Comparison: French Water Dog (Barbet) and Irish Water Spaniel

French Water Dog (Barbet) and Irish Water Spaniel are marked as similar in our database. The table compares only the data we have on the breeds.

French Water Dog (Barbet)
Photo: Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Irish Water Spaniel
Photo: Roete002, CC BY 4.0, source
French Water Dog (Barbet)Irish Water Spaniel
FCI group8. Retrievers, flushing dogs and water dogs8. Retrievers, flushing dogs and water dogs
Country of originFranceIreland
CategoryLargeMedium
Height at withers53–65 cm51–59 cm
Recognition features
  • Long, woolly, curly coat covering the whole body, can form strands
  • Beard on the chin that gave the breed its name
  • Low-set tail with a slight hook at the tip
  • Dense, tight crisp ringlets in a rich puce-liver colour
  • Smooth face and a V-shaped smooth patch on the throat, with curls on neck and body
  • Distinctive "rat tail"
CoatLong, woolly and curly, can form strands; in its natural state it covers the whole body, an essential characteristic of the breed. May be groomed in a specific manner. Colour solid black, grey, brown, fawn, pale fawn, white or more or less pied.Dense, tight, crisp ringlets entirely free from woolliness but with a natural oiliness; neck covered with curls, throat smooth in a V-shaped patch, forelegs abundantly feathered. A very rich puce liver; white on the chest is objectionable.
PurposeA water dog for hunting wildfowl; more than a retriever, it must search for, locate and flush game hiding in water vegetation, then retrieve the shot bird. Very resistant to cold, it goes to water in all weathers.A versatile gundog traditionally the choice of the wildfowler; it adapts to most forms of shooting, hunts, often points, and retrieves readily from heavy cover.

Breed page: French Water Dog (Barbet) · Breed page: Irish Water Spaniel

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The information is indicative. Texts are based on available sources and may contain inaccuracies; for binding details (e.g. for breeding or shows) use the official breed standard.