The Coat and Appearance
Spanish Water Dogs have coats with a woolly texture that grow into curls which then develop into cords. The cords should be separated by using the fingers only. The coat should not be brushed or combed.
In Spain the farmers would shear the sheep each springtime and do the dogs at the same time. This has been adopted in all countries as the best way to maintain the coat so when it reaches the desired length it is clipped off. The clip should be even all over with no sculpturing or shaping. (ie no pompoms!).
For showing purposes the dog can be short coated, medium coated or long coated but not newly clipped or too long, the approximate length is between 1 and 10 inches.
Spanish Water Dogs should be lithe and well muscled, particularly at the rear. They should have the ability to cover the ground effortlessly and have a tendency towards single tracking. The Kennel Club Breed Standard describes in further detail the other physical characteristics of the breed.
