MyDogBreeds
Both American Water Spaniel and American English Coonhound are originated from United States. American Water Spaniel may grow 23 cm / 9 inches shorter than American English Coonhound. American Water Spaniel may weigh 7 kg / 15 pounds lesser than American English Coonhound. Both American Water Spaniel and American English Coonhound has almost same life span. American Water Spaniel may have less litter size than American English Coonhound. American Water Spaniel requires Moderate maintenance. But American English Coonhound requires Low maintenance
The American Water Spaniel was developed in the United States. He is the state dog of Wisconsin and was developed there in the 19th century. The bloodlines of this spaniel are varied but certainly include the English Water Spaniel and the Irish Water Spaniel. Even though they are the state dog of Wisconsin they were almost extinct when Dr. Fred J. Pfeifer rescued the breed. The numbers had fallen after World War II because hunting was now a recreational sport and not needed to provide food for the family. He then started a breed club and wrote a breed standard, both of which were recognized by the United Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club.
When first developed the American Water Spaniel was known as the American Brown Spaniel. It was bred with a curly, thick coat so that it cold be sustained in Wisconsin winters and cold water. It was bred to hunt grouse, water fowl and prairie chickens as well as furry land animals. Pfeifer advertised his dogs for sale everywhere using a mailer that read: “, "The American Brown Spaniel is distinctively an American production. Hunters have known this type for years and it was through their efforts that this dog was propagated.... For years we have bred only selective stock, breeding for gameness, stability, courage, intelligence, and beauty. They are dogs to admire and trust under all conditions whether in the home circle or in the field with the outdoor man."[2]
In Wisconsin, around the wolf River and the Fox River, hunters were looking for a water dog that could also hunt on land. They needed a dog that could work a variety of fowl and game but who was small enough for a skiff and strong enough for the artic water temperatures of Wisconsin in the Winter. So, in addition to the spaniels named above, other breeds such as the Curly Coated Retriever, the Poodle, Native Indian dogs and the Sussex Spaniel were intermixed. When first developed the American Water Spaniel was known as the American Brown Spaniel. It was bred with a curly, thick coat so that it cold be sustained in Wisconsin winters and cold water. It was bred to hunt grouse, water fowl and prairie chickens as well as furry land animals. The American Water Spaniel was then itself used to develop another new breed, the Boykin Spaniel. In 1985 Wisconsin declared the American Water Spaniel to be the official state dog. Even so there remain only a few thousand dogs in existence. Though recognized by the AKC, they are neither spaniels nor retrievers and remain unclassified. Because of this they cannot compete in AKC field trials, but they do compete in AKC hunt tests. Though rare, the American Water Spaniel is a great hunting dog, retriever and companion.
The American English Coonhound was developed in the Southern part of the United States from the variety of English hunting dogs that came to the States with the early settlers. At one point they were known as the Virginia Hound. This breed is well known for its prowess in hunting raccoons and her endurance and speed. Of course as a hound dog he loves to howl during the hunt and at home with the family. He can be frustrated and destructive if his energy and need for a job are not satisfied.
The American Water spaniel is a midsized, muscular dog. There is nothing flashy about his looks or his work performance. He is however a consistent, competent swimmer and hunter. His brown coat is wavy or tightly curled, waterproof and dense. His feet have thick pads and webbed toes. The AWS is intelligent, happy, and easy going. He is a very versatile hunting dog on land and in water. The breed has not changed much since it originated in the 19th century. They can be liver, chocolate or brown. The eyes should be the same as the color of the coat. They have broad skulls with wide, long ears and an undocked tail.
They have a square, medium sized muzzle and wide nose. They have a bite that is level or scissors. The legs of the muscular American Water Spaniel are medium in length and the tail is full, with a medium length, curved and feathered. The dewclaws might or might not be removed.
The American English Coonhound is an athlete with a deep chest and cute face. They have broad heads, domed skulls, dark eyes and soft, low ears. They are as fast and athletic as they look. These are highly athletic dogs with long legs and a slim but muscular body. They are so well built for their hunting role, that any deficiencies are quickly identified and bred out of the breed.
Bred to work the American Water Spaniels are loyal to their people, want to please them, but are not so great with strangers. They are stubborn and love to be the center of attention. They are often one person or one family dogs. They need an owner who is the pack leader and willing to put in the time to train them. However, they are a versatile breed and need variety in training and activities rather than repetitive activities. They are prone to resource guarding, slow maturation and dominance. These negative traits are dissipated with a strong leader, good training and a lot of daily activity. They are sensitive as well as stubborn. Do not use a punishment-oriented training with them. They will respond out of love and loyalty or not at all. This is a breed that wants to be the alpha over the people and will do so if you let him. Keep them fenced as being hunters they love to wander and will leave home whenever they can.
The American English Coonhound knows how to relax just as much as he knows how to work. He is mellow after work and tenacious in the chase. This is not the dog for a first-time owner. They are stubborn and hard to train. They howl and bark at home as much as they do on the hunt. They need a strong pack leader, especially when living in the city or neighborhoods.
They are outgoing and friendly and very sensitive. They mature later than most other breeds their size. They are about 2 when they mature.
The American Water Spaniel is a hardy, healthy breed without a lot of the genetic concerns of other breeds. Some of the concerns of this breed include vision, cardiac, hip dysplasia and degenerative myelopathy. They might also have skin issues and metabolic disorders.
If kept active and happy, the American English Coonhound has very few health problems. The benefit from a large gen pool but do have some health concerns including elbow and hip dysplasia, ear infections, cataracts, bloat, and Progressive Retinal Atrophy. They do have a tendency to gain weight as they age. These issues will be addressed in more detail below. DNA testing is available for the dysplasia and eye issues.
Feeding the American Water Spaniel is no mystery. They need a high quality dry dog food with an eye toward calorie consumption. Some AWS have a tendency to become obese. Treats are important to the AWS in training but can add to the obesity concerns.
Like other isolated breeds that were bred true, the genetic issues we see in many other popular breeds are not seen as much in the American Water Spaniel. They do however have a few issues to contend with.
Eyes: These issues appear to be inherited with progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts. Many AWS that develop cataracts do so at a very young age, usually under a year. Metabolic: Diabetes, hypothyroidism, glandular disorders and epilepsy. Baldness and Cardiac Issues. Orthopedic: Hip dysplasia. There is no evidence to suggest any elbow dysplasia. Additional concerns are hypothyroidism, allergies, epilepsy, diabetes and glandular disorders which Of course, the American Water Spaniel is an athlete who loves to be outdoors. He loves to swim, run and hunt. He needs daily exercise, or he can become loud and destructive. They thrive on having a job and they are not happy if they don’t have one. They are good at agility, obedience, dock diving and field trials. They also enjoy flyball and barn hunt.
your working American English Coonhound needs different food than one who is not working. So, if you hunt with your dog remember he really needs the calories to keep his energy up. However, they can get obese as they age so cut back with less activity and more years. Watch the number of treats when training.
Elbow and Hip Dysplasia – the joint issues prevent the bones from connecting and functioning properly. Any good breeder of American English Coonhounds will do tests for both.
Eye issues range from cataracts to PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) Again there are tests available for these conditions.
Bloat is a condition many medium to large size dogs can experience when their stomach can become inverted and intestines distended. The is a situational issue and can’t be predicted. Don’t allow your coonhound to wolf down food right before exercise and feed him more than once a day in a smaller meal.
The American English Coonhound needs a lot of exercise and has an extremely strong work and prey drive.