Spanish Water Dog is originated from Spain but Goldador is originated from United States. Spanish Water Dog may grow 11 cm / 4 inches shorter than Goldador. Spanish Water Dog may weigh 14 kg / 30 pounds lesser than Goldador. Both Spanish Water Dog and Goldador has almost same life span. Spanish Water Dog may have less litter size than Goldador. Spanish Water Dog requires Moderate maintenance. But Goldador requires Low maintenance
Bred in Spain to guard and herd sheep, the Spanish Water Dog was also used in hunting because he could retrieve in water. The breed is closely aligned with other water dogs like the Irish Water Spaniel, Portuguese Water Dog and French Barbel. It is especially true that the Spanish Water Dog and the Portuguese Water Dog share some of the same ancestors. The two breeds are closely related.
In the early days of the breed, they were separated into three different sizes and types. The dogs from Northern Spain were smaller than the others and came from the regions of Cantabria and Asturias. These lighter colored dogs eventually became their own breed – the Cantabria Water Dog. The second group came from western Andalusia marsh lands. He had a long chorded coat. The third group was the strongest and largest and came from the southern Andalusian sierras. This was by far the largest and most influential group, most of whom were herders. Eventually the groups interbred and today’s SWD carries the traits of all three. They were and still are a very versatile breed. In addition to herding they fished or retrieved for hunters.
The breed was revived in the 1970”s by two breeders, Santiago Montesinos and Antonio Garcia Perez travelled through southern Spain to buy or borrow dogs for breeding. By 1980, they had established the Spanish Water Dog Club of Spain and reestablished the breed. They fought to the breed recognized in Spain first. After five years of hard work, the Federation Cynologique Internationale recognized the breed permanently in 1999.
The UKC, or United Kennel Club, of the United States, recognized the breed in 2001, accepting them for confirmation by 2004. In the United States the breed was championed by Ken and Jerry Mann to attain that UKC recognition. Still the AKC, or American Kennel Club, held out on their recognition. The Manns showed the SWD in 2000 in the AKC Rare Breed Conformation and the UKC multi-breed show in 2004.
The Manns also used their breed for herding in the United States in entered them into the herding competition. In the they advocated for and got the SWD into the herding group for confirmation with the UKC in 2013. The American Kennel Club approved the requests of the Spanish Water Dog Club, Inc and recognized the breed in 2005 as foundation stock. By 2008 the AKC recognized the SWD to be able to compete in field trials by not conformation. In 2015 the SWD will be admitting to AKC conformation and fully recognized as a member of the herding group. They were also recognized by the American Herding Breed Association in 2007.
Introduced as a designer dog, the Goldador is beautiful – a mix between Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, two of the most popular dog breeds in the world.
The dog was specifically bred to be an excellent working dog, and in fact today he makes the most wonderful guide-, rescue- and therapy dog.
Known also as Golden Labradors, the Goldador is a dog that has many capabilities, one of which is to make a wonderful family pet. As a designer breed, the dog isn’t recognized as a standardized breed by any of the major kennel clubs.
The Spanish Water Dog is an athletic, medium size, robust breed that is not as tall as it is long. In countries like the US, the tails are docked but it is not a conformation fault if they are not. The carry themselves with pride and elegance, have a strong head and expressive eyes which are brown. They have flat skulls and wide set eyes. Their paw pads, eye-rims and nose should be darker than their coat or at least the same color. Their eyes are chestnut, hazel or dark brown and their ears are medium height and triangular. His coat is curly and his topline is straight. With a broad chest and arched rib, he is a very athletic looking dog. The breed has much respiratory capacity with broad shoulders and straight sturdy legs. The breed has rounded feet , tight toes, and resistant pads.
The Goldador is a large muscular dog standing at between 56 – 61cm in height at the withers and weighing between 27 – 36kg in weight.
