OFFICIAL AKC STANDARD FOR THE SPANISH WATER DOG (Effective February 2023) GeneralAppearance: A rustic breed of the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish Water Dog is a sturdy, athletic dog of medium size and weight that is suited to perform a variety of tasks including herding, hunting, and assisting fishermen. His working ability is attributed to an intense desire to please. In profile, the Spanish Water Dog is slightly longer than tall. His distinctive rustic curly, single coat is a hallmark of the breed. He must always be shown in a natural coat and never be aesthetically groomed in any way. Traditionally, he has a docked tail; today, all tail lengths are equally acceptable.
Size, Proportion, Substance: Size-Height at the withers: Dogs, 17 ½ to 19 ¾ inches; Bitches 15¾ to 18 inches. Weight- In proportion to height. Proportion-Measured from point of shoulder to buttocks and withers to the ground 9:8. Substance- Solidly built, robust, muscular with moderate bone but neither coarse nor refined.
Head: Head- is in balance with the body. Expression is alert and attentive. Eyes are slightly oblique, very expressive and have a shade of brown from hazel to dark chestnut, with the color harmonizing with the coat. Ears are set above eye level. They are dropped, and triangular in shape with slightly rounded tips. The tips should not reach past the inside corner of the eye. Skull is broad and flat. Occiput is not prominent. Ratio of cranium to muzzle is 3:2. Stop is apparent but not abrupt. Muzzle is wide at the base, tapering slightly to the tip, strong lower jaw, never snipey. Cheeks are well filled below the eyes. Planes of skull and muzzle are parallel. Nose is of the same color or slightly darker than the darkest color of the coat and has well defined nostrils. Beige or white dogs may have either black or brown pigment. Lips are well fitting, labial corners well defined and are pigmented as the nose. Flews are tight. Scissors bite preferred, level bite accepted. Teeth are strong with full dentition.
Neck, Topline, Body: Neck is strong and moderate in length, blending smoothly into the shoulders. Back is straight and topline is firm and level. Body is robust. The body is slightly longer than tall in an approximate ratio of 9:8 measured from the point of shoulder to the point of buttocks. Chest is broad and well let down, reaching the elbows. Depth of chest to height at withers is 50 percent. Loin is short. The length of the back comes from the length of the ribcage, not from that of the loin. Croup is slightly sloping. Tail is set smoothly into the croup neither high nor low. The tail is historically docked; today all tail lengths are equally acceptable. Docked tails are docked between the 2nd and 4th vertebrae. Full length tails reach approximately to the hock. Some individuals display a brachyury (natural bob-tail) gene which can shorten the tail anywhere from an almost full tail to no tail at all. Preferred carriage is scimitarlike, carried either high or low. Preference is not to be given to docked or undocked tails. Skin is supple and adheres closely to the body.
Forequarters: Shoulders are well-muscled and well-laid back and approximately the same length as the upper arm. Elbows are close to the chest and turn neither in nor out. Legs are straight, and strong with moderate bone. Pasterns are strong and flexible. Front dewclaws may be removed. Feet are round and compact. Toes are tight and well arched.
Hindquarters: The hindquarters give an impression of strength and energetic impulsion. Angulation is in balance with the front. Upper thigh is well muscled. Stifle is well bent. Second thigh is well developed. Hock joint is well let down. Rear pastern is short and perpendicular to the ground. Dewclaws if present are to be removed. Feet are as the front.
Color: The Spanish Water Dog may be solid (in its various shades of black, brown, beige, or white), Irish-marked or parti-color where one of the colors must be white. Disqualifications- Tri-color, tan-point, parti-color where one of the colors is not white, or albino.
Coat: The rustic coat is a hallmark of the breed. Any brushing, scissoring, aesthetic trimming or sculpting of the coat destroys breed type and must be penalized so severely as to eliminate the dog from competition. The hair is a single coat, always curly and of a wooly texture. For shows, the recommended extended length of the coat is between 1-6 inches to demonstrate the quality of the curl or cord. There is no preference for length of coat within this range. The sole breed clip is a utilitarian kennel clip, one length all over the entire dog. Left to grow long, coats will develop roughly pencil-thin cords that are distinct from those of other breeds in their degree of felting: from loose to tight, with the quality of the curl being evident throughout. Cords must have natural fish-hook curls at the tips indicating a lack of scissoring or shaping. Puppy coats: Puppy coat (up to 15 months) may be wavy and somewhat softer than adult coat. Most puppy coats will not form cords. Disqualification- Smooth or wavy coat.
Gait: Movement is efficient, free, smooth, and ground covering. Balance combines good reach in forequarters with front foot reaching the nose, and equally strong drive in the rear. As speed increases, the feet converge toward the centerline of gravity while the back remains firm and level.
Temperament: The Spanish Water Dog is faithful, obedient, lively, hard-working, and watchful. He is highly intelligent with an outstanding learning ability. His loyalty and protective instincts make him a self-appointed guardian to his owner, his family and his property. He should be neither timid nor shy, but is naturally suspicious of strangers. He is very affectionate with his own people.
