Is the Portuguese Water Dog the Right Dog for You and Your Family?

When thinking about welcoming a new dog to the family, it is important to choose a breed that suits your lifestyle. The following may help you in deciding if the Portuguese Water Dog is the right breed for your household.

Portuguese Water Dogs are good family pets and great with older children, but very young children may irritate the dog, unknowingly, by pulling on ears, pushing and poking, which this breed may object to. However, this breed is very loyal and eager to please. Therefore, they do not particularly enjoy being left alone for long periods, and the time they are left alone or with other pets should be limited to around 4 hours at a time, or less.

This breed has a lot of energy and requires exercise, such as walking, on a daily basis. If their energy is not used in a constructive way, they may decide to focus on less favorable activities, such as chewing what they are not supposed to. However, the Portuguese Water Dog is an intelligent breed and, therefore, very easy to train in various areas, such as housetraining. Training of any kind should be started at a young age, with positive reinforcement methods for best results, and this is true of any breed. It is important to be consistent with the training of this breed, as they are strong-willed and think independently.

The Portuguese Water Dog requires regular grooming using a dog grooming tub, in order to keep their long coat in good condition and to prevent matting. Allowing the coat to become badly tangled can lead to a lot of discomfort for the dog, among other issues, which may eventually require Veterinary treatment. Therefore, it is advised to regularly brush this dog’s coat and keep it trimmed and knot-free. This breed may require regular coat clipping if you live in an area with a hot climate, especially during the summer months, in order to keep them comfortable when outdoors.

This breed can grow to between 17 and 23 inches tall, and weigh between 35 to 60 pounds. Male Portuguese Water Dogs will usually grow larger than the females, and it is very important to consider size when choosing a pet. A dog growing to an unexpected size is a common reason people choose to give up their dogs for adoption, so the adult size of a new pet must be seriously considered before a decision is made.