His double coat is short and smooth but in can also be longer. It comes in shades of gold or yellow with hints of red, but it can be liver or black too. Goldadors are well-balanced dogs, and just the look in their kind brown eyes makes you realize that this beautiful dog can make a wonderful pet.
He has a well proportioned head with medium length floppy ears, a black nose and a long tail.
Loving, intelligent, loyal and playful, the Goldador is the kind of dog that gets on well with everyone. It’s why he isn’t a particularly good watchdog as he is just too friendly with strangers. You have to be careful though – his rambunctious nature, his energy and playfulness can see him being a bit rough around small children or the elderly. It is why socialization and training are so important for him as then he becomes obedient and more relaxed around everyone.
He loves his human family and never wants to be left on his own for too long. Intelligent and alert, he is an easy dog to train as he makes it easier by being a dog that wants to please.
3.Adaptability - very adaptable with the right exercise. Neither heat nor cold bother them.
Goldadors are intelligent dogs and they’ve been used extensively for guide- and therapy dogs, loving to be useful and busy. Its the kind of dog that thrives in a loving, active family – one that counts him in as a family member.
He makes an exceptional family pet and companion and you can rely on him to be a loyal, loving pet.It’s why the Goldador is becoming such a sought after pet – he simply ticks all the right boxes.
The Spanish Water Dog has much of the same health problems as the other water dogs and dogs their size and heritage. Here are some of the health issues they are prone to.
• Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency – inability to digest food – can be treated.
• CHG – Congenital Hypothyroidism with Goiter – inherited and pups don’t grow correctly.
• Neuroaxonal Dystrophy – cognitive and muscular dysfunction. Vitamin E and insulin deficiency
Goldadors luckily don’t have many health issues, and as a hybrid, he has fewer health issues than pure breds.
You can say with confidence that a nutritious diet, regular exercise, good grooming, lots of love and attention and visits to the vet if your pet is ill are key aspects for maintaining good health.
There are always going to be some common health problems that your Goldie could get -
You’ll need to be checking your Labrador Retriever's floppy ears. They don’t get as much air in them as a dog with erect ears. A dog like the Goldador with floppy ears will need to have his ears cleaned for bacteria. Be very careful how you clean your pet’s ears as you can damage them if you probe too deeply.
Did you know that by spaying or neutering your Goldador can save them from getting some serious illnesses later on? Speak to your vet about it when your pet reaches 9 months to a year of age.
Goldadors can easily put on weight if they aren’t given enough daily exercise to burn off the calories. Some put on weight after being spayed or neutered and it's important to watch their weight after these procedures. Being overweight puts a lot of extra strain on a dog’s internal organs.
1.Feeding the puppy – Because of the breed propensity to some genetic dietary issues it is important to feed high quality food made from mostly meat. Avoid grains as much as possible. Don’t feed adult foods to the puppies. Feed puppy breed specific or medium size dogs.
2.Feeding the adult - Feed the adult as little grain and as much protein as possible. Feed adult breed specific or medium size dog’s food.
4. Games and Exercises – This is a working breed. Remember they are both herders and hunters and need exercise. They love strenuous hiking, running, jogging, long walks, swimming and playing fetch. Don’t over work the puppy/young dog until they have matured and their growth plates close.
Goom your Goldador regularly. He can either have short- or long hair, but he is a fairly low maintenance dog so a good brush twice a week to remove loose hairs will be good for him.
Diet is everything, and by giving your Goldador nutritional food, you can actually lengthen his life. If you’re going to be giving him commercially manufactured food, follow the feeding guidelines on the packaging. Remember there are foods that cater specifically for a dogs age and his energy levels.
Try and give him some home-made food from time to time such as cooked rice, vegetables and chicken as well as some raw meat occasionally as this can ensure his skin and coat remain healthy.
Always provide plenty of cool, fresh water, especially seeing that he will be thirsty after a long walk or other exercise. Dehydration in a dog can be fatal.
Provide your Goldador with a warm, dry place to sleep. Make sure that it offers shelter from the sun and rain and also provides shade.