Sporting Group
Irish Water Spaniel
The job
Built to retrieve waterfowl from the waterways of southern Ireland.
The Sniff Test
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Facts
In the 1830s, sportsman Justin McCarthy set the breed's type with his dog Boatswain.
Curly-coated Irish water dogs appear in Renaissance writings.
Height 22-24 inches (male), 21-23 inches (female). Weight 55-68 pounds (male), 45-58 pounds (female).
Photo: Pleple2000. CC BY-SA 3.0. Image source. Sources: American Kennel Club.
