Also rumored to have been used in cross-breedings with the AWS is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. It is this breed that some believed introduced the potential for an AWS to have a yellow eye color rather than the darker tone of brown often preferred by the breed’s enthusiasts or the harmonizing color acceptable in the breed’s standard. As some stories go, once “Chesapeake” blood was introduced to the breed it was noticed that some of the American Water Spaniels became a bit sharper and harsher of temperament and, since this was not an ideal temperament for the AWS, it would be necessary to remove or dilute the “Chesapeake” blood in the American Water Spaniel gene pool. It was believed that you could tell an AWS with “Chesapeake” blood simply by the eye color and, therefore, to remove this less desirable blood from the breed it would be best to pull any AWS with a yellow eye from the breeding pool. A remnant of that philosophy persists even to this day, as any dog found to have yellow eyes is disqualified from show competition and is considered unfit for breeding.
By most accounts the American Water Spaniel was at its peak of popularity during the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. During this time it was referred to as the American Brown Water Spaniel, the American Brown or simply the American Spaniel. As the AWS was developed for field work, it is difficult to find accounts of the breed as a family companion in those early days, although old photographs have been found which indicate the breed was more than simply a working dog. During this time the part of the country that gave birth to the AWS was still bordering on the frontier, as one of the era’s most notable authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder, recounted in her Little House series of children’s books. These were rugged people who fought hard to make a life for their families. They did not have the luxury of owning multiple dogs, each with an assigned specialty. Theirs was a way of life that demanded that everyone pull his own weight and to do whatever job came before him. Nothing less was expected of the family dog.
The AWS is one of the few pure-bred dogs recognized by the AKC to be developed in the US. The story is told on this Wisconsin “official marker.”
Dogs of this period were expected to serve as a watchdog of sorts, warning of intruders when necessary and chasing off wayward pests, like predators looking for a quick meal from the chicken coop. The AWS and other working dogs of the time often had to be a family companion, hunter, protector of the homestead and anything else the owner felt the dog could or should do. It is not surprising then that even today we find the AWS willing to warn of intruders on “its” property and capable of pulling double duty as both a solid flushing dog and a skilled retriever.
The American Water Spaniel has been an integral family member since the late 1800s.
The American Brown of those early days was often a companion as well as a formidable hunting dog. Just a few short decades ago, it was not unusual to hear stories recanted by old-timers recalling their youth, speaking with a tear in their eye of fond memories of “Brownie” or “Curly” living in the house and being a devoted companion. In fact, the American Water Spaniel’s friendly nature endeared it to many in those days and served to encourage people to bring the dog indoors and make it a big part of the family. Today when you come across old photographs of these early American Water Spaniels, you will probably find them poised with the rest of the family in a family photo, seated next to the mistress of the house or lying with the children, and you can see how the American Water Spaniel then, as it does today, wiggled its way into the hearts of these people. This is a testament in its own right to the power of a loving and devoted companion.
While the breed went by many names in the early years, it was finally standardized by Doc Pfeifer when he was able to obtain recognition of the breed as a pure-bred in 1920. After attempting but failing to gain recognition for the AWS by the Field Dog Stud Book and the American Kennel Club (AKC), the good doctor turned to the United Kennel Club (UKC) for acceptance of the breed’s ability to replicate itself from one generation to the next. On February 8, 1920 the UKC accepted the first AWS into its registry with the admission of Curly Pfeifer into the records. Had it not been for the doctor’s love of the breed he had known from childhood and his desire to see it succeed, we might not have the American Water Spaniel with us today.
Subsequent to recognition of the AWS by the UKC the breed developed a following among a number of breeders seeking to promote the breed and establish sound breeding programs. This gave rise to such notable midwestern breeders as Driscoll Scanlan, Karl Hinz, Thomas Brogden, John Scofield and Charles Shelberg. It also brought out individuals from the Northeast, such as Louis Smith, John Sherlock and Thomas Tyler. Many of these men banded together to form the first American Water Spaniel Club (AWSC) around 1937. Through their efforts and those of many others, the AWS received recognition from the Field Dog Stud Book in 1938 and from the American Kennel Club in 1940.
One of the American Water Spaniel’s duties in the early days, and today as well, was to keep a watchful eye over his family.
American Water Spaniels have always been considered family members and often posed for photos with their “siblings.”
The eventual goal of the AWSC was to obtain AKC recognition and, to that end, the men worked hard to maintain accurate records of their breeding programs, a plan that no doubt benefited from UKC recognition. Following a presentation to the AKC board of directors, the AWSC asked for recognition of the AWS as a pure-bred dog. After studying the information supplied to them, the AKC board accepted the AWS and granted recognition on May 14, 1940 and in so doing classified the AWS as a spaniel, a decision that has been and continues to be a bone of contention for some of the breed’s enthusiasts.
Perhaps most unfortunate for the AWS was the fact that its recognition by the AKC came just before the start of World War II. With the onset of the war, life throughout the United States changed, and demand for dogs declined as men left the country to go fight. Some of those breeders remaining behind maintained their kennels and continued to produce quality dogs. Some showed their dogs at AKC dog shows on a regular basis, and in 1947 a dog by the name of Happy Hiram of Ty-Grim, owned by Thomas Tyler from upstate New York, took a Group Four placement at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club. This was the first, and to date only, Group placement of an American Water Spaniel at Westminster.
After the war the American Water Spaniel began a steady decline in popularity, and the original AWSC disbanded, leaving the AWS without a voice in the AKC and without leadership. Men returning from the war found work in factories and began a slow exodus out of the country, moving into more urban environments. As the rural landscape and way of life changed so too did the need for sporting dogs to help put food on the table. Hunting had slowly evolved into a sport rather than a way of life or means to feed one’s family, and interest in sporting dogs evolved along with it. Returning soldiers brought with them an appreciation for the dogs they had seen in Europe, and that led to an upsurge in the popularity of breeds like the German Shorthaired Pointer and specialists such as the Labrador Retriever or Pointer.
Whimsical photos were common around the turn of the 20th century, and the AWS was always willing to cooperate.
Field trials became popular among those who enjoyed sporting dogs and the sport of hunting, but these field games were limited to specific breeds of retrievers, pointers or spaniels; it seemed as though none of them had room for the AWS. Those who wished to participate in the field trials were not interested in a breed that could not participate in them, so the all-purpose AWS was left behind, but there was