Irish Water Spaniels

[barbiespoodle]

I have always admired them and it is one of the breeds I'm considering as a companion for my standard poodle when the time comes for my 15 yr old chow cross to be put down, something I'm facing very soon.

I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some info on them as far as care, energy level, trainablity, health issues, grooming requirements, ect. Don't pull any punches, I know that all breeds have their plus's and minus, I want to make sure I'm fully informed before I pursue this breed.

[Borzoi mad]

I am sure Carole (Jake on here) will be along to help shortly.

[Jake2006]

Hi

I am the very proud owner of an Irish Water Spaniel (also known as Bog Dog, Rat-tail). I am sure that an IWS would make a wonderful companion to an SP. I've owned poodles before and would always recommend poodles too.

Here's a link to the sporting irish water spaniel club UK - you can learn a lot from that site
http://www.siwsc.org.uk/

also
http://www.irishwaterspaniels.org.uk/gallery.html

Jake needs plenty of exercise - he needs a strong consistent leader, you can't afford to be weak or inconsistent or Jake will be his own boss. Despite what the literature says they do shed a little - very fine hairs. They are not as hair-free as a poodle. However, they do not shed like e.g. labrador etc. It is mild (if any) shedding.

Ideally I clip Jake every 6 weeks - same as poodles. You don't have to clip them but clipping Jake controls his hair loss. Jake swims 2/3 times a week (even in winter) so that keeps his coat in good condition. He swims in the River Spey which I am told is the purest river in Europe.

Unlike poodles IWS have webbed feet. This enables them to swim very strongly. They also have a tail which looks rather like a rat's - so woo betide if you get whipped with it when they are excited. LOL

Pros - Loyal; affectionate; very intelligent - every bit as intelligent as a poodle; don't shed much if at all; comical - full of character; don't bark much; excellent swimmer. Jake has never destroyed a thing - apart from his own toys - and I'm told that this is consistent with the breed.

Cons - like most gun dogs has a taste for the poo of other dogs - this has been controlled with a masterplus spray collar and isn't a problem now. Can be oafish, especially if not regularly exercised. Not destructive, just clumsy.

With regard to health I suggest you read the link I've sent. However, Jake is pretty robust, other than a tendency to exhibit IBS type symptoms if he is REALLY excited!

Don't take any notice of some of the elitiest breeders owners who claim that you have to have zillions of years experience and cannot possibly own this dog unless you are a professional breeder or gun dog handler - that's rubbish! This has probably led to the demise of the breed which is now endangered. IWS can be a little aloof and stand-offish from people or dogs they don't know. But once they become familiar with them they are very loyal. You wouldn't get a problem with an IWS making him/herself a nusciance with other dogs.

Overall, I don't think he's any more or less difficult/better to own than a poodle - just different.

http://kirkmarsh.co.uk/kirksub/index.htm
here's another link - sometimes they have IWS puppies but they are like gold dust!

If you would like any further advice or information I'd be delighted to help in any way I can or send you links to IWS breeders.

Carole xx

p.s. Look at Jake in the gallery - you'll get an idea of his character from his pictures.

[barbiespoodle]

Thanks Carole, that was very informative and from the way your Jake sounds, he's not all that different than a standard poodle, I have heard they are thought to share common ancestors. I have had or been around standards for over 30 years so I have a feeling IWS's are right up my tree. After your info, I want one even more, I even have a pond for swimming, lol.

Unfortunally I did a web search out of curiosity and it would seem that they are not very popular here in the states, so actually finding one might not be possible. Maybe when the time comes that I am actually ready to get one, I might luck out and find a pup or a rescue, I can always hope, I did just happen to get lucky and found my latest standard after many heartbreaks of almost having one and then losing it at the last second through no fault of my own, so maybe just wanting one bad enough like as bad as I wanted another standard will be enough to turn luck my way.

Now just one tiny thing, poodles also have web feet, after all, they were bred to be water dogs first, foo foo pets second. Don't know about where you're at, but the AKC has finally allowed standard poodles in field trials and they do quite well, have even been on the cover of field and stream, standards still have that retriever instinct.

[Jake2006]

Hi
Just might be able to help you out - long shot but ............. if you look on the Kirkmarsh site you will see 'Bentley' our american boy. He came from the US to introduce some different breeding stock (currently AI is commonly used to avoid genetic defects). So, I could maybe give get you details of breeders etc in US from Kirkmarsh. Many of the IWS owners go to the US - never know!

[Jake2006]

Oh by the way I think your standard is gorgeous!

http://kirkmarsh.co.uk/kirksub/bentley.htm
Look at this page -

[barbiespoodle]

Thanks a ton again Carole. Loved the website showing agility, I've just decided I'm going to give my Chewie a shot at agility after he did a running jump over a 2 foot high curvert pipe sitting above ground waiting to be buried, on our hike yesterday. I'll also be new to agility, so we'll learn together, already got plans for jumps, teeters and weave poles to practice at home.

