Water dogs are a type of gun dog bred to flush and retrieve game from water, often serving the waterfowl hunter. Strong swimming desire is a characteristic of these dogs. Some of the oldest dog breeds are water dogs. The term was originally water spaniels (a misnomer, as not all are spaniels). With the advent of kennel clubs many "water spaniels" were accepted under the names including the designation retriever rather than spaniel.
Water dogs have curly, sometimes corded coats. Most water dog breeds are easy to train and are sociable.
Although there is some overlap with dogs considered to be retrievers, the following breeds are considered water dogs (listed in alphabetical order):
- American Water Spaniel
- Barbet
- Boykin Spaniel
- Cantabrian Water Dog
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Curly Coated Retriever
- English Water Spaniel, extinct
- Epagneul Pont-Audemer
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- Golden Retriever
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Labrador Retriever
- Lagotto Romagnolo (a.k.a. Italian Water Dog)
- Münsterländer (Large and Small)
- Nova Scotia Duck Toller
- Otterhound
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Spanish Water Dog
- Standard Poodle
- Newfoundland
- St. John's water dog, extinct
- Tweed Water Spaniel, extinct
- Wetterhoun
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—Herman Melville (1819–1891)