American Water Spaniel Breeders UK: Advertise Your Kennel Free

Advertise your American Water Spaniel puppies, litters and stud dogs

Do you breed American Water Spaniels in the UK? List your kennel on caninebreeder.co.uk so that people searching for this uncommon water gundog can find you. You can advertise American Water Spaniel puppies for sale when a litter is planned or ready, and promote your American Water Spaniel stud dog to other breeders. Including RKC registration details and the parents' hip, eye and heart results shows buyers and bitch owners the checks you carry out before they get in touch.

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Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the American Water Spaniel

Origins and purpose

The American Water Spaniel is a compact, brown gundog from the upper Midwest of the United States. According to the American Water Spaniel Club, the breed's US parent club, it was developed in Wisconsin's Fox and Wolf River valleys during the mid-1800s, and it is now Wisconsin's official state dog. Market hunters on the Great Lakes reportedly favoured it because it was small enough to ride in their punts and skiffs. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) describes a duck retriever that was also used to flush waterfowl, doing the work of both a spaniel and a retriever. The breed remains scarce outside the USA; the parent club estimates that only about 3,000 are alive at any one time.

In the UK the breed is in the Gundog group and sits on the RKC Imported Breed Register, which holds recognised foreign breeds that are not yet established enough for the main Breed Register. Dogs can be registered and can compete in working trials, obedience and agility, but with no RKC breed standard yet, the breed cannot be shown at RKC licensed breed shows.

Size and coat

The RKC classes it as medium-sized. The American Kennel Club standard, which the parent club publishes, gives a height of 15 to 18 inches (about 38 to 46 cm) for both sexes, with males weighing 30 to 45 lb (about 14 to 20 kg) and females 25 to 40 lb (about 11 to 18 kg). The coat varies from even waves, called marcel, to tight curls, over an undercoat that protects against water and weather. The colour is a single shade of liver, brown or dark chocolate, with a little white on the toes and chest allowed.

Exercise and grooming

The RKC suggests up to an hour of exercise a day and grooming once a week, and lists the coat as medium length and the breed as not shedding. The American Kennel Club notes that it loves to hunt and swim, so water work and retrieving games make good outlets alongside training.

Temperament and suitability

The standard describes a friendly, intelligent dog that is keen to please, with energy and enthusiasm for hunting that should remain controllable in the field. The American Kennel Club adds that it can be aloof with strangers and somewhat stubborn. The RKC considers it suitable for town or country, a small house and a small to medium garden, and gives a lifespan of over 10 years.

American Water Spaniel health tests

Health

The RKC does not list any breed-specific DNA tests or screening schemes for the American Water Spaniel, and it does not offer a DNA testing package for the breed. Its single good-practice recommendation before breeding is to prioritise genetic diversity, which matters in a breed with so few dogs in the UK. The breed is in Breed Watch Category 1, so the RKC has not flagged any breed-specific points of concern for show judges.

The American Water Spaniel Club recommends screening breeding dogs for hip dysplasia, eye disease and heart problems. It says some owners and breeders also test thyroid function and test for degenerative myelopathy (DM), and that conditions seen occasionally in the breed include epilepsy, hypothyroidism, diabetes, pattern baldness and DM. In the UK, hips can be scored through the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, and the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme is open to any dog. Ask to see written results. Screening lowers the risk of inherited disease but cannot guarantee a healthy puppy.

RKC-listed tests and schemes
- Good practice: prioritising genetic diversity (check the inbreeding coefficient of a planned mating with the RKC calculator)
- RKC Breed Watch: Category 1

Recommended by the US parent club (not RKC requirements)
- Hip screening (in the UK, the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme)
- Clinical eye examination (in the UK, the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme)
- Heart examination, preferably by a veterinary cardiologist
- Further tests some breeders choose: thyroid testing and a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy

Choosing an American Water Spaniel breeder

Choosing a breeder

With so few American Water Spaniels in the UK, a breeder may have imported one or both parents, or used a stud dog from overseas. A careful breeder can show you RKC registration for both parents, or the overseas registration papers of any imported dog, and can explain how they chose the mating to protect genetic diversity in a small population. As the RKC lists no breed-specific tests, look for someone who follows the parent club's advice on hips, eyes and heart and can show written results. You should be able to meet the mother with her puppies. A good breeder is open about the breed's hunting drive and need for activity, and asks about your home, experience and plans for the dog. Puppies are rarely available, so be prepared to wait, and be cautious of any seller who has puppies ready at short notice with no paperwork.

Are both parents registered with the RKC, and may I see their papers?
What hip, eye and heart results do the parents have, and can I see the certificates?
What is the inbreeding coefficient of this mating, and why did you choose this stud dog?
Can I meet the mother, and how do the parents behave at home and in the field?
Will you take the dog back or help rehome it if my circumstances change?

American Water Spaniel questions

Is the American Water Spaniel recognised by the Royal Kennel Club?

Yes. It is in the Gundog group on the RKC Imported Breed Register. Dogs can be registered and can take part in activities such as working trials, obedience and agility, but there is no RKC breed standard yet, so the breed cannot be shown at RKC licensed breed shows.

How big is an American Water Spaniel?

The RKC classes it as medium-sized. The American standard gives a height of 15 to 18 inches (about 38 to 46 cm), with males about 14 to 20 kg and females about 11 to 18 kg.

How much exercise and grooming does it need?

The RKC suggests up to an hour of exercise a day and grooming once a week. It records a medium-length coat and lists the breed as not shedding. The American Kennel Club describes it as a dog that loves to hunt and swim.

Which health checks should the parents have?

The RKC lists no breed-specific tests for this breed and recommends prioritising genetic diversity. The US parent club recommends hip, eye and heart screening before breeding; in the UK, hips and eyes can be assessed through the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme and the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme.

American Water Spaniel breeders