American Water Spaniel History history

The American Water Spaniel originated around the mid-1800s but its true origin is a mystery. Most experts have come to accept that it was likely developed in the Fox River and Wolf River valleys of Wisconsin. There is no documentation as to the specific breeds that were used to develop the AWS. Doc Pfeifer, the man credited with obtaining recognition for the breed in the 1920s, believed that the AWS was developed by crossing extinct English Water Spaniel and the Field Spaniel. Others have disputed this claim and it is currently accepted that the breeds involved in the development of the American Water Spaniel include the English Water Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Curly Coated Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, and possibly the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

The American Water Spaniel was developed as a hunting dog in the market hunting days of America's history. Hunters needed a dog that could function on land as well as in the marsh and that could easily fit into a canoe or skiff without taking up much room. The AWS fit the bill and most breed historians note that Midwest market hunters made wide use of this dog. The AWS was not formally recognized as a purebred dog until the United Kennel Club did so in 1920, followed by the Field Dog Stud Book in 1938, and finally by the American Kennel Club in 1940.

Having reached its peak of popularity probably sometime in the 1920s and 1930s, the AWS has become the "Forgotten American" at many times in its history. Still, with the tenacity of spirit that exemplifies this little brown dog, the breed's enthusiasts have managed to maintain a reasonable population that is not likely to disappear from the scene any time soon.

The American Water Spaniel was likely one of the primary contributing breeds to the Boykin Spaniel.

Complete List
Afghan Hound	Airdale Terrier	African Wild Dog	Akita Inu	American Akita
Alaskan Malamute	American Cocker Spaniel	American Eskimo Dog	American Foxhound	American Staffordshire Terrier
American Water Spaniel	Anatolian Shepherd	Appenzeller Sennenhunde	Argentine Dogo	Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Shepherd	Australian Terrier	Azawakh	Basenji	Basset Hound
Beagle	Bearded Collie	Beauceron	Bedlington Terrier	Belgian Sheperd Dog (Laekenois)
Belgian Sheperd Dog (Malinois)	Belgian Sheepdog	Belgian Sheperd Dog (Tervuren)	Bergamasco	Bernese Mountain Dog
Bichon Frise	Black and Tan Coonhound	Black Russian Terrier	Bloodhound	Bluetick Coonhound
Border Collie	Border Terrier	Borzoi	Boston Terrier	Bouvier des Flandres
Boxer	Boykin Spaniel	Bracco Italiano	Briard	Brussels Griffon
Bulldog	Bullmastiff	Bull Terrier	Cairn Terrier	Canaan Dog
Cane Corso	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	Catahoula Leopard Dog	Caucasian Mountain Dog	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cesky Terrier	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	Chihuahua	Chinese Crested Dog	Chinese Shar-Pei
Chinook	Chow Chow	Clumber Spaniel	Collie	Coton de Tulear
Curly Coated Retriever	Czechoslovakian Wolfdog	Dachshund	Dalmatian	Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Doberman Pinscher	English Bulldog	English Cocker Spaniel	English Fox Hound	English Setter
English Springer Spaniel	English Toy Spaniel	Field Spaniel	Finnish Spitz	Flat Coated Retriever
French Bulldog	German Pinscher	German Shepherd Dog	German Shorthaired Pointer	German Wirehaired Pointer
Giant Schnauzer	Glen of Imaal Terrier	Golden Retriever	Gordon Setter	Great Dane
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog	Great Pyrenees	Greyhound	Harrier	Havanese
Ibizan Hound	Irish Setter	Irish Terrier	Irish Water Spaniel	Irish Wolfhound
Italian Greyhound	Japanese Chin	Kerry Blue Terrier	Komondor	Kuvasz
Labrador Retriever	Lagotto Romagnolo	Lakeland Terrier	Lancashire Heeler	Leonberger
Lhasa Apso	L�wchen	Maltese	Manchester Terrier	Mastiff
Miniature Bull Terrier	Miniature Pinscher	Mudi	Neapolitan Mastiff	Newfoundland
Norfolk Terrier	Norwegian Buhund	Norwegian Elkhound	Norwegian Lundehund	Norwich Terrier
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Old English Sheepdog	Otterhound	Papillon	Parson Russell Terrier
Pekingese	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	Perro de Presa Canario	Peruvian Inca Orchid	Petit Basset Griffon Vend�en
Pharaoh Hound	Plott Hound	Pointer	Polish Lowland Sheepdog	Pomeranian
Poodle	Portuguese Podengo	Portuguese Water Dog	Pudelpointer	Pug
Puli	Pumi	Pyrenean Shepherd	Rafeiro do Alentejo	Rat Terrier
Redbone Coonhound	Rhodesian Ridgeback	Rottweiler	Saint Bernard	Saluki
Samoyed	Schipperke	Scottish Deerhound	Scottish Terrier	Sealyham Terrier
Shetland Sheepdog	Shiba Inu	Shih Tzu	Siberian Husky	Silky Terrier
Skye Terrier	Sloughi	Smooth Fox Terrier	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	Spinone Italiano
Stabyhoun	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	Standard Schnauzer	Sussex Spaniel	Swedish Vallhund
Thai Ridgeback	Tibetan Mastiff	Tibetan Spaniel	Tibetan Terrier	Tosa
Toy Fox Terrier	Treeing Tennessee Brindle	Treeing Walker Coonhound	Vizsla	Weimaraner
Welsh Springer Spaniel	Welsh Terrier	West Highland White Terrier	Whippet	Wire Fox Terrier
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon	Xoloitzcuintli	Yorkshire Terrier