Cantabrian Water Dog
Encyclopedia
The Cantabrian Water Dog or Perro de Agua Cantábrico is a breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
developed in the coast of Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, as an assistant to fishermen. The breed was classified and recognized by the Breeds Committee of the Spanish Ministry of Environment on 22 March 2011.
History of the breed
The Cantabrian Water Dog is an ancestral population in the north of the Iberian PeninsulaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, whose origins seem to be common to Barbet
Barbet (dog)
The Barbet is a breed of dog; it is a medium-sized French water dog. It is listed in Group 8 by the , the French Kennel Club.- Description :...
. The breed is socially, culturally and historically rooted in the towns and villages of the whole coast of Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
and eastern Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
. The work of this breed has been traditionally related to fishing work: collecting fishes that fell into the water, watching the ships when they were moored in port, takig the rope between ships and to the dock, or acting like a lifeguard.
Features
The population of Cantabrian Water Dog shows a clear morphological and genetic differentiation that allows discrimination from other dog populations in the same group with close geographic distribution. Genetic studies place it as close to the Spanish Water DogSpanish Water Dog
The Spanish Water Dog or Perro de Agua Español is a breed of dog developed by the shepherds in Spain as a multi-purpose herder who was also used sometimes as a gundog, as well as an assistant to fishermen.-Appearance:...
as to the Barbet
Barbet (dog)
The Barbet is a breed of dog; it is a medium-sized French water dog. It is listed in Group 8 by the , the French Kennel Club.- Description :...
or Caniche.
These animals are lighter and shorter than those of the Spanish breed, where they were previously included. Thus, 75% of males and 38% of females would be excluded from the breed standard for height at the withers, while using the criterion of weight, 91% of males and 80% females would be excluded.