Moonshine Irish Water Spaniels

Raised by Marsha M.

Certified Breeder of Irish Water Spaniels

  • 2 club memberships

Meet the breeder

I'm the breeder behind Moonshine Irish Water Spaniels located in Arlington, WA. We are experienced, reputable Irish Water Spaniel breeders. We take great pride in our dogs, our puppies, and our program. Our breedings are carefully thought out so we are able to match pedigrees, body types, temperaments, and personalities in order to share only well-bred puppies.

Marsha’s experience

  • About Marsha

    I got my first Irish Water Spaniel in 1992 from Bridgett Kvarnlov in Minnesota, and showed "Zoe" to her AKC Championship. My mentor asked me if I wanted to be a backyard breeder or a reputable breeder. I chose the latter. Zoe was bred 2 times and I kept a female to continue my breeding program. All my breeding stock are screened prior to breeding following the recommendations of the IWSCA. My breeding program also follows the guideline to qualify as a CHIC Breeder.

  • What makes Marsha’s program special

    I only breed dogs that have their health clearances and have been evaluated for structural soundness. Both the Sire and the Dam must be breed Champions. Critical to both are that they have sound temperaments. I'm not special. I don't put a championship on my dogs and continue showing them trying to make it to the big times. I get their CH title and then do activities with them that we can both enjoy.

  • Marsha is a member of 2 clubs

    Irish Water Spaniel Club of Puget Sound, Irish Water Spaniel Club of America

  • Marsha’s certifications & recognitions

    CHIC Certified

Getting a puppy from Marsha

Marsha has been certified by Good Dog's screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you're ready to reach out, feel free to ask any questions about the breed, their program, or specific puppies. You'll also have the chance to share a bit about yourself and what you're looking for in a new companion. Together, you'll choose the puppy that's right for you, stay in touch with regular updates, and plan how to bring your new puppy home.

Price

Puppy prices range from $2,000 and include a non-refundable deposit of $200.

“The price includes the Registration, Health Check, microchip, and first round of vaccinations. All of our puppies will leave my home Microchipped, will be taken to my vet for their first wellness exam. Vaccinations will follow the new puppy vaccination protocol developed by Dr. Jean Dodds.”

Contract and health guarantee

Marsha may provide a written contract or health guarantee when you purchase a puppy. This helps protect both you and your breeder, ensuring that you both have a clear understanding of the terms of your puppy purchase. If Marsha offers a contract or guarantee, the details will be personalized by them. If you have any questions or want to know more, don’t hesitate to reach out to Marsha directly.

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What's included

Enrichment and socialization

Our puppies are well adjusted to the environment; socialized with humans, children and other dogs and pets. We also follow the principles of Puppy Culture. We also keep the puppies with their mother for a full 12 weeks. The mom and littermates do the best job of training for biting inhibitions. I find that my puppy buyers have fewer problems with puppies biting if they have been trained by their mom.

Puppy health practices

All puppies are vaccinated and taken to a local vet for health certification. They will be microchipped, dewormed and registered with the AKC before they are sold to a buyer.

Extras

Your puppy may come with extra benefits, like a small bag of food or a toy carrying the scent of their littermates. While Moonshine Irish Water Spaniels hasn’t shared specifics yet, we encourage you to reach out directly to learn what thoughtful extras they may include to help your puppy transition comfortably into their new home.

Bringing your puppy home

Marsha offers options to help you easily get your new puppy home.

Pick up your puppy in Arlington, WA or nearby

If you’re nearby, you can visit in person to pick up your pup. If you’re far away, you can travel by car or plane.

“My puppies usually sell in the Northwest and buyers usually drive to my home to pick them up. I will work with alternative options, such as flying with the puppy to your nearest airport. This would require your purchase of a non-stop, round trip ticket and overnight accommodations, at your expense. ”

More about Marsha

  • Why Marsha started breeding

    Before I became interested in Irish Water Spaniels, I worked with an older woman who had been a longtime breeder of Standard Poodles. It seems like every dog she bred had Championships. She had been in dogs for 40 years when I met her, and she helped me to discover the perfect breed for me...the IWS. She asked me: Do you want to be a just another backyard breeder, or a professional breeder, and do it right? I told her I only wanted to do it the right way. And she began training me. We both got our first Irish Water Spaniels and scoured a 4-state area to find enough dogs to enter shows, with the goal of putting championships on all of them.

     … 
  • Marsha has been a member of Good Dog for about 3 years

    Marsha was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2022.

  • Marsha’s program includes one color

    Marsha’s Irish Water Spaniel puppies are liver. Colors will vary depending on the parent dogs.

Marsha is a trusted Good Dog breeder

Moonshine Irish Water Spaniels meets or exceeds our community standards in these areas:

  • Responsible breeding practices
  • Health of breeding dogs and puppies
  • Puppy environment and enrichment
  • Buyer education and policies

Meet Marsha's parent dogs

All breeds

Irish Water Spaniel

Parent health testing

Irish Water Spaniel

Breeder-Reported Testing

Excellent level

Moonshine Irish Water Spaniels reports to performing the health tests below on their breeding dogs. Ask your breeder about the tests performed on the parents of your litter. Learn more about health testing for Irish Water Spaniels.

  • Hip Dysplasia

    Hip testing reduces the chance of passing down hip dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause hip pain and the eventual loss of the function of the hip joint.

  • Elbow Dysplasia Finals (OFA, BVA, SV, FCI)

    Elbow testing reduces the chance of passing down elbow dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause arthritis in the elbow joint and front leg lameness.

  • Eye Certification (CAER, registered with OFA)

    Eye testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide range of hereditary eye illnesses including retinal dysplasia, lens luxation, and glaucoma, which can cause impared vision or blindness.

  • Cardiac Evaluation (registered with OFA)

    Heart testing reduces the chance of passing down congenital heart disease, which can cause a range of symptoms ranging from trouble exercising to heart failure.

  • Thyroid (Autoimmune Thyroiditis, registered with OFA)

    A breeder may perform additional tests on their dogs that do not fall into these general categories. These tests may be more uncommon or very specific to a particular breed.

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