COLOUR--The colour should always be a rich dark liver or puce without any white at all. Any white except the slightest of "shirt fronts" should disqualify. The _nose_ of course should conform to the coat in colour, and be dark brown.

HEAD--The head should have a capacious skull, fairly but not excessively domed, with plenty of brain room. It should be surmounted with a regular topknot of curly hair, a _most important_ and distinctive point. This topknot should _never_ be square cut or like a poodle's wig, but should grow down to a well defined point between the eyes.

EYES--The eyes should be small, dark, and set obliquely, like a Chinaman's.

MUZZLE AND JAW--The muzzle and jaw should be long and strong. There should be a decided "stop," but not so pronounced as to make the brows or forehead prominent.

NECK--The neck should be fairly long and very muscular.

SHOULDERS--The shoulders should be sloping. Most Irish Water Spaniels have bad, straight shoulders, a defect which should be bred out.

CHEST--The chest is deep, and usually rather narrow, but should not be so narrow as to constrict the heart and lungs.

BACK AND LOINS--The back and loins strong and arched.

FORE-LEGS--The fore-legs straight and well boned. Heavily feathered or ringleted all over.

HIND-LEGS--The hind-legs with hocks set very low, stifles rather straight, feathered all over, except inside from the hocks down, which part should be covered with short hair (a most distinctive point).

FEET--The feet large and rather spreading as is proper for a water dog, well clothed with hair.

STERN--The stern covered with the shortest of hair, except for the first couple of inches next the buttocks, whiplike or stinglike (a most important point), and carried low, not like a hound's.

COAT--The coat composed entirely of short crisp curls, not woolly like a Poodle's, and very dense. If left to itself, this coat mats or cords, but this is not permissible in show dogs. The hair on the muzzle and forehead below the topknot is quite short and smooth, as well as that on the stern.

GENERAL APPEARANCE--Is not remarkable for symmetry, but is quaint and intelligent looking.

HEIGHT--The height should be between 21 and 23 inches.

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