The American Water Spaniel is a small dog with a robust build, broad skull, and drooping ears. The limbs are of medium length. The wool is two-layer, can be of two types – the first is more curly, on the outer layer, the second lies in waves. The inner layer protects the dog from water ingress, the outer layer protects against gross damage (thorns, branches, etc.). The breed standard states that the color of the eyes must be in harmony with the color of the coat and cannot be yellow.