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Known as America’s Own, a Yankee Doodle Dandy, the Forgotten American and many other labels placed upon it by writers of yesterday and today, the American Water Spaniel shares the company of only a few breeds developed in the United States. Its history is steeped in lore that sometimes proclaims it to have been on the first ships to discover North America or to have been a part of Native American communities before the Europeans learned of its great abilities. While the truth will never be fully known it is more likely that a less romantic, albeit far from humdrum past, surrounds the AWS.

A proud AWS owner with a day’s bag circa 1930s.

Chroniclers of this spaniel’s history take its origin back to the mid-19th century, sometime around the Civil War days, and place its area of origin in the upper Midwest, specifically parts of Wisconsin known as the Wolf and Fox River Valleys. While this location and time cannot be proven, it is a pretty safe bet that this indeed is the time and place of the AWS’s development. No matter where one places the birth of the AWS, it is an accepted claim that the breed developed from the needs of the market hunters of the day.

Market hunters were a rugged group who earned at least part of their living by harvesting large numbers of waterfowl and upland game for sale in local markets and restaurants. In the upper Midwest such men would work the marshes, lakes, river valleys and countryside in pursuit of game. Travel to the hunting areas was not necessarily done by car, train or even wagon but instead by skiff and canoe. These small craft were not conducive to ferrying a man, his hunting gear, the day’s take and a big dog, so small dogs that would not overturn the boat when working yet worked tirelessly were prized by the hunters.

In the market-hunting era, it was not unusual for such hunters to harvest dozens of waterfowl at a time. Such large harvests left many birds lying in cover where they were difficult to spot or find, and it took the work of a good dog to ferret such birds out of thick cattails, reed beds and the surrounding land. Accomplishing such work required a dog to have a good nose to locate its quarry, a thick and water-repellent coat to maintain warmth and shed water and a hearty disposition to work all day long if need be. Additionally the dog would be expected to pull double duty and stand guard over the harvest, protecting it from other animals and some of the hunter’s unscrupulous competitors.

Market hunters were an independent lot that seem to have preferred making their living by utilizing nature’s bounty. It was not unusual for some of these folk to also use trapping as a source of their income and, by some accounts, more than a few of them used a dog for tracking down quarry that escaped their traps and for catching what author David Duffey once referred to as “runner rats.” These were muskrats that moved across the frozen water of marshes right after the first freeze. Dogs were used to snatch these animals from the ice and return them to the trapper. A big dog would have trouble on the fragile ice and a timid dog would balk at doing battle with a muskrat fighting for its very existence. Dogs light in weight, swift of foot and tenacious in their pursuit of quarry were needed to fulfill such a duty.

PURE-BRED PURPOSE

Given the vast range of the world’s 400 or so pure breeds of dog, it’s fair to say that domestic dogs are the most versatile animal in the kingdom. From the tiny 1-pound lap dog to the 200-pound guard dog, dogs have adapted to every need and whim of their human masters. Humans have selectively bred dogs to alter physical attributes like size, color, leg length, mass and skull diameter in order to suit our own needs and fancies. Dogs serve humans not only as companions and guardians but also as hunters, exterminators, shepherds, rescuers, messengers, warriors, babysitters and more!

As one of the legends goes, in searching for a dog that could meet the needs of these men, some of them tried importing the now extinct English Water Spaniel to do the required work. While possessing a great nose, it is purported that this little breed had trouble with the cold water and air temperatures of the upper Midwest. This brought about the crossing of the English Water Spaniel with other more hardy breeds like the Curly-Coated Retriever and the Irish Water Spaniel, using, it is believed, smaller representatives of each of these breeds. Eventually, as the story goes, these crosses developed into the American Water Spaniel.

CANIS LUPUS

“Grandma, what big teeth you have!” The gray wolf, a familiar figure in fairy tales and legends, has had its reputation tarnished and its population pummeled over the centuries. Yet it is the descendants of this much-feared creature to which we open our homes and hearts. Our beloved dog, Canis domesticus, derives directly from the gray wolf, a highly social canine that lives in elaborately structured packs. In the wild, the gray wolf can range from 60 to 175 pounds, standing between 25 and 40 inches in height.

