Cantabrian Water Dog
| Cantabrian Water Dog | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distribution | Cantabria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Notes | recognised in Spanish legislation[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Cantabrian Water Dog (Spanish: Perro de agua cantábrico), is a Spanish breed of water dog. It originates in coastal areas of Cantabria, in northern Spain, where it was used by fishermen for various tasks. It was officially recognised in Spanish law in 2012.[2] It is not recognised by the Real Sociedad Canina de España, the national Spanish kennel club, but is listed among the Spanish breeds in the process of recovery.[3]
The dogs are always white, and are in general smaller and lighter than examples of the Spanish Water Dog.[4]
History
[edit]
The Cantabrian Water Dog is a traditional breed of the coastal areas of Cantabria, in northern Spain, where it was used by fishermen for various tasks.[4] It may share some common origins with the French Barbet.[5]
It was officially recognised in Spanish law in 2012,[2] after a request for recognition from the Government of Cantabria was favourably received by the Comité de Razas ('breeds committee') of the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino, as the Spanish ministry of agriculture was then known.[4]
A census in 2009 found a total of 1216 of the dogs.[5]
Characteristics
[edit]The population of Cantabrian Water Dog shows a clear morphological and genetic differentiation that allows discrimination from other dog populations in the same group with close geographic distribution. One genetic study place it as close to the Spanish Water Dog as to the Barbet or Caniche.[5] These animals are lighter and shorter than those of the Spanish breed, where they were previously included. Thus, 75% of males and 38% of females would be excluded from the breed standard for height at the withers, while using the criterion of weight, 91% of males and 80% females would be excluded.[5]
Use
[edit]The work of this breed has been traditionally related to fishing work: collecting fish that fell into the water, watching the ships when they were moored in port, taking the rope between ships and to the dock, or acting like a lifeguard.[1]
References
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- ^ a b c d e Perro de Agua del Cantábrico: Estándar (in Spanish). Santander: Asociación Perro de Agua del Cantábrico. Archived 5 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Miguel Arias Cañete (9 February 2012). Orden AAA/251/2012, de 9 de febrero, por la que se modifican el Anexo I del Real Decreto 2129/2008, de 26 de diciembre, por el que se establece el Programa nacional de conservación, mejora y fomento de las razas ganaderas, el Anexo del Real Decreto 558/2001, de 25 de mayo, por el que se regula el reconocimiento oficial de las organizaciones o asociaciones de criadores de perros de raza pura y el Anexo III del Real Decreto 841/2011, de 17 de junio, por el que se establecen las condiciones básicas de recogida, almacenamiento, distribución y comercialización de material genético de las especies bovina, ovina, caprina y porcina y de los équidos (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del Estado. 39 (15 February 2012): 13452–13455. Reference: BOE-A-2012-2254. European Legislation Identifier: permalink.
- ^ Razas Españolas: Otras razas (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 11 July 2025.
- ^ a b c José Luis Pérez (2011). Larga vida al perro de agua del Cantábrico (in Spanish). Santander: El Diario Montañés. Archived 3 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d S. Méndez, S. Dunner, J.A. García, S. de Argüello, M.J. Crespo, N. Chomón, L.A. Calderón, B. Sañudo, J. Cañón (2011). Caracterización del Perro de Agua del Cantábrico (in Spanish). Archivos de Zootecnia. 60 (231): 405–408. doi:10.4321/S0004-05922011000300022. ISSN 0004-0592.