How to buy your new
Water dog puppy...
Step 1 -
Email us with your interest and location. We will then
send you pictures / video etc of the puppy and pictures of
mum and dad.
Step 2 -
Once your sure, make payment via Pay Pal / Credit Card
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Step 3 -
We deliver your newest member of the
family to your door.
All
Water dog
puppy prices
include...
- Pedigree papers from
the F.C.I.
- Full Vaccinations
- Micro
Chipped
- Pet Passport Book
- 1 bag of Royal Canin
or Hills
Puppy Food
- Free delivery in
Andalucia - P.O.A on all other areas/countries
Please
be sure you have
the time and money to care for your puppy
properly.
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Spanish Water dog information
TThe Spanish Water Dog is
rustic, well proportioned of medium weight. The head is strong
and carried with elegance. The Skull is flat with only slight
marked occipital crest. Axes of skull and muzzle are parallel.
The nostrils well defined. The nose is of the same color or
slightly darker than the darkest one of the coat. The lips are
well fitting; labial corners well defined. The teeth are
well-formed, white, with well developed canines. The eyes are
slightly oblique position, very expressive; of a hazel to
chestnut color, should harmonize with the color of the coat. The
conjunctiva is not apparent. The neck is short, well muscled,
without dewlap, well set into the shoulders. The body is robust
and the topline straight. The withers are hardly marked and the
back is straight and powerful. The croup is slightly sloping.
The chest is broad and well-let down-ribs well arched; diameter
of thorax ample indicating considerable respiratory capacity.
The belly is slightly tucked up. The tail is set at medium
height. Docking must be done at the height of the 2nd to the 4th
vertebra. Certain subjects show a congenital shortened tail
(brachyouria). The forequarters are strong and vertical. The
shoulders are well muscled and oblique. The upper arms are
sturdy and the elbows are close to the chest and parallel. The
forearms are straight and sturdy. The front feet are rounded,
toes tight, nails of varied colors, resistant pads. The
hundquarters are perfectly vertical with not too pronounced
angulations and muscles capable of transmitting to the body a
very energetic impulsion and the spring necessary for easy and
elegant jumping. The upper thighs are long and well muscled. The
skin is supple, fine and well adhering to the body. Can be
pigmented brown or black, or be without pigment according to the
color of the coat. The same applies to the mucous membranes. The
coat is always curly and of woolly texture. Curly when short,
can form cords when long. Clipped subjects are admitted; the
clipping, always complete and even, must never become and
(aesthetic) grooming. The recommended maximum length of the hair
for shows is 12 cm (15 cm extending the curl) and minimum is 3
cm to see the quality of the curl. The puppies always are born
with curly hair. Colors include white, black and chestnut in
their different shades. Bicoloured: White and black or white and
brown in their different shades. Tricoloured subjects and black
and tan, as well as hazelnut and tan dogs are not admitted.
Temperament
The Spanish Water Dog is an
extremely intelligent and well balanced versatile working dog
with strong herding, hunting and guardian instincts. He is an
exceptional companion, devoted to family, attentive and happy
dog, showing strength and stamina combined with unusual agility.
He is versatile and easily trained, performing his assigned
tasks with competence and dignity. He is reserved with strangers
but should not exhibit shyness. Although an authoritative
worker, viciousness toward people or animals is intolerable. The
Spanish Water Dog is a large dog in a medium body. They should
be socialized at a young age with people and other small
animals. Be sure you are this dogs firm, consistent, confident
pack leader to prevent them from becoming protective and
territorial. Although they make fine companions and pets,
Spanish Water Dogs (as any other dog) should never be left
unsupervised with small children. Because of their high
intelligence and working drive, they must be kept mentally and
physically active doing something. Some of the tasks that the
Spanish Water Dogs are used for are search and rescue, bomb
detection, narcotics detection, herding, water sports,
competitive agility, therapy work. etc.. teams of Spanish Water
Dogs as rescue dogs were sent to Turkey, Mexico and Colombia
after they experienced earth-quakes.
Size
Height: Males 17-20 inches
(44 to 50 cm.) Females 16-18 inches (40 to 46 cm.)
Weight:
Males 40-49 pounds (18-22 kg.) Females 30-40 pounds (14-18 kg.)