Another legend of the breed’s roots attributes its progenitors to a cross between the Curly-Coated Retriever and the Field Spaniel. This was the belief of Dr. F. J. “Doc” Pfeifer of New London, Wisconsin, founder of the breed and a man who obtained his first AWS around 1894. The doctor claimed that every AWS he owned up to the 1930s had no likeness to the Irish Water Spaniel. It was only after the 1920s that the doctor noted cross-breedings involving the Irish and American Water Spaniel. It is this author’s belief that the doctor was probably correct concerning the breed’s origins, for the American Water Spaniel bears a resemblance to the Field Spaniel in size, body type and head conformation.

Also rumored to have been used in cross-breedings with the AWS is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. It is this breed that some believed introduced the potential for an AWS to have a yellow eye color rather than the darker tone of brown often preferred by the breed’s enthusiasts or the harmonizing color acceptable in the breed’s standard. As some stories go, once “Chesapeake” blood was introduced to the breed it was noticed that some of the American Water Spaniels became a bit sharper and harsher of temperament and, since this was not an ideal temperament for the AWS, it would be necessary to remove or dilute the “Chesapeake” blood in the American Water Spaniel gene pool. It was believed that you could tell an AWS with “Chesapeake” blood simply by the eye color and, therefore, to remove this less desirable blood from the breed it would be best to pull any AWS with a yellow eye from the breeding pool. A remnant of that philosophy persists even to this day, as any dog found to have yellow eyes is disqualified from show competition and is considered unfit for breeding.

By most accounts the American Water Spaniel was at its peak of popularity during the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. During this time it was referred to as the American Brown Water Spaniel, the American Brown or simply the American Spaniel. As the AWS was developed for field work, it is difficult to find accounts of the breed as a family companion in those early days, although old photographs have been found which indicate the breed was more than simply a working dog. During this time the part of the country that gave birth to the AWS was still bordering on the frontier, as one of the era’s most notable authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder, recounted in her Little House series of children’s books. These were rugged people who fought hard to make a life for their families. They did not have the luxury of owning multiple dogs, each with an assigned specialty. Theirs was a way of life that demanded that everyone pull his own weight and to do whatever job came before him. Nothing less was expected of the family dog.

The AWS is one of the few pure-bred dogs recognized by the AKC to be developed in the US. The story is told on this Wisconsin “official marker.”

Dogs of this period were expected to serve as a watchdog of sorts, warning of intruders when necessary and chasing off wayward pests, like predators looking for a quick meal from the chicken coop. The AWS and other working dogs of the time often had to be a family companion, hunter, protector of the homestead and anything else the owner felt the dog could or should do. It is not surprising then that even today we find the AWS willing to warn of intruders on “its” property and capable of pulling double duty as both a solid flushing dog and a skilled retriever.

The American Water Spaniel has been an integral family member since the late 1800s.

The American Brown of those early days was often a companion as well as a formidable hunting dog. Just a few short decades ago, it was not unusual to hear stories recanted by old-timers recalling their youth, speaking with a tear in their eye of fond memories of “Brownie” or “Curly” living in the house and being a devoted companion. In fact, the American Water Spaniel’s friendly nature endeared it to many in those days and served to encourage people to bring the dog indoors and make it a big part of the family. Today when you come across old photographs of these early American Water Spaniels, you will probably find them poised with the rest of the family in a family photo, seated next to the mistress of the house or lying with the children, and you can see how the American Water Spaniel then, as it does today, wiggled its way into the hearts of these people. This is a testament in its own right to the power of a loving and devoted companion.

While the breed went by many names in the early years, it was finally standardized by Doc Pfeifer when he was able to obtain recognition of the breed as a pure-bred in 1920. After attempting but failing to gain recognition for the AWS by the Field Dog Stud Book and the American Kennel Club (AKC), the good doctor turned to the United Kennel Club (UKC) for acceptance of the breed’s ability to replicate itself from one generation to the next. On February 8, 1920 the UKC accepted the first AWS into its registry with the admission of Curly Pfeifer into the records. Had it not been for the doctor’s love of the breed he had known from childhood and his desire to see it succeed, we might not have the American Water Spaniel with us today.

