American Water Spaniel♡

[Schmalzfam]

Welcome to the West Coast.....
Engel😁
After a year and a half of being on waiting she is here!!
Cow Creek's Skagit Hyde my Halo
"Engel"

[shootem]

Great looking pup. Can't help but wonder how close the genetics are to a Boykin Spaniel? Yours is the state dog of Wisconsin the Boykin is state dog of South Carolina.

[Schmalzfam]

They have some personality and gene traits that are similar. Their looks are also very close. A lot of people could easily mistake one for the other, if it wasn't for their tails. I was torn on one over the other. I believe the Boykins are smaller and also from what I have read they use to have more genetic issues. The genetic issues have since been greatly improved, which is awesome! My boyfriend had a lab x aws mabout 18 years ago. He loved that dog, so the decision was made to go with the AWS and I couldn't be happier with her.

[WapitiTalk1]

We had one in MT back in the mid 70s.  Robin was an exceptional field and water dog; man, she loved to hunt!  Congrats on your new pup. 

[Schmalzfam]

Thank you!

[shootem]

Keep us posted on how things progress.

[AWS]

You are just going to love her.  AWS 's are my favorite hunting dog, can't you tell.

Jim Spencers book "HUP" is a great book to use as guidelines for training her.  I used it to train my Callie dog and she won the hunting competition at the National Specialty in 97.  She went on to be the first AWS to pass the AKC Senior level Hunt Test for spaniels as a demo dog.  She is also the featured AWS in Barron's "The Sporting Spaniel Handbook".

[Schmalzfam]

Thanks AWS. We bought the Hup book right away. We heard it was a great book. I will look into the others. There was one by Pam Kadlec and Charles Jurney that we were recommended.
She's already really grown on me. So smart and such personality!
The only thing I have a hard time with is the vocalness. I am use to the labs, they are quiet.

[AWS]

They do like to talk to you.

Forget everything you've learned about training a Lab.  AWS's hate drills, once they learn something they know it and just need a reminder once in awhile.  My Callie would reach back and take a chunk out of my arm when I pushed her too hard.  I neutered her early as I knew even though she was a hunting machine she was a bubble off kilter and I would never want to pass her genes on.  All of her litter mates were put down do to viciousness but I had a lot of friends that were both guard dog trainers and herd dog trainers that taught me how to deal with her.  My hunting partners referred to her as "The Alligator" as no other animal was allowed near me, she would hunt with other dogs but at the end of the hunt she didn't let them near me.  She would let any person pet her, she loved people. 

She and I hunted together for 14 1/2 years, she'd lay in my lap while I watched TV, we spent months of the year camped out together.  She could go from ducks  to open country pheasants to grouse even woodcock with hardly a blink.  Even after she went deaf she learned to look for directions when her collar buzzed and would keep tract of me out in heavy cover.  I would see her head bouncing up out in the sage and I would just wave my cap she then knew where I was at and hunted appropriately.

[shootem]

How big do you expect your dog to get Schmalzfam? How about your dog AWS?

[AWS]

Mine was the size of a small springer 10 lb body and a 30 pounds of heart.

[Schmalzfam]

I love her personality and she has yet show aggression.  But, I ha e heard that some can be possessive. Her mom and dad were both sweet.
Thanks for the training tip. Makes sense,  because she is so very smart.  She will out work me sometimes though. She does have quite a bit of drive, for a pup.

[Schmalzfam]

Shootem

I figure she will be a larger female.
She will be around 28-35 Maybe.
Hard to tell yet.

[pens fan]

Congratulations! AWS is spot on about the drills. I own Boykins and they've got AWS in them. And they don't drill well at all. They want to be challenged. I almost went with the AWS but I kept hearing about agressiveness.
As for size, I would put your numbers higher. Boykin females are usually in that size range and are usually smaller than the AWS. I hope to see her at some HRC events!

[T-Bone]

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR  NEW PUPPY!!! From what kennel did you get your AWS? BTW, the AWS is the state dog of Wisconsin and one of the few breeds (like the Boykin, the Chesapeake and a few others) to originate in this country.

All the AWS comments are very "spot on"; be prepared for a dog with personality with a capitol "P". Years ago, I had a male out of Paul Bovee's kennel in Wisconsin. "Buck" had an amazing nose and was "Mr. Sure Find" on cripples. Never vicious or aggressive, but he would not back down if another out of control dog tried to go at him. Also, he would define "reasonable" as to my requests for performance; especially in the training drills department. I still recall some of those "You are kidding...right?" looks he would give me to get me back down to earth.