Needs
The Spanish Water Dog should
get plenty of exercise, which includes a daily walk. They are
energetic and lively and are in their glory when allowed to romp
and play. As young puppies (from 1 month to 7 months of age),
their exercise should never be over-taxed, to avoid possible
bone an joint problems later on, but should still be taken on a
daily walk. They become more active and sleep less as they
mature and by the time they are a year old, these dogs have
endless stamina and are very fast, athletic and agile.
The Spanish Water Dog can adapt to almost
all environments or circumstances, as long as it gets enough
exercise and is suitable for all climates. These hardy dogs can
endure both extreme heat and cold with no problems
Grooming
First one must determine what
duties the dog will undertake. Will he be used for hunting,
water-sports, agility or some other form of work, or will he be
a show dog. As a working dog you might want to shear the dog
often as the coat will hinder his work in the bush while
hunting, the hair will be broken of on the branches in the woods
thus causing him to have an un-kept look, however if you shear
him down he will always look clean and neat. The SWD is a rustic
working dog. The coat of the SWD should never be combed or
brushed. When allowed to grow, the coat may form cords. To
maintain the coat, bathe only when necessary, using a mild
shampoo without heavy conditioners. During the bath, the coat
should never be rubbed excessively, the soap should be worked
through the coat as if washing a sweater. After the dog is
allowed to shake, the coat may be blotted with a towel, never
rubbed vigorously. Allow the dog to air dry, or use a crate
dryer, never a blow dryer. The coat will naturally mat which is
what forms the cords. If the coat becomes excessively matted,
the cords can be separated by pulling the mats apart with your
fingers down to the skin. For show dogs, the Spanish Water Dog
should never be aesthetically groomed. The cords should never be
trimmed. The coat should be sheared down at least once a year
(or more if you prefer a shorter coat) using a #5 blade on the
entire body which leaves 1/4 inch of hair, including the head,
and the ears. Once or twice a week one should look behind the
ears and the area where he sits and with your fingers separate
any cords that might bind together. Bathe as needed, drying
takes some time. Consistent minimal work is needed to help
develop the proper cording. The Spanish Water Dog does not shed
it's coat and is a single coated breed. While this produces less
dander, people with severe allergies should use caution. The
Spanish Water Dog is a hypo-allergenic dog (meaning LESS
allergies) but not a non-allergenic dog. Some people are
allergic to the saliva and urine as well as the dander. If there
are concerns about allergies, it is recommended that one spends
time with the Spanish Water Dog to see if they are indeed
allergic.
Water dog Origins
Origin History of the Spanish
Water Dog
By Antonio Garcia Perez and Sheryl Gaines
The Spanish Water Dog is an ancient breed. There are several
theories regarding its origins, however, the exact origin is not
known. One theory suggests that the Turkish merchants brought
the dog to the South Iberian Peninsula along with the flocks of
livestock as they moved throughout the Mediterranean. Another
theory suggests North African origin. Regardless of its exact
origin, there is documentation of a wooly coated Water Dog on
the Iberian Peninsula in 1110 AD. It is generally accepted that
these wooly coated dogs were the ancestors to the common trunk
of water dogs.
The breed has been known by many different
names, including, Perro de Agua, Perro Turco, Laneto, Perro de
Lanas, Perro Patero, Perro Rizado, Churro, Barbeta and most
recently Perro de Agua Espanol.
In Spain, the Water Dog
was primarily used for herding sheep and goats. In the
eighteenth century, a large company called “La Mesta” was
responsible for moving livestock, including the Water Dogs, from
south to north of Spain and back again searching for fertile
grazing areas. This route was known as “Canada Real”. The
movement of animals was known as “Trashumancia” Because of this,
there were dogs working throughout Spain. When the French
Napoleonic forces occupied Spain, the “Trashumancia” began to
diminish. Spain’s Queen Elizabeth II’s minister Espartero, gave
plots of land to farmers, including livestock and dogs to guard
and herd the livestock. The French Aristocracy admired the Water
Dog and brought them back to Paris. There are paintings
depicting French and Spanish Royalty with Water Dogs which can
be seen in “La Palacio de Granja” in Segovia.