Subsequent to recognition of the AWS by the UKC the breed developed a following among a number of breeders seeking to promote the breed and establish sound breeding programs. This gave rise to such notable midwestern breeders as Driscoll Scanlan, Karl Hinz, Thomas Brogden, John Scofield and Charles Shelberg. It also brought out individuals from the Northeast, such as Louis Smith, John Sherlock and Thomas Tyler. Many of these men banded together to form the first American Water Spaniel Club (AWSC) around 1937. Through their efforts and those of many others, the AWS received recognition from the Field Dog Stud Book in 1938 and from the American Kennel Club in 1940.

One of the American Water Spaniel’s duties in the early days, and today as well, was to keep a watchful eye over his family.

American Water Spaniels have always been considered family members and often posed for photos with their “siblings.”

The eventual goal of the AWSC was to obtain AKC recognition and, to that end, the men worked hard to maintain accurate records of their breeding programs, a plan that no doubt benefited from UKC recognition. Following a presentation to the AKC board of directors, the AWSC asked for recognition of the AWS as a pure-bred dog. After studying the information supplied to them, the AKC board accepted the AWS and granted recognition on May 14, 1940 and in so doing classified the AWS as a spaniel, a decision that has been and continues to be a bone of contention for some of the breed’s enthusiasts.

Perhaps most unfortunate for the AWS was the fact that its recognition by the AKC came just before the start of World War II. With the onset of the war, life throughout the United States changed, and demand for dogs declined as men left the country to go fight. Some of those breeders remaining behind maintained their kennels and continued to produce quality dogs. Some showed their dogs at AKC dog shows on a regular basis, and in 1947 a dog by the name of Happy Hiram of Ty-Grim, owned by Thomas Tyler from upstate New York, took a Group Four placement at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club. This was the first, and to date only, Group placement of an American Water Spaniel at Westminster.

After the war the American Water Spaniel began a steady decline in popularity, and the original AWSC disbanded, leaving the AWS without a voice in the AKC and without leadership. Men returning from the war found work in factories and began a slow exodus out of the country, moving into more urban environments. As the rural landscape and way of life changed so too did the need for sporting dogs to help put food on the table. Hunting had slowly evolved into a sport rather than a way of life or means to feed one’s family, and interest in sporting dogs evolved along with it. Returning soldiers brought with them an appreciation for the dogs they had seen in Europe, and that led to an upsurge in the popularity of breeds like the German Shorthaired Pointer and specialists such as the Labrador Retriever or Pointer.

Whimsical photos were common around the turn of the 20th century, and the AWS was always willing to cooperate.

Field trials became popular among those who enjoyed sporting dogs and the sport of hunting, but these field games were limited to specific breeds of retrievers, pointers or spaniels; it seemed as though none of them had room for the AWS. Those who wished to participate in the field trials were not interested in a breed that could not participate in them, so the all-purpose AWS was left behind, but there was always a small loyal following of enthusiasts keeping it propped up and safe from extinction.

These AWS loyalists were a mixture of people with varying interests who often worked independent of one another but who occasionally shared resources. By the end of the 1940s some of the earlier breeders had grown old and were lost forever or simply could not continue to breed. Beginning in the 1950s and into the 1960s these breeders were replaced with the likes of Tom and Constance Rutherford, Paul Bovee and John and Marilyn Barth. Most of these breeders produced dogs not for the show ring but for what they had always been, a working man’s hunting dog. Others did pursue the sport of show dogs and exhibited their American Water Spaniels on a fairly regular basis at AKC dog shows.

Another AWS hamming it up for the camera with a sibling in the early days of the breed.

Ch. Choco Lot Morrison CDX and Ch. Little Brownie’s Gunner Boy CD with owner and author Paul Morrison following a Michigan pheasant hunt.

