Over time much has been written about the origins of the breed, to assume that each breed of water dog (French Barbet, Italian Leggotto, Portuguese Waterdog and of course the Spanish Waterdog) has a separate and distinct origin would I think be folly.

Especially when one takes into account that the concept of a ‘Pure Breed’ or pedigree dog only came about some 200 years ago when groups of dog ‘Fanciers’ started getting together to show there dogs in the North East of England and subsequently formed the Kennel Club in 1873.

It is commonly accepted that the domestication of Sheep and Goats first took place in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and what is now known as the Middle East.

It seems most likely that the Woolly Coated herding dog began its evolution in this area at the same time and moved through the countries of the Mediterranean as trade moved along the ‘Silk Road’ bringing herbs spices and other goods from the East into Europe.

So the theories of how the woolly coated herding dog arrived in the Iberian Peninsular from North Africa with the Moors or with the Romans, all fit into this theory and there is undoubtedly some truth in all the theories. A number of the old traditional names for this type of dog tend to support this idea.

Perro Turko Andalucia (Turkish Dog of Southern Spain)

Barbet

Laneto

Perro De Lanas

Perro Patero

But no matter how they got there the first real documented evidence of the ‘woolly coated herding dog’ being in the Iberian Peninsular is found around 1110 A.D. and it is generally accepted that this dog is the ancestor of the modern day Perro De Agua Espanol (Spanish Water Dog) and for that matter most of the other breeds that come from the Woolly Coated Herding Dog of that time and place.

From this time right up until the 19^th century livestock was moved annually from the South to the North of Spain in search of fresh pastures. This annual migration was known as La Trashumancia and the route it took was known as the Canada Real. It is this annual migration that helped to spread the Woolly Coated Herding Dog through out the Iberian Peninsular.

Over the centuries, by natural selection with lots of help from and intervention of humans the picking the particular traits that would help them in there everyday lives Woolly Coated herding dog slowly turned into the Perro De Agua, the Portuguese Water Dog, The French Barbet and other breeds that we know today.

In the case of the Spanish Water Dog, it turned out to be a dog proficient at herding Sheep Cattle and Goats but also a good hunting dog and an excellent retriever of small game in the mountainous regions Spain. They were also much prized by the coastal fishermen for their help in swimming the lines of coastal fishing craft to the shore, retrieving things that got lost overboard and of course helping to guard the catch once it was safely landed ashore.

With the coming of the industrial revolution to Spain and the enclosure of lands La Tashumancia and the Canada Real died out. But the Spanish Water Dog carried on herding Sheep, Cattle and Goats in the hills and mountains around Cadiz and Malaga, as well as with the fishermen of Algeciras, Malaga and Seville.

Modern History

Today the Perro De Agua can still be found in the hills and mountains of Andalucia helping to tend the Sheep, Cattle and Goats, but has also adapted and moved with the times and can be found not only as a pet in Spanish homes but also working with the Police and Customs sniffing out Explosives and Drugs. As well as helping in Search and rescue teams

The Perro De Agua was recognised by the Spanish kennel club in

The latest chapter in the history of the Spanish Waterdog is its success with the U.K. Kennel Club in being moved from the Import Register in to the Rare Breed and so into the main stream of showing as of the 1^st January 2008.

With this it is expected that they will have their own breed classes at the World’s Premier Dog Show ‘CRUFTS’ in 2009.

I am sure that there will be many more chapters of the history of the Spanish Water Dog to be written in the future as it gains in success and popularity in the wider world.