The Spanish Water Dog’s (Perro de Agua Español) curls are there at birth: according to the FCI standard, puppies always arrive with curly hair. Left long, it forms cords. Clipping is allowed, but only evenly and completely, never as an “aesthetic” presentation. This dog should look ready for work, because work is precisely what the breed was developed for.
| FCI | Group 8 (Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs), Section 3 Water Dogs, Standard No. 336, working trial optional |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Spain |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 44 to 50 cm, females 40 to 46 cm, no more than 2 cm deviation with harmonious proportions |
| Weight | males 18 to 22 kg, females 14 to 18 kg |
| Life expectancy | median 13.7 years in a UK analysis of 584,734 dogs (McMillan et al. 2024), with only 37 recorded deaths |
| Coat | always curly and woolly, curled when short, corded when long; even clipping allowed |
| Colours in the standard | solid white, black or brown in all shades; bicolour white and black or white and brown; tricolour and tan-marked dogs not permitted |
Herding, hunting and fishing
According to the standard, the breed has existed on the Iberian Peninsula since earliest times, descending from the old Barbet. The population is densest in Andalusia, where this “Turkish dog” has herded livestock for centuries. The coat adapts to alternating wet and dry conditions in marshland, so these dogs also helped waterfowl hunters and fishermen. Related water dogs are the Portuguese Water Dog and the Lagotto Romagnolo.
Clever, keen to work, sometimes shy
Loyal, obedient, cheerful, willing to work, watchful and very balanced, with exceptional understanding: the standard paints a clear picture. A Finnish owner survey reveals another side: among 14 breeds, fearfulness was reported most often in the 251 Spanish Water Dogs, with aggression towards strangers comparatively common (Salonen et al. 2020). Good socialisation is especially worthwhile.
Mental work for an all-rounder
A dog with three jobs wants more than walks. Retrieving, scent work, tricks or herding training provide suitable challenges. Short rewarded sessions achieve more than harshness.
Curls, clipping and tails
In daily life, keep the coat short with regular, even clipping, and check paws and ears for grass awns after outings. The standard still describes tail docking at the second to fourth vertebra, a procedure prohibited in many European countries. Some puppies are born with short tails anyway. Germany is among those countries, with § 6 of the Animal Welfare Act generally prohibiting tail docking.
A long lifespan, several genetic tests
With a median lifespan of 13.7 years, Spanish Water Dogs outlived crossbreeds at 12.0 years in the UK analysis, although the figure rests on only 37 deaths (McMillan et al. 2024). In Sweden, 23.3 percent of 1,163 X-rayed dogs had hip dysplasia of grades C to E (Engdahl et al. 2026); the heavier a dog was relative to the breed, the worse the hip result (Andersson et al. 2026). Genetic tests exist for early-onset retinal degeneration (Winkler et al. 2020) and neuroaxonal dystrophy, a nerve disease of young dogs (Hahn et al. 2015).
Who does the Spanish Water Dog suit?
Active people who enjoy training with their dog, have time for socialisation and prefer clipping a curly coat to daily brushing.
Who are they less suited to?
Households with constantly changing visitors, people unwilling to provide daily activities and anyone seeking an uncomplicated dog who fits around everything else.
The breed quiz helps you assess whether such a work-loving dog fits your routine; our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German) offers an even closer look. New to puppy ownership? Try the free Puppy Starter Pack. Capture your curly companion through our dog portraits, also available as digital artwork for instant download or a magazine cover on canvas.
Further reading
- Poodle: why Doodles only promise what Poodles already offer
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is the wrong advice
- New Year’s Eve anxiety in dogs: what really helps and what only sounds reassuring
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 336 Perro de Agua Español (fci.be, German version dated 11.10.2019); Salonen M et al., Canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs, Scientific Reports 2020; Engdahl K et al., Hip and elbow dysplasia in young adult dogs in Sweden, Veterinary Record 2026; Andersson L et al., Body weight and hip dysplasia screening results in Sweden, Scientific Reports 2026; Winkler PA et al., PDE6B in Spanish Water Dogs, Vet Ophthalmol 2020; Hahn K et al., TECPR2 Associated Neuroaxonal Dystrophy in Spanish Water Dogs, PLOS ONE 2015; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds, Scientific Reports 2024.
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