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For 50 years, from the time of initial AKC recognition, the American Water Spaniel’s breed standard remained unchanged. Then, in 1990, at the urging of the AKC and in an attempt to better explain key aspects of the breed’s physical characteristics, the standard was changed to that which is found today. The standard is used as a blueprint for the breed’s ideal physical structure and serves as a guide breeders should follow when choosing to produce quality American Water Spaniels. The breed standard also serves as a measure by which judges can evaluate dogs presented to them at conformation shows. By seeking out the opinion of conformation judges and evaluating one dog against others of its kind, breeders are able to make more informed decisions regarding the dogs best suited for their particular breeding program.

A little white on the chest or toes of the American Water Spaniel is permissible by the AKC breed standard.

Most American Water Spaniel breeders understand that maintaining the breed’s physical characteristics is as important as maintaining the breed’s original purpose as an all-around hunting dog. People choosing to breed their American Water Spaniels should pay particular attention to the symmetry of the breed’s physical qualities and to avoid overdoing one characteristic for another. Novices will do well to seek the advice of a knowledgeable AWS breeder and to work with the person from whom they obtained their AWS, if that person has himself been breeding for a substantial period of time. Such breeders will have the best understanding of the strengths and weaknesses found within their own line of dogs and thus can best direct the novice along a positive path.

One of the first physical attention-grabbing characteristics of the AWS is the breed’s coat. The coat can be curly, marcel or some variation of the two. What the coat should not be is straight or flat, except in specific areas of the body which include the face, forehead and fronts of the legs. A dog whose coat is predominately flat does not properly represent the American Water Spaniel’s ideal coat type. The term marcel is used to describe a wavy coat pattern as opposed to one that is curly and is a term that is often misunderstood by newcomers to the breed. Such individuals should remember that the breed was first recognized in the 1920s, an era that produced “speakeasies” and female dancers called “flappers.” It was one of the flapper hairstyles that was worn tight to the skin with uniform waves that most likely influenced the term used to describe a wavy-coated American Water Spaniel as marcel.

BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE DOG

Even though you may never show your dog, you should still read the breed standard. The breed standard tells you more than just physical specifications such as how tall your dog should be; it also describes how he should act, how he should move and what unique qualities make him the breed that he is. You are not investing money in a pure-bred dog so that you can own a dog that “sort of looks like” the breed you’re purchasing. You want a typical, handsome representative of the breed, one that all of your friends and family and people you meet out in public will recognize as the breed you’ve so carefully selected and researched. If the parents of your prospective puppy bear little or no resemblance to the dog described in the breed standard, you should keep searching!

This is a fine example of a marcel-coated American Water Spaniel.

Dogs in the show ring are not compared against each other but rather against the breed standard. The dog that most closely conforms to the breed standard, in the judge’s opinion, is the winner of the class.

An American Water Spaniel’s coat should be sufficiently dense so as to protect against cold temperatures, and it should shed water quickly. The texture of the coat should be soft rather than coarse, and it should not be brittle. The coat should appear healthy and not dull. The body should be well covered with hair, and the coat should be moderate in length. Unfortunately there is no definition of what constitutes a moderate length of coat, so you may see coats with hair that is no more than an inch or two in length and others that are much longer. This is especially the case with the feathering on the legs and tail.

Some American Water Spaniels have excessively long feathering which is more like that of a setter than of a spaniel, but because there is not a specific definition of the term “moderate,” all are taken to be acceptable even though this is probably not truly the case.

In reading some literature from the early days of recognition, it is obvious that the full coats often seen in the show ring today were not those intended by at least some of the breed’s early promoters. In fact, the standard prior to 1990 called for a tail that was covered to the tip, which could be covered by curls, feathering or some combination of the two, while today’s standard requires a tail that is feathered.

Of course you cannot look upon an American Water Spaniel without being drawn to its rich brown color. The AWS is always a shade of brown ranging from liver to brown to chocolate. This too is a departure from the breed’s original standard which called for the dogs to be either liver or dark chocolate. Today you will not find a dog registered after 1990 that carries the designation of dark chocolate, yet it is obvious that this was one of the original color variations of the breed. While the liver color is typically considered to be a shade of brown having a deep red tone, the chocolate is more of a dark brown resembling the color of a dark chocolate candy bar. Noticeably absent in the AWS is any form of marking or ticking except for the occasional white which can be found on the chest or feet. White should be kept to a minimum, as the standard calls for “a little white” and lists it as permissible. How much white constitutes a “little” is left up to the particular individual to decide, but certainly the white should not be so extensive as to draw the eye from other qualities of the dog. While white on the chest is not at all rare, the author has only seen one adult American Water Spaniel with white on a toe.

In order for a dog to be a top performer in the field, it must have the ability to move well and be agile enough to respond to changes in the terrain. For this to happen you need a dog that is well muscled, balanced and relatively free of abnormal structure. Dogs that are cowhocked, bull-legged or otherwise poorly structured may make fine pets, but they will be hindered in their field performance by reduced agility, stamina and longevity of life. Breeders should pay particular attention to such structure and strive to reduce the occurrence of such problems. A balanced dog is one that moves freely and symmetrically, with seemingly little to no effort. A properly proportioned and structured AWS, as called for in the breed’s standard, will be such a dog.

Remembering the purpose for which the breed was developed should be at the forefront of breeding decisions and striving to produce a dog that is “solidly built and well-muscled” will help to assure that the breed can maintain the “strength and quality” necessary to continue functioning as a good all-around field dog. What individuals should seek to avoid is overdoing any one characteristic of the breed which could impair the dog rather than improve upon it. Often dogs bred more to accentuate qualities that set them apart in the show ring are dogs that lack the finer qualities of a field dog. Following the blueprint laid out by the breed standard should help anyone who chooses to breed the American Water Spaniel, maintaining that delicate balance between form and function.

Head study in profile showing correct type, structure and proportion.

Friendliness and an eagerness to please are required by the breed standard. This AWS has both and then some.

THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STANDARD FOR THE AMERICAN WATER SPANIEL

General Appearance

The American Water Spaniel was developed in the United States as an all-around hunting dog, bred to retrieve from skiff or canoes and work ground with relative ease. The American Water Spaniel is an active muscular dog, medium in size with a marcel to curly coat. Emphasis is placed on proper size and a symmetrical relationship of parts, texture of coat and color.

Size, Proportion, Substance

15 to 18 inches for either sex. Males weighing 30–45 lbs. Females weighing 25–40 lbs. Females tend to be slightly smaller than the males. There is no preference for size within the given range of either sex providing correct proportion, good substance and balance is maintained. Proportion—is slightly longer than tall, not too square or compact. However, exact proportion is not as important as the dog being well-balanced and sound, capable of performing the breed’s intended function. Substance—a solidly built and well-muscled dog full of strength and quality. The breed has as much substance and bone as necessary to carry the muscular structure but not so much as to appear clumsy.

Dog in profile showing correct type, structure, and proportion and correct mature coat.

Head

The head must be in proportion to the overall dog. Moderate in length. Expression—is alert, self-confident, attractive and intelligent. Medium size eyes set well apart, while slightly rounded, should not appear protruding or bulging. Lids tight, not drooping. Eye color can range from a light yellowish brown to brown, hazel or of dark tone to harmonize with coat. Disqualify yellow eyes. Yellow eyes are a bright color like that of lemon, not to be confused with the light yellowish brown. Ears