Me wanting to get an IWS is in the future. It won't be until my old chow cross is gone, she's 15 yrs old and has a lot of problems so it's a lot of work for me to keep her as comfortable as possible, but she's been my girl since she was 6 weeks old, so I owe her. When the time comes, I might be bothering you again, I'll take all the help I can find.

Plus I want to get some training on Chewie first, which we have been working on. It's so hard to believe that it was only 3 months ago that I took that next to dead, filthy, weak, timid, bad of bones from a pound over two hours from me. He use to be afraid of his own shadow, now he's a confident, outgoing, BRAT that is in bad need of training and now that the weather has broke, I walk him over 3 miles everyday after work just to get him down to hyper, at only hyper, I can get him to listen fairly well and he's actually doing very well with heal, sit, down and stay so far. Not too bad for a 10 month old puppy in that terrible teenage stage the larger breeds go through.

Thanks for the compliment. I do have to admit he does have a next to perfect poodle face, I didn't even know that when I took him, he was in bad need of grooming. I can't say that I like the parti color, in fact, I actually swore I would never have one, didn't even know he was one when I went to see him. But if you were me, would you have left him?

Oops, all 64 pounds of him (he's gained almost 20 pounds in 3 months and is still lean) is trying to crawl on my lap to let me know that dawn has broke and it's time for us to go on our walk, maybe we'll get 4 miles in today.

[Jake2006]

Chewie certainly was lucky to find you - and if I were you, could I have left him ..........well let me think that one over.........not for a milisecond - of course not.

Have a look at this thread I think Jake and Chewie may be soul mates! LOL

http://www.dogforum.org/showthread.php?t=17382

[barbiespoodle]

OMG Carole, I'm in tears looking at those pics. I want to say "how could anyone do that to such a noble dog" but unfortunally I know all too well that it takes a special person to understand a highly intelligent and energic breed. Well maybe not so much an understanding person as one who is at least as intelligent as the dog, lol. I'm so glad you found Jake and are giving him the life he deserves, I can see you understand what it's like not having the heart to leave a dog you know needs you, even if it's not the dog you want, and then loving that dog as if it was the greatest dog ever born.

Yes, Chewie and Jake are soul mates, such a shame they are an ocean apart, I have a feeling they would be the best of friends. What pictures I have of him do not show the shape I found him in because he had so much hair, he was only 46 pounds at over 24 inches at the shoulder, I could have cut my hands on his backbone when I petted him.

You have seen my sig pic of Chewie, this is him the day after I got him, you can see how afraid he was, he was so sure I was going to beat him, it took me weeks to convince him that I wouldn't, he use to run, yelping, to hide if he thought he did something wrong which could be something as touching the furniture, or unable to control his bowels because he had explosive diarea. Sigh, I use to have that tall puppy spilling everything on the coffee table as he tried to get under it to escape and that made him even more afraid, it's been a long process to convince him that he is safe with me. http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/mamaturkey/011.jpg

[Jake2006]

Oh now its my turn for niagra falls! When I first saw the picture I showed it to hubby and he said 'ah he's begging for food looking sorry for himself' and i said read the post and then he said 'yes I can see he truly is scared'.

Sounds like he too has IBS - poor baby it just shows how they have been treated when they have 'explosive diahorrea'. (not always that but often) Is he OK now?

I hope your 15 year old's health doesn't deteriorate too significantly - have you any pictures of him/her?

[barbiespoodle]

It has been so great talking to you Carole, it's nice having someone who understands not only what it's like to rescue a dog, but also someone who has one so close in temperment to by beloved standards.

Chewie didn't have IBS. How I found him was a listing on petfinder for a young male standard poodle at a pound over 2 hours from me, there was no discription or pic, it only said that he was an owner turn in for chewing too much (Oh gee, a 7 month old puppy that chews, who would have ever thought that would ever happen? Geeze, some people). By the time I was able to call and then wait for the right people to come in to check, I wasn't going to drive over 2 hours to find him gone, and then getting there and getting home, it was so late I couldn't get him to the vet that night.

We weren't 2 minutes on the road when he started with the diarea and from the smell of it, I was possitive he had parvo, smell that once and you'll never forget it. All that night it was constant and everywhere, poor thing couldn't help it and OMG the smell, I was in tears because I was so possitive it was parvo, not only because of what I was going through but because the pound had so many puppies, this was not a minor matter.

I got him to the vet the next day and the vet opened the plastic bag I had his stool sample in and went white, she also thought parvo from the smell.

