Irish Water Spaniels are often considered a rare breed of dog. The truth is, this breed is actually thriving, but it is not meeting up to breed standards or conformation, and thereby making many dogs from this breed "undesirable". Hence, it is more accurate to say that "desirable" Irish Water Spaniels are rare. Irresponsible breeding is the main culprit for the Irish Water Spaniel's apparent decline in desirability and popularity.
The one true secret to breeding the Irish Water Spaniel right is a desire to really, sincerely better the breed. The truth is - breeding Irish Water Spaniels is a very expensive affair. It may not cost you much when you put two breeding dogs together but responsible breeding entails tests like conformation, health, genetic and temperament. You also have to take into consideration such risks like the possibility of the bitch giving birth to still-born puppies or suffering from hemorrhage, or even drying up on her milk supply, etc. Breeding for profit is an irresponsible way of doing business. Not only do you help propagate ill-bred whelps that are flooding the puppy mills, you also risk the life of your Irish Water Spaniel bitch. Assuredly so, there are very few Irish Water Spaniel breeding bitches available to want to risk one in a haphazard business scheme.
Many associations now are advocating proper breeding for the Irish Water Spaniel. By adhering strictly to the approved conformation requirements, Irish Water Spaniel enthusiasts are actually helping strengthen the dog's gene pool breed, and eventually making the dog popular again in dog shows and in hunting or field tests.
If you have plans to breed Irish Water Spaniels, another secret is to have a hefty background of the dog’s medical needs and basic standard requirements. It is not enough to put one male Irish Water Spaniel and one female Irish Water Spaniel together, hoping with your fingers crossed that the litter would turn out fine. These days, the need to ensure that the next batch of puppies have the desired traits lead many breeders to pre-test their potential bitches and studs in the areas of conformation, health, genetic and temperament.
Various Irish Water Spaniels associations, clubs and potential dog owners now prefer that they be present when one male Irish Water Spaniel dog is mixed with a female. This ensures the parentage of the litter, and also gives them an ocular inspection of the health of the stud and bitch Irish Water Spaniels. Prior to this, it is now a common practice to make the potential Irish Water Spaniel parents undergo genetic testing. Genetic testing or DNA testing is a keystone in determining the future health of Irish Water Spaniel puppies.
Inherent diseases and potential medical conditions can be determined through genetic testing. This also establishes the genetic link of the Irish Water Spaniels to see whether the dogs are too closely related or whether the blood line is indeed pure as specified by the owners. Genetic testing can also help predict‚ the occurrence of some of the more common medical ailments that aging Irish Water Spaniels suffer from, such as dysplasia in the elbows and hips, seizures, skin problems, thyroid problems, etc.
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