Chapter 15

An Old Dog for a New Century: The History of the American Water Spaniel

Imagine that you could design a new breed of hunting dog to meet the needs and opportunities of hunting in the twenty-first century. You'd want it to be as versatile as your hunting interests—a dog that could brave frigid Wisconsin waters and aggressively mark and retrieve waterfowl, proficiently find and flush upland birds, and be a fine rabbit or squirrel dog. Because time and space can be limited, it should be a dog easily trained and small enough to fit comfortably in canoe, skiff, or duck blind. Of course, this dog should also be a great family companion and watchdog.

Luckily, years of careful, selective breeding won't be needed to produce such an “all-around” hunter—it already exists in the form of the American water spaniel (AWS). The AWS is as “Wisconsin” as cheese, having originated more than one hundred years ago in the Fox and Wolf river valleys to meet the exacting demands of market hunters.1 One of the few hunting breeds developed in the United States, and the only one that calls Wisconsin home, the AWS has been greatly overlooked by hunters in years past but deserves serious consideration by sports enthusiasts looking for that one dog that can do it all.

Most middle-aged or younger hunters have probably never even seen an AWS, let alone had the opportunity to hunt with one. The AWS is a medium-sized dog, on the small side compared with other retrievers, generally thirty to forty-five pounds and fifteen to eighteen inches at the shoulder. The characteristic coat can range from tightly curled to wavy, and it comes in solid brown, dark chocolate, or liver. The ears are long and lobular in shape and are thickly furred. The breed standard includes a tapered, moderately long, fully haired tail. The tail is not “rat-like” as seen in the Irish water spaniel—a rare breed sometimes confused with the AWS.

The origins of the breed date back to the period between the end of the Civil War and the turn of the century, when commercial waterfowlers along the Fox and Wolf river valleys sought a hunting dog that could hold up under the pressures of hard work and harsh conditions. They needed a dog to plow through thick marsh and swamp vegetation to make retrieve after retrieve and to help bag muskrats and mink, hunt grouse, and get squirrels.

The exact origin of the breed may be lost to history. However, one theory explains that through nonscientific, selective breeding among market hunters who recognized that the little brown dogs with brown eyes were their best workers, a distinct breed arose (possibly with the early ancestry of Irish water spaniel and curly coated retriever).2 This dog possessed a thick double coat to repel frigid spring and autumn waters, a coloration that blended with the browns of marsh and swamp, a long tail to serve as a rudder in swift waters, and a small size to fit easily in the market hunter's skiff, or “pole boat.” This dog also possessed an innate hunting instinct coupled with a keen intelligence.

The reputation of the AWS as a rugged hunting dog that could do anything grew throughout the Upper Midwest in the late 1800s. In the early years there was no real recognition of the breed. It was often referred to as the brown water spaniel or just American brown spaniel.³ After the market hunters faded away, the AWS was still popular with Lake States waterfowlers, but as waterfowl numbers plummeted during the dust bowl years of the 1930s, the little brown dog was in danger of slipping into oblivion as part of just another chapter of hunting history.

The breed's savior came in the form of a physician from New London, Wisconsin. Dr. F. J. Pfeifer has often been credited with saving the breed. “Doc” Pfeifer realized that the little brown hunting dogs he had known since childhood were actually a distinct breed.⁴ He began breeding the dogs in 1909 and saw that litter after litter retained the same strong characteristics. Doc Pfeifer worked tirelessly to establish breed standards and gain breed recognition. His efforts led to the recognition of the AWS as a purebred by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1920 and by the Field Dog Stud Book in 1938.⁵ Others carried on Doc's work. John Scofield of Missouri and Thomas Brogden of Rush Lake, Wisconsin, revitalized the American Water Spaniel Club (AWSC) and helped win the more prestigious American Kennel Club (AKC) recognition of the breed in 1940.⁶

Up until WWII, the AWS was a common hunting dog in Wisconsin and could be found in every small town along the Fox, Wolf, Wisconsin, and Mississippi rivers. Along with the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, another native U.S. breed, the AWS was one of the few breeds used by waterfowlers in the Upper Midwest in the 1930s and ‘40s. After the war, the popularity of larger breeds, such as Labrador and golden retrievers, exploded, and the AWS was relegated to obscurity.

The obscurity continues to this day, keeping the AWS one of the least-known sporting dog breeds. The fact that the breed still exists and extremely high-quality pups can be located is due to a small but highly dedicated contingent of AWS breeders who continue the tradition begun by Doc Pfeifer.

John and Mary Barth began Swan Lake Kennels on their Columbia County farm in 1967. John, a native of La Crosse, recalled their decision to breed AWSs. “When I was a kid my father always had an American water spaniel,” said Barth. “We hunted with them on the Mississippi, but they were great family dogs and companions as well. I always had fond memories of those dogs, and when we decided to get into dog breeding, the AWS was a natural choice.”7 The Barths developed Swan Lake into one of the leading AWS kennels in the Midwest and have shipped pups to every state except Hawaii. While John and Mary are now deceased, their daughter Ellen now runs Swan Lake Kennels.

The list of major AWS breeders is not long—most are still found in Wisconsin or adjacent states. The AWS is practically unknown outside of the United States. The dual nature of the AWS as both a competent retriever and a spaniel has left the breed “unclassified” by the AKC.⁸ Without either a retriever or flushing spaniel status, the AWS cannot participate in AKC-sanctioned field trials or hunt tests and consequently lacks the exposure that other sporting breeds receive. Members of the American Water Spaniel Club, the AKC parent club of the breed, have divergent viewpoints regarding classification. Some feel the AWS cannot compete as well with typical spaniels, while others feel the breed shouldn't compete against bigger retrievers. It's a dilemma caused by the breed's versatility and won't soon be resolved. In a 1999 vote of AWSC members, the majority chose to keep the breed unclassified.

The AWSC decision may stem from the fact that most people purchase an AWS primarily because they want a dependable hunting companion, not a dog for competition.

“We sell puppies to people looking for a single dog that can do a wide range of hunting,” said Mary Barth. “Many of our customers remember the hardworking little dog that their father or grandfather had.”⁹

The AWS is a breed with a rich history, but it is also ready for the future. Hunters in the twenty-first century will likely be looking for a dog that can live easily in urban or suburban environments, serve a dual role as hunting dog and trusted family companion, train easily, and, foremost, be ready to tackle anything from ducks to rabbits. Wisconsin hunters will see many changes in the years to come. Perhaps one of them will be a resurgence of Wisconsin's official state dog, the practical little American water spaniel.