One of the most beloved dog breeds in Spain is without a doubt the Turco Andaluz, better known in the canine world as a Spanish water dog. It is a medium-sized breed with a very friendly, intelligent and loving character.
Water dogs are characterized by their swimming ability and by their peculiar coat of curly hair, which requires very special care. However, few people know that they are also excellent working dogs.
The Spanish water dog has been used as a sheepdog for centuries, although today it occupies a more homely role, as a companion dog. Do you want to know more about this amazing breed and its puppies? From Dogsis we show you all the information about water dogs.
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Index of contents
- 1 Physical characteristics of the Spanish water dog
- 2 Temperament and behavior of the Spanish water dog
- 2.1 How does the Andalusian Turk behave with children?
- 3 What care does a Spanish water dog need?
- 4 How to Educate a Spanish Water Pup
- 5 The Andalusian Turkish diet
- 6 How much does a Spanish water dog cost?
Physical characteristics of the Spanish water dog
It is enough to see a single image to know what the Spanish water dog looks like, friendly and somewhat pompous due to its thick coat of curly fur. The Spanish or Turkish Andalusian water dog hides a great secret under her hair, a strong, highly developed athletic body.
His face is rounded with triangular ears always hanging, his eyes are somewhat oval although due to the hair, they are barely noticeable. The color of her hair can be uniform or a mixture of white, brown and / or black.
Spanish water dog puppies can be born of a specific color but change it as it loses the puppy’s wool and its real hair comes out.
Acquires in adulthood a height at the withers of between forty and fifty centimeters, with an average of twenty kilos of weight, somewhat less the females. They are prone to weight gain so it is necessary to monitor their diet.
Due to its abilities in the water and great olfactory skills, the Spanish water dog has been used for centuries as a herding dog and as a hunting dog, collecting the birds killed by its owner (collector).
To know if a Spanish water dog is pure it will be enough to request the certificate of pedigree to the breeder where we have adopted him.
Temperament and behavior of the Spanish water dog
How good shepherd dog the Spanish water dog It is characterized by being extremely intelligent, at the same time as strong. However, sometimes it can be a bit disobedient, especially if you find an inviting river or lake where you can dive for a while.
The character of Spanish water dogs is very good, both with adults and with the smallest of the house. Very loving with their family and attached, playful and somewhat talkative. These qualities make them ideal dogs as life companions.
They adapt perfectly to coexistence in flats or houses, although it is necessary to exercise them daily since it is an active breed of dog. This breed of dog is not good for taking short walks and going home, it needs to expend its energy on a daily basis.
Spanish water dog puppies are naughty and fun, very active and with a lot of playful character. Without a doubt it is an excellent breed with which to share great moments.
To know how the Spanish water dog is, we only have to spend a few hours with it, and we will fall in love.
How does the Andalusian Turk behave with children?
As long as he receives a correct education and adequate socialization, he will be a charm with the smallest of the family. She loves playing with children and even teases them a little to entice them to play.
Even if we have animals at home as pets, it will respect them. His behavior is always good.
What care does a Spanish water dog need?
Due to its large coat of hair it is highly recommended to brush it daily, even checking it to make sure that it does not have any spike nailed. Her hair grows quickly, so in warm and temperate seasons it will be necessary to cut his hair every two or three months.
You need to do intense physical exercise on a daily basis, or alternatively run and play with other dogs to stay in shape. The Spanish water dog tends to eat a lot, so it is necessary to monitor its diet to prevent it from taking a few extra kilos.
Their health is strong although the breed is prone to suffer waterfalls in the eyes, in addition to elbow or hip dysplasia many times. With the recommended veterinary reviews it will be enough to avoid these problems.
- Brush it daily, check that it does not have nailed dowels.
- Bathe him at least once a month.
- Exercise it daily / socialize it with other dogs.
- Pass recommended veterinary check-ups / vaccinate.
- Monitor your weight to avoid being overweight.
Overweight water dogs wear out their joints more than overweight dogs, so knowing that this breed is prone to dysplasia, it is highly recommended to closely monitor the diet and weight of our spaniel.
How to Educate a Spanish Water Pup
The puppies of Spanish water dogs only want to eat, play and sleep, like any puppy of other breeds. However it is important to start teaching them basic training orders from twelve weeks of age.
To educate a Spanish water dog puppy we will simply need some food and congratulate him a lot when he does well. We should not scold or punish him when he does wrong, just ignore him. This technique is known as positive reinforcement education.
The most important thing is to teach him to obey the orders of:
- Come here.
- Sit down.
Learning these basic orders with forcefulness our Spanish water dog will not get into trouble and neither in puddles, rivers, swamps, etc … Since how you will see over time, its weak point is water, it loves it.
The Andalusian Turkish diet
We can make the mistake of thinking that as it is a medium-sized dog, any type of dog food will suffice to feed it correctly.
Well, no, Spanish wat
er dog food must be rich in high quality animal protein and possess high amounts of chondroprotectors.
If the feed does not have enough chondroprotectors, we can add them since they are also sold as pills in veterinary clinics.
- The protein High quality is necessary to develop and maintain your strong and athletic body. Preventing you from becoming overweight due to excess fat or carbohydrates.
- Chondroprotectors They will help to keep your joints healthy, or at least, to delay and much the possible problems derived from them.
We should avoid giving it more than the recommended amount because it is a breed that easily becomes overweight.
How much does a Spanish water dog cost?
Depending on the breeder we go to and the country where we reside, its price will be very different. In Spain, the breeders of the Madrid community they usually sell puppies of Spanish water dogs for one hundred and fifty Euros, something more if any peculiarity is required.
We recommend you visit the kennel and protector of your town to be able to adopt a Turkish Andalusian, since we do not promote the purchase, sale or breeding.
Beware of those who call themselves Spanish Toy or mini water dogs, since there are no toy or mini specimens of this breed. According to the well-known Wikipedia.