Tweed Water Spaniel facts for kids
"Water Spaniel"
(most widely accepted image of Tweed Spaniel) |
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| Other names | Tweed Spaniel Ladykirk Spaniel |
|---|---|
| Origin | England |
| Breed status | Extinct |
| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |
The Tweed Water Spaniel was a type of dog that is now extinct. It disappeared in the 1800s. This dog is famous because it helped create two popular dog breeds we know today: the Curly-coated Retriever and the Golden Retriever.
These dogs were usually brown and very active. They lived near the River Tweed in the area of Berwick-upon-Tweed, close to the border with Scotland. They were a kind of water dog, but most people only knew about them in their local area. The Tweed Water Spaniel might have been a mix of local water dogs and the St. John's water dog, which is also extinct.
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History of the Tweed Water Spaniel
The village of Norham in Northumberland, located just south of the River Tweed, was well-known for its brown water spaniels.
In 1816, a writer named Richard Lawrence talked about how the Tweed Water Spaniel got stronger. He said that water dogs near Berwick-upon-Tweed became more powerful by mixing with the Newfoundland dog. This made them better at handling the tough conditions of the rocky coast. Even though he mentioned the Newfoundland breed, he probably meant the St. John's water dog, which was sometimes called a Newfoundland dog because of where it came from.
Stanley O'Neil, an expert on Flat-coated Retrievers, wrote about seeing a Tweed Water Spaniel in the late 1800s. He described a dog with wavy or curly fur that was a brownish color. The men with the dog told him it was a Tweed Water Spaniel. O'Neil thought it looked more like a retriever than a spaniel.
Some people thought the Tweed Water Spaniel was just an early name for the Golden Retriever. However, this idea is not supported by facts. The history of the Golden Retriever is well-documented and clearly shows that three Tweed Water Spaniels were part of its development.
What the Tweed Water Spaniel Looked Like
The Tweed Water Spaniel had a long tail and a curly, liver-colored (reddish-brown) coat. It looked a bit like the Irish Water Spaniel. However, the Tweed Water Spaniel had a heavier snout and a more pointed head.
This dog also had thick, slightly furry, hound-like ears that hung down. Its lips were droopy, and its front legs had some feathering (longer fur), but its back legs did not. They were about the size of a small retriever. Sometimes, their puppies were liver-colored with tan fur below the knees. This might have happened if one of the parents had some Bloodhound in its family.
The breed was known for being very smart, brave, and good at sporting activities like retrieving from water.
Legacy: How They Influenced Other Breeds
Golden Retriever
In the late 1800s, Sir Dudley Coutts Majoribanks, who was Lord Tweedmouth, was creating a new dog breed. He called it a "yellow Retriever," which was unusual because most retrievers at that time were black.
The main dogs that started the modern Golden Retriever breed were a male dog named Nous and a female Tweed Spaniel named Belle. Nous was a rare yellow Wavy-coated Retriever. Belle was given to Lord Tweedmouth by his cousin.
Nous and Belle had four yellow puppies: Ada, Crocus, Primrose, and Cowslip. Belle was not the only Tweed Spaniel Lord Tweedmouth owned. He also had another dog named Tweed, but this dog died young and never had puppies. Another dog, also named Tweed, was bred with Cowslip (one of Nous and Belle's puppies). This pairing produced another yellow puppy named Topsy.
The Tweed Water Spaniel and the Wavy-coated Retriever were only crossbred a few times. However, these early crosses were the beginning of the modern Golden Retriever breed.
Curly-coated Retriever
When the modern Curly-coated Retriever breed was being developed, several different dog breeds were used. These included Poodles, Wetterhouns, Barbets, and Irish Water Spaniels. Extinct breeds like the Large Rough Water Dog and the Tweed Water Spaniel were also part of this mix. The Curly-coated Retriever has been considered a purebred dog since the early 1900s.
Images for kids
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A drawing of a "Water Spaniel," believed to be a Tweed Water Spaniel.
See also
In Spanish: Tweed Water Spaniel para niños