While the AWS has never set the world of dog shows on fire, many have competed and represented the breed well. From the period of the 1950s and 1960s the most popular American Water Spaniel kennels in the dog-show world were Ty-Grim, owned by Thomas Tyler, and Americana, owned by Tom and Constance Rutherford of southeast Michigan. From the late 1960s until the mid 1980s only a handful of individuals campaigned their American Water Spaniels on a regular basis, one of the most noted being Barbara Spisak of Dayton, Ohio under the kennel name of Countrysides. Then in 1975 a group of individuals formed the American Water Spaniel Breeders Association, which only existed for a few years but laid the groundwork for another club that would eventually become today’s AKC parent club for the American Water Spaniel, which encourages greater participation in the AKC world of dog shows.

The American Water Spaniel Club, Inc. was resurrected in 1985 by individuals from across the country and a number of longtime breeders like Paul Bovee, John and Marilyn Barth and Mick and Dorthea Robinson. The new AWSC, headquartered in the breed’s home state of Wisconsin, quickly moved to establish itself as the voice of the American Water Spaniel in the AKC world and soon began to hold an annual dog show, obedience trials and specialized brand of hunt tests for the breed. While many contributed to the success of the AWSC, none did more than Father Vaughn Brockman of Menominee, Wisconsin. Father Brockman was known as a bit of a breed historian, a successful breeder (Wildemoor kennels) and a promoter of sound breeding practices through judicious use of health screening coupled with a strict breeding regimen. A number of individuals in the new AWSC were very interested in and excited by the dog-show world and successfully campaigned American Water Spaniels throughout the Midwest and other parts of the country. Most of these individuals were associated with Father Brockman and campaigned the type of AWS that he had developed from the start of his breeding program in the early 1970s. At the time of Father Brockman’s death, 20 years later, his breeding program had been so successful and so extensive that he was credited with having created his own line of American Water Spaniels; 1 of only 3 lines generally recognized at that time and the one line most often seen in the show ring then and now.

Not just a hunter, Windy shows why the AWS is so valued as a companion as well.

AKC/UKC Ch. Little Brownies Cinnamon Teal CDX, U-CDX, owned by the author Paul Morrison.

In 1993 another club formed that was devoted to the working qualities of the American Water Spaniel. This club, the American Water Spaniel Field Association (AWSFA), was developed in an attempt to bring more focus on the working qualities of the breed and to assist owners of American Water Spaniels with the development of their dogs as all-around field dogs. The AWSFA has focused on field training, breed rescue, the sharing of health information, training and historical aspects of the AWS, and it led the battle for field classification of the AWS with the American Kennel Club. The AWSFA is largely a regional club centered in the Great Lakes area and offering training opportunities for its members. It hopes to one day be licensed to hold AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests and AWSC Retrieving Certification Tests.

Today it is not unusual to find American Water Spaniels at dog shows around the country, but some areas are more likely to have them than others. If you are looking for a glimpse of an American Water Spaniel in the show ring, you will have the greatest luck in the upper Midwest, the Northwest and mountain states, California and certain parts of the East Coast. Today about ten or more American Water Spaniels receive AKC show championship titles in most years, a testament to the ongoing interest in the sport and the desire of AWS breeders and owners to showcase their favorite breed.

The AWS is more than a pretty face, though, and it enjoys and does well in performance events. When the sport of dog obedience came to be in the late 1950s, AWS owners were there to showcase their little brown dogs’ working abilities. Throughout most of the years since the sport became recognized by the AKC, it is possible to find the AWS participating and, in some cases, excelling at obedience. A number of American Water Spaniels have earned the Utility Dog title, one of the highest titles that can be achieved in the world of dog obedience.

With the emergence of new events like agility, flyball and rally obedience, the AWS stands poised to show its versatility to the world. Already, AWS fans have established their dogs as true competitors in the sports and made all of their fellow enthusiasts proud of their accomplishments. American Water Spaniels are successful at these sports because they possess a seemingly insatiable appetite to work in partnership with their owners. The bond that can form between an AWS and its owner is sometimes described as unbreakable, and American Water Spaniels that would otherwise excel at jobs conducted under the direction of an owner will often times flounder or absolutely refuse to perform under the direction of another person.

