The Irish Water Spaniel as we know it today, goes back to the time when spaniels were already being referred to in writing as either land or water spaniels.

The Irish Water Spaniel with a height at the back of over 50cms (20") is one of the largest kinds of spaniel and does not look at all like a member of the spaniel family.

In appearance it is an elegant, upright, powerful but not leggy dog of great intelligence and endurance. Its love of water, its keen nose, its inherent vitality and the strong yet elegant body with long liver coloured curls constitute the most important elements in a description of this spaniel. In England it is considered to be the ideal dog for hunting over water.