Irish Water Spaniel — breed standard (AKC & FCI: size, coat, temperament, type)

Irish Water Spaniel — breed standard (AKC & FCI: size, coat, temperament, type)

Claims

• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* An Irish water dog (FCI standard 124) in FCI Group 8, which covers Retrievers, Flushing Dogs and Water Dogs, placed in Section 3 (the Water Dogs) with a working trial; used as a wildfowling retriever.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Size: AKC height 22–24 in dogs, 21–23 in bitches; weight 55–68 lb dogs, 45–58 lb bitches. FCI height 53–59 cm dogs, 51–56 cm bitches.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* The coat is a dense mass of tight, crisp ringlets with a natural oiliness and no woolliness; the face is smooth, the skull carries a topknot of long loose curls, and the tail is the smooth "rat tail" (curled only at the root).
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Colour is a very rich puce liver (the AKC describes liver to dark liver with a purplish cast); white is undesirable, and white on the chest is a fault.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Temperament is alert, curious and active, stable and humorous, proud and loyal, though reserved with strangers; the AKC notes it is never aggressive or shy.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Faults include white on chest or feet, a pale coat, a light eye, a woolly coat, feathering on the front of the hocks, stern or face, missing foreleg feather, and splay feet.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Disqualifications: aggressive or extremely timid dogs, or any with clear physical or behavioural defects.