They are very sociable, intelligent and active animals, the water dog is a living being that is full of pleasant surprises, so it immediately wins everyone's affection. Do you want to know more about this breed of dog? We invite you to continue reading this article about this endearing animal, which is very little known outside the areas of influence of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Water Dog
The Spanish or Andalusian Turkish water dogs are one of the most esteemed dog breeds in Spain. It has always been esteemed as an ideal dog for herding and field tasks, it is also a prodigious swimmer, it is an adorable ball of very sociable, cheerful and intelligent curly hair, which enjoys a great capacity for intuition. and energy. It is also an unbeatable companion for the whole family and adapts to practically any situation.
Physical characteristics
The hard, curly coat of water dogs is their greatest physical characteristic. It also loses very little hair, so maintaining it is very easy and that coat of hair protects it from environmental conditions. It can have the most diverse colors, starting with black and ending with pure white, passing through brown, in light and dark shades, both single-color and bi-color or spotted.
One of the particularities of water dogs is that at birth they have a color, but it can change as they grow. They are medium-sized dogs and are usually very bulky, which is due, in part, to how thick their coat can become.
Water Spaniels are typically 40 to 50 inches long at the withers, and beneath that curly coat you can see a strong, muscular, athletic body. It is not recommended that they be shaved, but it is necessary to trim their hair in the hot months.
Character of the water dog
They have a very good character and get along well with other animals, but they tend to be very suspicious of people they do not know. However, it is not a breed that is aggressive. In general, it is an animal that is very noble and with its owners it is a very loyal and faithful dog. He gets excited when it comes to giving his help to human beings and for that reason he is an unbeatable companion with whom you can go out to exercise.
Water dogs are an obedient breed and normally do not cause any problems during their education, since they are also intelligent and alert, so they learn to receive and carry out orders very easily.
It has a highly developed instinct for herding other animals, so don't be surprised if, when going for a walk, the dog is continuously attentive to everyone who is part of its flock or what it considers its group, because it always goes to try not to lose sight of it. In this sense, he is a dog that adapts perfectly to the family, with a great sense of belonging to his group.
The Spanish water dog, those that have been the product of miscegenation, as there are more and more, is a clever, intelligent, sociable animal, given to games and very familiar, which is why it will always get along with all members of the family. the family, always maintaining the sense that it is their obligation to take care of them.
Andalusian origin
The Water Dog is one of the oldest endemic breeds in Spain, which managed to spread from the province of Andalusia, where this breed apparently originated, to the rest of the Iberian Peninsula.
a working dog
Originally it was used by the locals as a herding dog, as a faithful companion of the shepherds of Andalusia, but it is also a dog that is a good hunter. It also became a very useful companion for fishermen, due to its great ability to swim, so it all depends on the activities that these dogs have been taught to perform.
late recognition of the Water Dogs
Outside of Spain, water dogs are little known. The International Cinological Federation did not provisionally confer the category of breed until 1986 and definitively, as an autonomous breed, until 1999.
various names
Water dogs are also known by the names of Turkish Andalusian dog, sheep dog, wool dog and others. This unbeatable woolly companion has received many names, probably due to the fact that its recognition as an autonomous breed is very recent.
a nomad
There are various hypotheses about the origin of the water dog breed, but the most commonly known is the one that advocates that it is a very old breed, which could have reached Andalusia at the time of the Muslim conquest of the peninsula. Iberian, which began in the year 711.
a great helper
The water dogs, as a breed, were established and perpetuated throughout the entire territory of Al-Andalus, offering their help as a shepherd dog, a working dog and an assistant in hunting and fishing. The safest thing is that it was a very appreciated breed of dog, not only for its clear advantages of utility and intelligence, but also because it is a dog that is very affectionate.
Merchants' Companion
It is believed that this breed of water dog spread to the rest of Spain, and little by little also to the rest of Europe, due to the fact that it was chosen as a favorite companion by traveling salesmen, not only as a companion, but also as a companion. Also as an assistant.
Many cousins" of the Water Dogs
Due to repeated crossings with other breeds, which took place in other European countries, it has been determined that it has a relationship with breeds of dogs such as the poodle or the Lagotto Romagnolo and, of course, with all dogs that They are part of the water dog family, as are the Portuguese, the Irish and many more.
Great collaborators
Due to its ancestral habit of having been the quintessential companion of the human being in any activity, today you can get many water dogs that are used in rescue work, that are part of special canine squads for the search of drugs and explosives, and even, with proper training, they have become therapy dogs.
Adaptability
Water dogs are a very versatile breed, they adapt to any type of activity. It is a dog that will be very happy in nature, running, playing and helping humans, which has proven to be one of its great preferences, but it also adapts to the tranquility of a home.
good temperament
His unbeatable skills for work do not prevent him from being an excellent dog in the home. These are animals that are very happy, docile, intelligent and affectionate, with a very balanced character and excellent with children.
Advantages of your fur
As with other breeds of dogs that have this type of coat, Spanish water dogs hardly shed, so they do not usually produce symptoms in people who are allergic. But what you should be especially careful with is knots and tangles, because they usually cause discomfort, such as itching and discomfort.
Reserved
They are animals that are wary of strangers, but not in an aggressive way. They simply keep their distance in the first meetings. This is due to his past as a watchdog and guardian of animals in the field.
lots of activity
Water dogs require constant activities, so as not to develop stress or disorders in their behavior. Play and exercise are essential for this breed.
Great resistance
Water dogs are very strong and resistant animals and are capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions, due to the denseness of their fur, but as with all dogs, where they are best is at home.
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