Spanish Water Dog puppies

About the Spanish Water Dog

The Spanish Water Dog worked the farms and coasts of Andalusia, herding goats and sheep inland and helping fishermen with nets and lines on the water. This is a sturdy, athletic dog of 40 to 50 cm and 14.1 to 22.2 kg, covered in a woolly curly coat that forms cords when it is left to grow. They behave like the herding breed they are: intense, quick, strongly bonded to one or two people, and naturally wary of strangers.

Plan on a proper run every day plus training that uses the brain, because an under exercised one gets noisy and pushy. The coat is never brushed. It is either left to cord or clipped down to one length all over, and cording takes ongoing attention and someone who knows this particular breed. Shedding is minimal, which is a different thing from being safe for allergy sufferers. Early socialisation is the priority, since the wariness hardens without it. Take care with clipping, or you face a long fight with mats.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Spanish Water Dog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed and scored for
• Progressive retinal atrophy and other eye anomalies, screened by DNA test and ophthalmologist examination
• Congenital hypothyroidism with goitre, detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Allergies and ear infections under the dense coat, found on veterinary examination

Your Spanish Water Dog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Spanish Water Dog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 14.1 to 22.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 22.2 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Spanish Water Dog

Previous: Spanish Mastiff · Next: Spinone Italiano

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Spanish Water Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/spanish-water-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Saraqwerty, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.