After all the test it turns out that it wasn't parvo but such a heavy infestation of whipworms that his entire digestive system lining was swollen and bleeding, seems the parvo smell comes from blood and that is why he had such bad diarea that smelled like parvo, it was basically pure blood. Between the swelling and the bleeding, he wasn't able to get any nutrience from his food and the vet said he was the worse case she ever saw, he was pretty close to being dead. He had to be put on perscription food, he was unable to digest normal dog food, or what little the worms left for him, and given a course of digestive bacteria since all of his had been killed off from the worms.

It took about a month before he had a normal stool, who would have ever thought a normal pile of dog mess would be the highlight of my life, lol. Now he's able to eat normal food and put on almost 20 pounds. He also went from a dog that 10 minutes of activity would wear him out to a puppy that is bouncing off the walls, aka, a normal 10 month old standard puppy. It took a lot longer to get him over his mental issue from his past abuse than it took to get him well, but he's made great leaps. He still worries from time to time that I'm going to hit him, but that's getting less and less as time goes by.

My 15 year old dog is on a day by day basis. I know she doesn't have much longer and I'm trying to deal with that. She has her bad days and I think this is it, but I wait and then she'll have a good day, or as good as it get's for her anymore, unfortunally there are more bad days than good days as she gets older. She's next to blind, I leave night lights on for her all over the house, but it's not so much that as that I know she hurts. She's displastic to start with, but with her age and the damp winter/spring we're having, there are some days she can't even get up, I have to put her hindend in a sling so I can lift her to do her business. I'm just watching her and I hope I know in my heart when it's time, right now I think she's still happy, we have our special time everyday, time away from the brat, just me and her and we have our own special treat, the one that is just for her. And she still has enough of her old spirt to put the brat in his place, he's learned to step lightly around her.

This is her in her younger days. Best I can figure, she's a cross between a chow, golden retriever (the vet said her eplispy came from her GR side) and collie.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/mamaturkey/P4070035.jpg


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/mamaturkey/pop.jpg


Now for a funny story about Chewie. A lady at work gave me a lovely picture frame with white poodles around it because it made her think of me. I ask an artist friend of mine if she would paint in some black parts to make it look like Chewie. I decided to hike to her house through the back fields with Chewie because I have been working with Chewie on his off lead recall, plus I wanted him to meet my friends dog, the biggest, blackest, Shepherd I ever saw and my adopted son. On the edge of the corn field, my foot got tangles in a blackberry runner and I tripped. I only went down on my knees and hands, but Chewie thought it was all a game, jumped on my back sent me flying face first into the mud and than sat on me. Imagine me laying in all that cold mud pinned by a standard poodle on top of me. And I know he was laughing, I swear that dog laughs, lol.

On a side note, because Jake is a retriever, do you have problems with him stealing? My last standard always had to have shoe in his mouth, never chewed, just had to have one to carry around. And when we were on a walk, he had to carry his own lead, just as long as he had something in his mouth. Chewie on the other hand is a thief, carries anything he can out to his run through the doggie door. Every few days I go out to collect his bootie. I have found remotes, hand held games, socks, hats, brushes, socks, is million of toys, basically anything he can carry off.

[Jake2006]

Chewie certainly was lucky for you to have rescued him (fate eh?). I know exactly what you mean about having an interest in dogs' stools! The irony is that if Chewie's previous owner had invested some time in researching his medical condition he'd have had a happy dog - same as Jake. Having said that they were both abused. Jake was terribly 'hand-shy' when we got him. if anyone made a sudden movement he used to cower. If he spotted the gamekeeper or anyone wearing dark green looking like a shooter he would get behind hubby's legs. He was waiting to go into Dogs Trust at 11 months old -

Lovely stories about Chewie and your walk. I can just imagine it!

I don't have problems with Jake stealing - but he does like to have a job. So his job is being in charge of my slippers - when I'm out he has them in the box with him; when i return he fetches them to me. I keep a few pairs so they don't get covered in dog saliva! His other job, which he takes extremely seriously, is guarding the house when we go to bed. He comes upstairs with us and sits and the bedroom door but as soon as we put the light out he comes straight downstairs and takes up duty in the hall - he stays there until the paper and the post have been. He tells me that they've arrived and if I don't go to investigate he keeps coming and nudging me. He's happy once I've picked up the post, whatever. His other job is patrolling the land which he does efficiently. Fingers crossed, we've never had foxes killing out chickens, but there is always a first time. He includes their run area in his territory (they are his pack) so he looks after them - sort of! His other job is helping me unload the washing machine (his blankets and towels not ours).

Your elderly lady looks wonderful. Its always a sad time when you have to make the decision to end their days. But, what is important is quality of life and as long as she's having quality of life and can work around her disabilities then its fine. You will know when the time is right and I know just exactly how that feels. I used to use old leotards as slings - my heart goes out to you and to anyone in a similar position. Life is hard but love doesn't have to be and if you love your pets you have to let them go when its their time. they can't do it themselves -

xxxxx