Of all the activities that the AWS enjoys, perhaps none is more important to it than field work. Whether you are a hunter of waterfowl or upland game, you will rarely be disappointed with the performance of the AWS. Unfortunately for the first-time buyer of an American Water Spaniel, there are few dogs that hold nationally recognized titles from any major registry, so pursuit of a pup from proven field dogs is difficult at best. Buyers must rely on the word of the breeder to assure them of the hunting ability in the parents of a puppy rather than pedigrees indicating a long lineage of ancestors who had earned numerous field titles.

The reason for this is that for decades there were only two organizations that offered nationally recognized hunt-test title programs for the American Water Spaniel. These organizations, the Hunting Retriever Club (HRC) and the North American Hunting Retriever Association (NAHRA), provide testing programs most suitable for the common retriever and less suited to a spaniel. This is not to say that the AWS or any other spaniel is incapable of performing the requirements of these testing programs but instead that the programs may not be as conducive to the work of the AWS and as such you may not see as many American Water Spaniels, as a percentage of the breed’s population, participating in these tests as you would other breeds.

With ardent support from breeders and owners alike, American Water Spaniels can look forward to a bright future in the show ring and in the field.

Another reason for low participation in these testing programs might be the fact that many hunters who own a hunting AWS look upon them not as specialized retrievers but as all-around field dogs and as such do not feel comfortable training them for one specific task. Whatever the reason for the relatively low number of American Water Spaniels participating in the retriever hunt tests, there have still been slightly more than 20 retriever titles awarded to American Water Spaniels by these 2 organizations over the last 20 or so years. This is a good indication that with a dedicated owner and a solid training program the AWS can succeed in these hunt-test programs.

For more than 15 years there was a struggle between 3 factions of the AWS community that prevented the AWS from participating in American Kennel Club hunt tests of any type. This struggle centered on a difference of opinion over what was the more appropriate field-testing program for the American Water Spaniel available from the AKC. The AKC requires a sporting breed’s parent club to declare the type of test that the breed will be allowed to participate in, and the members of the AWSC could not come to an agreement on which program was best. Therefore, for well over a decade the breed was unable to participate in any AKC field-testing program. Then in 2004 a compromise resolution was brought before the membership of the AWSC.

This resolution called upon the membership to accept AKC field classification of the AWS as a flushing spaniel, allowing it to participate in AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests and requiring that the breed also pass a special Retrieving Certificate Test designed, monitored and awarded by the AWSC. The resolution was passed by a large majority of AWSC members and was accepted by the AKC board of directors in November of 2004. As a result of this compromise agreement, the AWS was able to begin participating in AKC hunt tests as of June 1, 2005. It became just the second AKC-recognized sporting breed that must meet both the AKC requirements for an AKC hunt-test title and the parent club’s requirement for a special certificate before any AKC field title can be awarded. The reason this action was taken was to assure those concerned that the AKC hunt-test program would not adversely impact the American Water Spaniel’s historical working qualities and that steps were being taken to prevent a disintegration of the breed’s field abilities. By combining the upland work of AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests with the water-retrieving work of the AWSC Retrieving Certificate Test, it is believed that the field qualities of the AWS will remain solidly intact and help to assure the preservation of the breed as an all-around hunting companion.

Preserving the American Water Spaniel is a concern of many of the breed’s enthusiasts. As of the end of 2005 the AWS ranked 128 out of 154 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club with just 187 dogs registered, and it was the fifth least popular sporting breed recognized by the American Kennel Club. This low number of registrations and dubious distinction reflect a continuing trend for the AWS. Whether or not this trend can be reversed and the number of AWS registrations returned to its higher levels of 15 years earlier is yet to be seen. One thing is for certain, those who choose to bring an AWS into their lives are rewarded with the love of a curly-haired, brown dog whose personality, tenacity and spirit will fill their lives with great joy for years to come.

Today’s American Water Spaniel still retains the water instincts that he acquired from his early ancestors.

