Portuguese Water Dogs are not only water lovers, but brave, loyal and sensible. They are great with children and can get along with other pets without any problems but they still should to be socialized with other dogs and cats so there are no problems. They are a very smart breed of dogs, most are easy to train and are quick to learn. They will make good watch dogs and have a great sense of smell. Portuguese Water Dog puppies are chewers, so make sure you have lots of chew toys and rawhide available so they don’t chew anything else.
Portuguese Water Dogs are hardy, medium-sized muscular dogs. Male dog’s height- 20-22 inches, Females- 17-20 inches. Male dog’s weight: 42-55 pounds, Female: 35-49 pounds. Coat can be open or tight curl, shiny, flat, or wavy. You won’t have to worry about shedding with this dog breed! Coat color can be white or brown, black, and ever silver fox or gray. The body is a little longer than it is tall. This breed’s head is large and it’s skull should look rounded. Their ears should hang down but nowhere below the lower jaw. They have dark eyes and the teeth meet in a scissors or level bite. Their tails starts out thick but then tapers. The legs are strong, parallel, and straight. These dogs have more webbing in between their toes then most other brides which helps when swimming.
Portuguese Water Dogs usually live for 10-14 human years.
You’ll need to brush and comb their coat on a regular basis. That includes cleaning their ears after swimming. Their teeth and nails should be checked every once in awhile.
The Portuguese Water Dog is a very active dog with awesome stamina. They will become obese if you they don’t enough exercise. Not only does it need daily physical exercise but mental too. A long daily brisk walk or jog is defiantly needed. This dog loves water, so throwing a ball in water and having them retrieve it will be great fun. This type of dog is a awesome jogging companion. Health issues include:-
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
glycogen storage disease
Addison’s disease
cancer
cardiac problems
gastrointestinal disease
renal problems
hip dysplasia
skin allergies
Bring him or her to the vet every few months when a puppy, or twice a year when an adult is recommended.
Ever wondering where Portuguese Water Dogs came from?
They were originally developed from working dogs but came to Iberian Peninsula by settlers and invaders and helped Portuguese fisherman with fishing for many years. They caught fish, got items that fell overboard, carried messages from ship to ship and also guarded to fish caught and ship when at port. These dogs were considered part of the crew got a share of both the money and fish earned for the catch. After a fisherman retired, they would often have to rent out their dogs for the extra cash. Eventually technology replaced the Portuguese Water Dogs and by the 1930’s the breed was just about gone. Luckily, Vasco Bensaude (a rich shipping tycoon) was interested in the breed and went to gather other specimens to start a breeding program. In 1958, the United States got interested in this breed and imported the first pair. Then came 1972, The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America formed and in the early 1980’s the AKC accepted the dog. They were mainly used for companions, but also water trials, agility, therapy and assistance dog, and obedience dog.
