Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle" Compare Irish Water Spaniel and Giant Schnauzer. Which is better: Irish Water Spaniel or Giant Schnauzer or Poodle?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Irish Water Spaniel	Giant Schnauzer	Poodle
Origins	Ireland	Germany	Germany France
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Gun Dog	Working Dogs	Companion Dogs
Popularity Rank	164	80	7
Reviews	0	3	7
Rate

Other Names	Whiptail, Shannon Spaniel, Rat Tail Spaniel, Bog Dog	Russian Bear Schnauzer, Munich Schnauzer, Munchener, Riesenschnauzer	French Poodle, Caniche, Barbone, Chien Canne, Grosse Pudel
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1878 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1930 as a Working breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1887 as a Non-Sporting & Toy breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Water Dogs section.	Recognized by FCI in the Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs group, in the Pinscher and Schnauzer type section.	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Poodle section.
Breed Recognition	No set	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry
Price	$800-$1000	$1000-$1500	$1000-$1500

General Appearance - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Size	Medium	Giant	Medium
Weight	45-65 pounds (20-30 kg)	Males 60-105 pounds (27-48 kg), Female: 55-75 pounds (25-34 kg)	Male: 45-70 pounds (20-32 kg), Female: 45-60 pounds (20-27 kg)
Avg. Weight	55 pounds (25 kg)	Males 82.5 pounds (37.5 kg), Female: 65 pounds (29.5 kg)	Male: 57.5 pounds (26 kg), Female: 52.5 pounds (23.5 kg)
Height	20-23 inches (51-58 cm)	Male: 26-28 inches (66-71 cm), Female: 23-26 inches (58-66 cm)	15 inches (38 cm) or more
Avg. Height	21.5 inches (54.5 cm)	Male: 27 inches (68.5 cm), Female: 24.5 inches (62 cm)	15 inches (38 cm) or more

Hair & Care - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Coat	Dense Tight Curly	Wiry	Curly
Colors	Brown	Pepper Salt Black	Apricot Brown Gray Silver White Fawn Blue Cream Red Beige Black
Grooming	Advanced: The Irish Water Spaniel requires a lot of grooming.	Average: The Giant Schnauzer requires average grooming effort.	Professional: This breed needs a lot of work to keep in good condition.
Shedding Level	Irish Water Spaniels shed none to minimal.	Giant Schnauzers shed none to minimal.	Poodles shed none to minimal.

Characteristics - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Temperament	Active Clownish Intelligent Alert Inquisitive Quick	Dominant Kind Powerful Intelligent Loyal Strong Willed	Active Faithful Intelligent Alert Instinctual Trainable
Intelligent Rank	Very smart: Irish Water Spaniel is an excellent dog breed.	Smart: Giant Schnauzer's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: Poodle is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Irish Water Spaniels are easy to train.	Giant Schnauzers are easy to train.	Poodles are easy to train.
Playfulness	The Irish Water Spaniel is a playful breed.	The Giant Schnauzer is a highly playful breed.	The Poodle is a playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.
Affection Level	Irish Water Spaniels are highly affectionate dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are average dogs regarding their affection level.	Poodles are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Irish Water Spaniels need for social interaction is average.	Giant Schnauzers need for social interaction is average.	Poodles need a lot of social interaction.
Barking	Average: The Irish Water Spaniel barks occasionally.	Average: The Giant Schnauzer barks occasionally.	Average to high: The Poodle is a vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Irish Water Spaniels are good watchdogs.	Giant Schnauzers are one of the best watchdogs.	Poodles are good watchdogs.
Territorial	Irish Water Spaniels are average defenders.	Giant Schnauzers are extremely protective guard dogs.	Poodles strongly protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Irish Water Spaniel has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Giant Schnauzer has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Poodle has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Irish Water Spaniels have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Giant Schnauzers have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Poodles have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Irish Water Spaniels have average wanderlust potential.	Wanderlust potential of the Giant Schnauzer is strong enough to escape from home.	Poodles have average wanderlust potential.
Prey Drive	Irish Water Spaniels have a high impulse to chase and catch something.	Giant Schnauzers have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Poodles have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.
Apartment Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Giant Schnauzers are not apartment-friendly dogs.	Poodles are very apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Irish Water Spaniels adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	Giant Schnauzers adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.	Poodles adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Poodles tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Stranger Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Poodles are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels are very kid-friendly dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are not the most kid-friendly dogs.	Poodles are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels are not the most cat-friendly dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are not the most cat-friendly dogs.	Poodles are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels are not the most dog-friendly dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are not dog-friendly.	Poodles are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Irish Water Spaniel is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Giant Schnauzer is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Poodle is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Giant Schnauzers are not the best breed for elderly people.	Poodles are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Irish Water Spaniels usually don’t get on well with other pets.	Giant Schnauzers usually don’t get on well with other pets.	Poodles are usually friendly towards other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Irish Water Spaniels are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Giant Schnauzers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Poodles are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Yes Irish Water Spaniel breed usually likes being on a boat.	Not really Giant Schnauzer breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Yes Poodle breed usually likes being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Health Issues	Irish Water Spaniels are commonly healthy dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are commonly healthy dogs.	The Poodle is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	No set	Bloat Cancer Cataracts Elbow Dysplasia Glaucoma Heart Problems Hip Dysplasia Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia	Addison's Disease Allergies Bloat Canine Atrial Septal Defect (asd) Cataracts Cushing's Syndrome Ear Infections Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Legg-perthes Disease Neonatal Encephalopathy (news) Optic Nerve Hypoplasia Patellar Luxation Premature Graying Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Runny Eyes Sebaceous Adenitis Von Willebrand's Disease
Life Expectancy	10-12 years	10-12 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	Yes	Yes	Yes
Energy Level	Irish Water Spaniels are high energy dogs.	Giant Schnauzers are high energy dogs.	Poodles have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.
Exercise Need	Irish Water Spaniels need a lot of exercises.	Giant Schnauzers need a lot of exercises.	Poodles need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Irish Water Spaniels don't need too much sleep.	Giant Schnauzers don't need too much sleep.	Poodles are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.
Avg. daily food consumption	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	8 to 10 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Average.	Average to High.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Irish Water Spaniel can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Giant Schnauzer can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Irish Water Spaniel has an average chance of bad smell.	Low The Giant Schnauzer has a low chance of bad smell.	Medium The Poodle has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Irish Water Spaniel is a perfect example for low drooling tendency.	The Giant Schnauzer is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Poodle is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	4-12 puppies	5-8 puppies	2-4 puppies
Dog Name Generator – Find A Perfect Name For Your Puppy

Popular Dog Compares

Despite the best intentions, there may be errors. If you find one, please let us know and we will fix it as soon as possible. Contact us here.

Rate This Comparsion - Irish Water Spaniel vs Giant Schnauzer vs Poodle

Reviews