In testament to the enduring qualities of the American Water Spaniel are two stories of recognition and honor bestowed upon the breed. The first took place in Arizona during the 1930s, and it landed one AWS by the name of “Johnnie” some national publicity when he appeared in a cartoon by Robert Ripley as part of his Ripley’s Believe It or Not! series. Johnnie was owned by Dixie Lee Brayton, the daughter of Arizona Representative Nelson D. Brayton from Miami, Arizona. Apparently Johnnie often visited the capitol building when the legislature was in session and roamed the halls of the “chambers checking up on the membership, occasionally stopping at the press table to growl.” At some point the then Speaker of the House, Vernon G. Davis, decided that Johnnie could not be wandering through the capitol without official approval and issued the AWS a card which read: “Arizona House of Representatives, Thirteenth Legislature, Phoenix, Arizona, Feb. 5, 1937, Johnnie (House Mascot) (of) Miami, Arizona, is entitled to entrance to house on official business. Approved, Signed, Vernon G. Davis, Speaker of the House.”

Besides being the official Arizona state house mascot, Johnnie was also known for sneaking away from home and going down to the local football field to watch his buddies playing football. Once there he would wait for the opportunity to run out and snatch up the football so that he could show the players some real moves. One of his most famous exploits in this regard was in 1931 when he grabbed the ball off the field during the annual game between the Globe and Miami teams. He picked up the ball in his mouth between downs and ran all the way downfield for a touchdown that was subsequently denied by the referee. Johnnie was probably quite upset about that ruling, but it did not deter him from continuing to play the game of football whenever the opportunity arose.

A more recent honor was bestowed not upon one specific AWS but on the entire breed by the state of Wisconsin when it designated the American Water Spaniel as its official state dog. The effort to obtain such recognition had been driven over a number of years by the students of the eighth grade social studies classes at Washington Middle School in New London, Wisconsin, home to the breed’s founder Dr. F. J. Pfeifer. Their teacher, Lyle Brumm, had come up with the idea of teaching the children a bit about the legislative process through an actual project to lobby for the passage of a bill designating the AWS as the state dog. Over a period of five years, these middle-school students worked tirelessly to obtain the designation. Through their efforts and those of a few other notable Wisconsin personalities, the bill passed and became law on April 22, 1986, when then Governor Anthony Earl signed the bill, making the American Water Spaniel just one of a few breeds honored as a state dog.

Max, owned by Aaron Glann, displays one of his first ducks.

THE AWS IN EUROPE

In recent years the American Water Spaniel has made its way beyond the confines of the US and is beginning to strike the fancy of a few Europeans. In 1995 the first of a series of exports to the Czech Republic took place and formed the foundation stock for a breeding program that is now nearly ten years old. All in all, two Czech breeders, Jiri Fiala and Josef Sos, imported seven American Water Spaniels from a variety of kennels in an effort to maintain genetic diversity. These breeders have successfully produced pups that have performed well in field tests and conformation shows held in central and western Europe.

The author Paul Morrison and his wife Lynn pose for a family portrait with their “children.”

In 2005 two individuals from Finland imported American Water Spaniels as potential breeding stock. For Maria Miettinen of Helsinki, Finland, this was her second AWS after having obtained another dog seven years earlier. Maria’s first dog, Misty, was obtained chiefly as a pet but was so well received at dog shows and performance events that it gave Maria some added incentive to increase the population of American Water Spaniels in Finland by at least one. An acquaintance of hers, Tiina Narhi, was also intrigued by the breed and decided to see how an AWS might work out in her home. Recently both dogs were reportedly doing quite well, having won honors at local dog shows and having demonstrated their love of field work. It looks like the AWS is off to a fine start in Finland.

Great Britain also saw the importation of a couple of American Water Spaniels in 2004. Gina Bowers, who hails from England, visited with a breeder in southern California while on a trip to the area. There she fell in love with the breed and obtained her first AWS. She also saw a couple of American Water Spaniels being exhibited at a dog show in Hungary that belonged to the breeders in the Czech Republic and chose to import a dog from there to be a companion to Raz, Gina’s first AWS. Because England’s Kennel Club does not yet recognize the American Water Spaniel, Gina is working hard to introduce the breed to the country and to gain Kennel Club recognition. There is little doubt in the minds of most AWS owners that the American Water Spaniel will win the hearts and favor of many in Britain, just as it has done in other parts of Europe and in North America.

Night Hawks Sweet Chocolate “stacked” and ready for a conformation show.