Disqualifications: Tricolor, tan-point or parti-color, where one of the colors is not white, or albino.Smoothorwavycoat.
Previous Spanish Water Dog AKC Standard (March 2012-January 2023)
General Appearance: A rustic breed of the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish Water Dog is a sturdy, medium sized, well proportioned, athletic dog that is suited to perform a variety of tasks including herding, hunting, and fisherman's assistant. He is a loyal, vigilant, and intelligent working dog with strong herding instincts. His working ability is attributed to an intense desire to please. In profile, the Spanish Water Dog is slightly longer than tall. He has a distinctive curly coat, which is adapted to the variation of humidity and drought of his homeland. Traditionally, he has a docked tail.
Size, Proportion, Substance: Height at the withers: Dogs, 17 1/2-19 3/4 inches; Bitches, 15 3/4 to 18 inches. Weight: In proportion to height. Proportions: Measured from point of shoulder to buttocks and withers to the ground 9:8. Substance: Solidly built, robust, muscular with moderate bone but neither coarse nor refined.
Head: Head is in balance with the body. Expression is alert and attentive. Eyes are slightly oblique, very expressive and have a shade of brown from hazel to dark chestnut, with the color harmonizing with the coat. Ears are set at medium height at eye level. They are drooping and triangular in shape with slightly rounded tips. The tips should not reach past the inside corner of the eye. Skull is broad and flat. Occiput is not prominent. Ratio of cranium to muzzle is 3:2. Stop is apparent but not abrupt. Muzzle is wide at the base, tapering slightly to a rounded tip. Cheeks are well filled below the eyes. Planes of skull and muzzle are parallel. Nose is of the same color or slightly darker than the darkest color of the coat and has well defined nostrils. Beige or white dogs may have either black or brown pigment. Lips are well fitting, labial corners well defined and are pigmented as the nose. Flews aretight. Scissors bite preferred, level bite accepted. Teeth are strong with full dentition.
Neck, Topline and Body: Neck is in proportion to the length of the body; strong and slightly arched, blending smoothly into the shoulders. Topline is straight. Body is robust. The body is slightly longer than tall in an approximate ratio of nine to eight measured from the point of shoulder to the point of buttocks. The length of the back comes from the length of the ribcage, not from that of the loin. Chest is broad and well let down, reaching at least the elbows. Ratio of depth of chest to height at withers is 50% of the height. Ribsare well sprung. Tuck-up is slight. Back is straight and powerful. Loin is short. Croup is slightly sloping. Tail is set smoothly into the croup neither high nor low. Traditionally docked between the 2nd and 4th vertebra, some are born with a naturally bobbed tail which can range from almost no tail to almost a full tail. Preference is not to be given to docked or undocked tails. Skin is supple, fine and adheres closely to the body.
Forequarters: Shoulders are well-muscled and well-laid back and approximately the same length as the upper arm. The upper arm and scapula form approximately a 90-degree angle. Elbows are close to the chest and turn neither in nor out. Legs are straight, and strong with moderate bone. Pasterns are strong and flexible. Front dewclaws may be removed. Feet are round and compact. Toes are tight and well arched.
Hindquarters: The hindquarters give an impression of strength and energetic impulsion. Angulation is in balance with the front. Upper thigh is well muscled. Stifle is well bent. Second thigh is well developed. Hock joint is well let down. Rear pastern is short and perpendicular to the ground. Dewclaws if present are to be removed. Feet are as the front.
Color: The Spanish Water Dog may be solid (in its various shades of black, brown, beige, or white) or parti-color where the second color is white. Disqualification: Tricolor, tan-point, or parti-color where the second color is not white.
Coat: The hair is a single coat, always curly and of a wooly texture. It is never brushed or combed and is shown either in natural curls or in rustic cords with tapered tips. The ends of the cords usually show a curl. The entire body, including the head, should be well covered with hair. In full coat, the hair will cover the eyes. Clipped subjects are allowed, the clipping always complete and even, never to become an “aesthetic” grooming. Minimal hygienic trimming is allowed but should not be noticeable on presentation. For shows, the recommended extended length of the coat is between 1 inch and 5 inches to demonstrate the quality of the curl or cord. Any brushing, aesthetic trimming, or sculpting of the coat that alters natural appearance is to be severely penalized. Traditionally, the Spanish Water Dog was sheared one time per year (with the sheep), the same length all over. Disqualification: Smooth or wavy coat.
Gait: Movement is free, smooth, effortless, and ground covering. Balance combines good reach in forequarters with front foot reaching the nose, and strong drive in the rear. As speed increases, the feet converge toward the centerline of gravity of the dog while the back remains firm and level.
Temperament: The Spanish Water Dog is faithful, obedient, lively, hard working, and watchful. He is highly intelligent with an outstanding learning ability. His loyalty and protective instincts make him a self-appointed guardian to his owner, his family, and his property. He should be neither timid nor shy, but is naturally suspicious of strangers. Properly introduced, and given time, the Spanish Water Dog will accept strangers. He is very affectionate with his own people.
Disqualifications: Parti-colored, where the second color is not white Tri color, tan point Smooth or wavy coat