Spanish Water Dog

Spain's all-purpose farm and fishing dog herded livestock, retrieved game from marshland and helped inshore fishermen on the Cantabrian coast, so it suits owners who want a swimmer with a herding brain and a job-hungry attitude. The woolly coat is not brushed: it is traditionally clipped in one length and left to curl, or to form cords if grown long, with a fresh-water rinse after a sea swim. Expect a loyal, alert dog that is reserved with strangers; breeders test for hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, thyroid disease and Addison's disease.