted it and gave it official status. It was provisionally recognized by Fédération Cynologique Internationale until 1999, when it was permanantly recognized. It was officially recognized in United Kennel Club in 2000.