The Irish Water Spaniel was originally bred to hunt, flush and retrieve wildfowl in its native Ireland and all modern dogs are descended from a single dog called Boatswain, born in 1834 in Dublin and bred by a man called Justin McCarthy. He was not forthcoming about how he developed the breed and so its true origins are a mystery. However, it is generally thought that a breed or type of dog from Southern Europe was involved.
Today, the IWS is a multi purpose gun dog, used for wildfowling, rough shooting, picking up, beating and even deer stalking. The West Midlands Police also have one as