While the
Industrial Revolution affected the North of Spain and Madrid, it
“forgot” the Andalucians. While shepherds in other parts of
Spain replaced their herding dogs with German Shepherd Dogs and
Belgian Shepherds, the Water Dog remained in the Southern part
of Spain, especially Cadiz and the mountains of Malaga in
Andalucia due to its ability to work in the mountains. At the
same time, in the ports of Seville, Algecieras and Malaga, the
Water Dog was used to tow boats to shore. Later, when this task
was no longer necessary, they were used in the Northern part of
the country to assist the fisherman with their nets.
The
Water Dog was also used for hunting water fowl and upland game.
The fishermen in the Northern part of Spain, preferred the
lighter colored dogs because they were easier to see in the
water, so they primarily used white, beige and bi-colored dogs.
The farmers preferred the darker colored dogs because they were
easier to see in the pastures, so most of those dogs were brown
or black.
The recent history of the breed began around
1980 when at a dog show in San Pedro, Malaga, a woman named Mrs.
Mesdag brought a Spanish Water Dog to be shown as an Andalucian
Breed. This show was organized by Santiago Montesinos Rubio and
judged by RSCE judge David Salamanca Ortega. At the show,
Antonio Garcia Perez, who was showing German Shepherd Dogs, saw
the dog and told Mr Montesinos and Salamanca that he has seen
many of these dogs in Ubrique and surrounding areas (Andalucia)
and always wondered why he could never find the breed in any dog
book, as they were with his family as long as anyone could
remember. Santiago Montesinos, who was from Estepa (Seville)
also remembered the dogs from his youth. Antonio Garcia asked Mr
Salamanca and Mr. Montessinos to help him get the breed
recognized, and they agreed. The first thing they did is request
photographs and any records that might be available. Santiago
Montessinos Rubio then formed Club de Perro de Agua and designed
the logo. He came to Ubrique and surrounding areas, using his
own money to take photographs and study the breed. He sent many
letters to the RSCE (Central Kennel Club of Spain), but got no
response.
In the summer of 1983, Antonio Garcia Perez met
with the Ministry of Agriculture, bringing many photographs and
Super 8 film, to discuss the Standard for the Breed. The
Standard that he initially wrote and presented was for two
different sizes of Spanish Water Dogs, but they would not accept
this, so the Official Standard was made into one with a larger
range of sizes. It was based on a dog named “Lucky” owned by
Antonio Morena. It was accepted by the Ministry of Agriculture.
In the fall of that same year, at the Madrid World Dog Show at
Hipodromo de la Zarauela, two brown dogs were shown, one male
and one female. The President of the Spanish Government, Mr.
Filipe Gonzalez was in attendance at the show. He told the
President of the RSCE, Mr. Valentin Alvarez that he knew the
breed because he had seen them in South Andalucia where he grew
up. Antonio Garcia Perez promised Mr. Gonzalez a puppy once the
breed was officially recognized.
On May 19, 1985, at the
Madrid International Dog Show, held at Retiro Park, 47 Spanish
Water Dogs were shown to be registered for the first time. There
were 42 dogs from the South of Spain and 5 from the North. Due
to all the dogs not meeting the Standard, for example some were
Albino or had the incorrect bite, about 40 dogs were registered.
The breed was officially recognized by RSCE and put into FCI
Group VIII (flushing dogs) Section 3 (water dogs). The PDAE was
provisionally recognized by FCI until 1999 when it received full
recognition.
On September 6, 1986, Antonio Garcia Perez
presented a male puppy to Mr. Gonzalez at the Palacio de
LaMoncloa. The dog was a brown dog called “Rabon”, born with a
natural bob tail. A few days later, the first “Monografica” was
held in Ubrique with 27 dogs and was judged by Mr. Marquez de
Parales. Best in Show was a brown male named “Marquez Chocolat”.
Best of Opposite was a bitch called “Mori”
The Spanish
Water Dog can still be found working in the mountains of
southern Andalucia herding goat and sheep as they have been for
the last 1000 years. They are also used for many more modern
tasks such as Search and Rescue and bomb sniffing by the Spanish
Government.
Training your dog
How to Groom your dog
