Breed Standard - FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE (F.C.I.)

Publication of the original, current breed standard: 20-12-1990

Revision of the original breed standard in force: 03-06-1999


FCI classification:

Group 8: Retrievers, Flushing Dogs and Water Dogs.

Section 3: Water Dogs.


Distribution:

Southern Spain and the Cantabrian coast; to a lesser extent, the rest of Spain.

 

Working and Hunting Trials:

Because a Perro has not been registered as a working dog with the FCI by its country of origin (Spain), it cannot take part in working and hunting trials as a competition entrant.

 

General appearance:

A simple dog with good proportions (medium-weight). Long-headed. Slightly longer than tall (ratio 9:8). Harmoniously built, with an elegant appearance. Athletic and well-muscled thanks to regular exercise. Has a straight profile. Sight, smell and hearing are very well developed.

 

Character:

Loyal, obedient, cheerful, hardworking, courageous and balanced. Has a great capacity for learning thanks to its exceptional comprehension. Adapts to all situations

 

Use:

Sheepdog, hunting dog, fisherman’s helper, companion dog.


Size and weight:

Males: 44 to 50 cm at the withers.

Height at the withers for females: 40 to 46 cm.

Weight of males: 18–22 kg.

Weight of females: 14–18 kg.

 

Head:

Strong head, elegantly carried

 

Skull:

Skull: Flat skull, inconspicuous occipital protuberance. The skull and muzzle are parallel.

Stop: Slightly pronounced stop.

 

Facial region:

Nose: The nostrils are clearly visible. The nose leather is the same colour as, or slightly darker than, the darkest colour of the coat.

Muzzle: The ratio between the length of the skull and the muzzle is approximately 3:2.

Lips: Well-fitting upper and lower lips.

Teeth: Well-formed, white teeth. Well-developed canines.

Eyes: The eyes are slightly slanted and set fairly far apart. They are very expressive. An iris ranging from hazel to chestnut, matching the coat, is desirable. The conjunctiva is not visible.

Ears: Set at medium height, triangular and hanging.

 

Neck:

Short and muscular, with tight-fitting skin.

Shoulders well laid back.

 

Body:

Robust body.

Topline: Straight.

Underline: Tucked-up abdomen.

Withers: Not very pronounced.

Back: Straight and strong.

Chest: Broad and deep. Well-sprung ribs.

Broad chest with large lung capacity

Croup: Slightly sloping.

 

Forequarters:

Firm and straight.

Shoulders: Well-muscled, sloping shoulders, perfectly fitted to the rib cage.

Upper arm: Strong and set at an angle.

Elbows: Parallel and close against the chest.

Forelegs: Strong and straight.

Pasterns: Strong, slightly short.

Feet: Strong metatarsals and hocks, with sturdy bones and tendons. Round feet with well-knit toes. Nails of varying colors. Strong, resilient pads.

 

Hindquarters:

Perfectly vertical. Not noticeably angulated, with muscles capable of giving the body the powerful impulse needed for walking and for making easy, graceful jumps.

Thighs: Broad and well-muscled.

Lower legs: Well developed.

Hocks: Deep.

Hocks: Short, dry and vertical.

Feet: See forequarters.

 

Tail:

Set halfway up. *

*The description of tail carriage has been omitted pending decisions on this matter by the Spanish parent club.

 

Gait:

The preferred gait is the trot, although the dog also displays a spectacular range of sprints, leaps, turns and dribbles, showing its boundless energy. The gallop is short and springy.

 

Skin:

Supple, fine, and close-fitting to the body, with chestnut-coloured pigmentation, black or matching the darkest shade of the coat. The same applies to the mucous membranes.

 

Coat:

Long and uniform over the entire body. Always curly and woolly. Dogs with long or clipped coats, as well as dogs whose hair on the head, legs or feet has been clipped, are permitted. Artificially clipped specimens are not permitted under any circumstances. The maximum permitted coat length for shows is 12 cm (15 cm when straightened), and the minimum length is 3 cm.

 

Color:

All solid-colored coats and coats with two evenly distributed colors are permitted; white must always be present. Tri-color is not permitted.

 

Faults:

Any deviation from the points listed above must be considered a fault and assessed in proportion to the severity of the deviation from the standard.

 

Serious faults:

  • Pronounced roach back over the loin.
  • Legs not straight.
  • Pendulous or excessively tucked-up abdomen.

 

Disqualifying faults:

  • Overshot or undershot bite.
  • Presence of dewclaws.
  • The absence of one or both testicles, or failure of one or both testicles to descend.
  • Smooth or wavy coat, albinism.
  • Speckled, black-spotted or brown-spotted coats.
  • Unbalanced temperament.
  • Note: The Perro de Agua Español’s woolly coat curls from birth. This means that even dogs with hair only one centimeter long should have curls all over their bodies. Even when clipped as short as possible, their coats dry completely curly after washing.