Gundog group · United States
American Water Spaniel
Also called AWS, American Brown Spaniel.
Medium dog, high energy, quick to learn.
- Happy
- Eager
- Charming
- Versatile
- Energetic
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 11 to 20 kg25 to 45 lb
- Lives
- 10 to 14 years
- Energy
- High
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training an American Water Spaniel
Gundog breeds. Quick to learn and quick to get over-excited. The work is calm around distractions, not obedience.
Positive Methods
Start here
Sensitive to harsh correction, AWS respond best to positive reinforcement and praise.
All-Purpose Athlete
AWS were bred to hunt everything from waterfowl to rabbits. Vary training to showcase their versatility.
Water Work
True to their name, incorporate swimming and water retrieves for optimal physical and mental satisfaction.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your American Water Spaniel and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to find, flush and retrieve game alongside a person. Biddable, busy, and happiest with a job.
Gets on with
- ChildrenHigh
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersModerate
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1-2 hours daily. Swimming, retrieving, and active play. Compact size suits various activities.
- Grooming
- Moderate. Weekly brushing to maintain coat, occasional trimming. Oily coat resists water and dirt.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Curly, Wavy, Dense, Water-resistantLiver, Brown, Dark Chocolate
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint condition requiring screening in breeding dogs
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Moderate
Degenerative eye disease that can be tested for genetically
Cardiac Issues
Moderate
Heart conditions including mitral valve disease
Where they come from
History
Developed in the Great Lakes region of the United States in the mid-1800s as a versatile hunting companion for small boats. The only spaniel breed developed entirely in America and the state dog of Wisconsin. Nearly extinct by the 1920s before Dr. Fred J. Pfeifer worked to save them.
