Water dogs, once called Water Spaniel

Water Spaniel

Water Spaniel may refer to several different breeds of water dogs that are Spaniels, such as:* American Water Spaniel* English Water Spaniel, extinct* Irish Water Spaniel* Tweed Water Spaniel, extinct...

s, are a type

Dog type

Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....

 of gun dog

Gun dog

thumb|right|A group of Gun dogs as printed in Dogs of All Nations by W.E. Mason in 1915Gun dogs, also gundogs or bird dogs, are types of dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually birds. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: Retrievers, flushing dogs, and...

 and count among their number some of the oldest dog breeds. With the advent of kennel club

Kennel club

A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog...

s many water spaniels were accepted under the names including the designation retriever

Retriever

A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun-dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage...

 rather than water spaniel. As the name implies, water dogs were bred to flush and retrieve game from water, often serving the waterfowl hunter. Strong swimming desire is a characteristic of these dogs.

Water dogs have curly, sometimes corded coats. Most water dog breeds are easy to train and are sociable.

Although there is some overlap with dogs considered to be retrievers, the following breeds are considered water dogs (listed in alphabetical order):

• American Water Spaniel
  American Water Spaniel
  The American Water Spaniel, , is a breed of spaniel which is one of a small number of breeds originating in the United States. Developed in the state of Wisconsin during the 19th century from a number of other breeds, including the Irish and English Water Spaniels. The breed was saved by Dr. Fred J...
  
  
• 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 :...
  
  
• Boykin Spaniel
  Boykin Spaniel
  Discovered and further developed by South Carolina hunters for hunters in the 1900s, the Boykin Spaniel is a medium-sized breed of dog, a Spaniel bred for hunting wild turkeys and ducks in the Wateree River Swamp of South Carolina, in the United States...
  
  
• Bedlington Terrier
  Bedlington Terrier
  The Bedlington Terrier is a breed of terrier named after the mining town of Bedlington, Northumberland in North East England.- Description :Appearance:...
  
  
• Cantabrian Water Dog
  Cantabrian Water Dog
  The Cantabrian Water Dog or Perro de Agua Cantábrico is a breed of dog developed in the coast of Cantabria, northern Spain, as an assistant to fishermen...
  
  
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
  Chesapeake Bay Retriever
  The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a breed of dog belonging to the Retriever, Gundog, and Sporting breed groups. Members of the breed may also be referred to as a Chessie, CBR, or Chesapeake. The breed was developed in the United States Chesapeake Bay area during the 19th century...
  
  
• Curly Coated Retriever
  Curly Coated Retriever
  The Curly Coated Retriever is a breed of dog originally bred in England for upland bird and waterfowl hunting. It is the tallest of the retrievers and is easily distinguishable by the mass of tight curls covering its body...
  
  
• English Water Spaniel
  English Water Spaniel
  The English Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that has been extinct since the first part of the 20th century, with the last specimen seen in the 1930s. It was best known for its use in hunting waterfowl and for being able to dive as well as a duck...
  
  , extinct
• Epagneul Pont-Audemer
• Flat-Coated Retriever
  Flat-Coated Retriever
  The Flat-Coated Retriever is a gundog breed originating from the United Kingdom. It was developed as a retriever both on land and in the water.-Appearance:...
  
  
• Golden Retriever
  Golden Retriever
  The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
  
  
• Irish Water Spaniel
  Irish Water Spaniel
  The Irish Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that is the largest and one of the oldest of spaniels.The Irish Water Spaniel is considered one of the rarer breeds with the AKC in terms of registrations but is still widely respected and sought-after for its unusual qualities.-Appearance:The Irish Water...
  
  
• Labrador Retriever
  Labrador Retriever
  The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
  
  
• Lagotto Romagnolo
  Lagotto Romagnolo
  The Lagotto Romagnolo is a breed of dog that comes from the Romagna sub-region of Italy. The name means "lake dog from Romagna," coming from the Italian word lago, lake. Its traditional function is a gundog, specifically a water retriever...
  
   (a.k.a Italian Water Dog)
• Münsterländer
  Munsterlander
  Münsterländer may refer to:*A person from the German region of Münster*One of two breeds of dogs of the gun dog type originating in the Münster region of Germany:**Large Münsterländer, a breed of dog weighing approximately 30 kg...
  
   (Large and Small)
• Nova Scotia Duck Toller
• Otterhound
  Otterhound
  The Otterhound is an old British dog breed, with Bloodhound ancestors, and one of the ancestors of the Airedale Terrier.-Appearance:The Otterhound is a large, rough-coated hound with an imposing head. Originally bred for hunting, it has great strength and a strong body with long striding steps....
  
  
• Portuguese Water Dog
  Portuguese Water Dog
  The Portuguese Water Dog is a breed of working dog as classified by the American Kennel Club. Portuguese Water Dogs are originally from the Portuguese region of the Algarve, from where the breed expanded to all around Portugal's coast, where they were taught to herd fish into fishermen's nets, to...
  
  
• Spanish Water Dog
  Spanish 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:...
  
  
• Standard Poodle
  Poodle
  The Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
  
  
• Newfoundland (dog)
  Newfoundland (dog)
  The Newfoundland is a breed of large dog. Newfoundlands can be black, brown, gray, or black and white. They were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in the Dominion of Newfoundland, now part of Canada. They are known for their giant size, tremendous strength, calm dispositions,...
  
  
• St. John's Water Dog
  St. John's Water Dog
  The St. John's Water Dog, also called the St. John’s Dog or the Lesser Newfoundland, was a naturally occurring dog breed from Newfoundland. Little is known of the breeds that went into its creation, although it was likely a random-bred mix of old Irish, English, and Portuguese working breeds. The...
  
  , extinct
• Tweed Water Spaniel
  Tweed Water Spaniel
  The Tweed Water Spaniel, or Tweed Spaniel, is a breed of dog extinct since the 19th century. It is most well known for being involved in the early development of the modern Curly Coated Retriever and Golden Retriever breeds of dog...
  
  , extinct
• Puli
  Puli
  The Puli is a medium-big breed of Hungarian herding and livestock guarding dog known for its long, corded coat. The tight curls of the coat, similar to dreadlocks, make it virtually waterproof. A similar looking, but much larger Hungarian dog breed is called Komondor.- Appearance :The Puli is a...
  
  
• Wetterhoun
  Wetterhoun
  The Wetterhoun is a breed of dog traditionally used as a hunting dog for hunting small mammals and waterfowl in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. The name of the dog comes from the West Frisian Wetterhûn meaning "water dog." Plural of Wetterhoun is Wetterhounen in Dutch...