The Irish Water Spaniel presents a picture of a smart, upstanding strongly built sporting dog.
Great intelligence is combined with rugged endurance and a bold, dashing eagerness of temperament.
Size, Proportion, Substance Strongly built and well boned, the Irish Water Spaniel is a dog of medium length, slightly rectangular in appearance. Dogs 22 to 24 inches, bitches 21 to 23 inches, measured at the highest point of the shoulder. Dogs 55 to 65 pounds, bitches 45 to 58 pounds. The head is cleanly chiseled, not cheeky, and should not present a short, wedge shaped appearance. The skull is rather large and high in the dome, with a prominent occiput and a gradual stop.