English Water Spaniel

Extinct

English Water Spaniel (Water Dog) It is a breed of dog that has been extinct since the first part of the 20th century, was last seen in the s 1930. Is of English origin.

He was very famous for his skill in hunting waterfowl and being able to dive like a duck. It was described as similar to a Collie or a cross between a Poodle and Curly-coated Springer Spaniel and was usually white with liver or brown markings.

The English Water Spaniel is prior to Irish Water Spaniel (Whiptail). Historians of the race, They claim that they have been mentioned by Shakespeare in his work "Macbeth”, and they believe that they have influenced genetically in several modern dog breeds, including therein to the American Water Spaniel, the Curly-coated Retriever and the Field Spaniel, Although it is unknown if the race was involved in the creation of Irish Water Spaniel.

In 1570, the Dr. John Caius wrote a description of the English Water Spaniel. But the race is officially mentioned by name in 1802, in the "Sportsman’s Cabinet” (organization that nuclear all hunting sports), where they describe the English Water Spaniel like a dog "natural hair is long and curly, and compact, not loose and messy”, the description was accompanied by an engraving in which a English Hair Spaniel white with liver spots. This shows that the English Water Spaniel is prior to Irish Water Spaniel, not developed as a breed recognized until the Decade of 1830.

The Kennel Club –initially– had a specific classification in which all the "Non-Irish water dogs”. That standard was created specifically for the English Water Spaniel by Hugh Dalziel in one of his books dedicated to the races of water dogs.

In an article of his published in the year 1897, Hugh Dalziel, ensured that, I didn't think the breed was extinct, on the other hand, He assured that there were still many specimens of the breed distributed throughout the country, and keeping alive the race passed through motivate breeders from the most important clubs and canine committees, in the perpetuation and improvement of the breed. But later, Dalziel, regretted the fact that while the Irish Water Spaniel became famous, the English Water Spaniel was absorbed by other breeds of spaniel, under the eye of the most important clubs and canine committees, until you reach the extinction…

In 1967, the author John Fawcett Gordon (and politician from Northern Ireland) He said: “After two centuries of breeding the English Water Spaniel has become extinct. No specimen has been seen again in the last thirty years”.

At least, It is believed that the English Water Spaniel has left its legacy in descendant races...

Some authors include within these races the American Water Spaniel which was also developed using additional genetic material from the Irish Water Spaniel and of the Flat-coated Retriever. The Curly-coated Retriever is considered to have descended from Poodle, of the Setter, of the extinct St. John’s Water Dog and of the English Water Spaniel.

The records for the origin of the modern breed Field Spaniel are more precise and show that one of the four parent dogs used in the creation of the breed was a English Water Spaniel crossed with a Cocker Spaniel officially registered as a Sussex Spaniel, due to its liver-colored spots. ¿Es lioso?, truth?

The English Water Spaniel looked more like a curly-haired version of the Springer Spaniel, with some features of the Collie, Pudelhund, and Setter.

With white hair and liver-colored spots (brown), they measured about 51 cm in height to the cross. They were thin, long-legged characteristic of some Spaniel, with the tail and long ears, White under belly and Brown dorsum. With a head long and narrow small and those long ears covered with thick and very defined curls. The body was moderately thick, barrel-shaped, but not as much as the Field Spaniel.