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LargeSporting Group

Irish Water Spaniel

The Irish Water Spaniel is the tallest of the spaniels and among the oldest in type, with documented Irish lineage tracing to the 12th century.

Calculate Irish Water Spaniel age
Lifespan10.8 yrrange 10–12
SizeLargeSporting Group
Weight45–68 lb20.4–30.8 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Irish Water Spaniel

The Irish Water Spaniel is the tallest of the spaniels and among the oldest in type, with documented Irish lineage tracing to the 12th century. Its tight liver curls and smooth whip-like tail are defining features.

Aging

How Irish Water Spaniels age

RVC VetCompass places median lifespan at 10.8 years (n=242) — short for a mid-size spaniel. Elbow dysplasia at 10.2% on OFA screens is notably elevated; the breed also faces documented hypothyroidism and follicular dysplasia risks.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 10.8 yr · range 10–12Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues6 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
45–68 lb(20.4–30.8 kg)
Height
21–24 in(53.3–61 cm)
Coat type
Curly
Colors
Liver
Temperament

Temperament

How Irish Water Spaniels tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

independentinquisitivehardworkingaffectionate
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Irish Water Spaniels are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.