Portuguese Water Dog Breed Description

An Owner's Portuguese Water Dog Description
We're never surprised to find our dog in the water. We found out early on that she absolutely lives for it! What was a bit of a surprise, even to her breeder, is that Sasha loves to dive and prefers to swim underwater. At first we thought the underwater swimming was just to retrieve something that we'd tossed into the pool. But even when no one was playing water fetch, she would disappear and start swimming around underwater, casual as you please.

She especially loves underwater swimming at the lake, I guess because there are interesting things to see and discover: once we caught her chasing a fish, swimming happily behind it. With her playful water antics, the kids have a blast at the lake. They play with Sasha for most of the day, all summer long. They all come home completely wiped out. It's great! The kids will crash on the floor in front of the TV and Sasha's passed out too, right alongside of them.

Bill and I have wondered if Sasha's skills should be put to better use as some sort of rescue or search dog. But really, she's the water guardian of our kids and of all the others at the lake. I've seen her take off after a little one who lost their footing in the water more than once. Even though our bunch are good swimmers, anything can happen and we are confident she would do all she could to rescue them if they were in distress. There's a lot of reassurance in that. I'm really not sure whether this breed could be happy in any setting that didn't have water. It's really where Sasha is her happiest.

 

 

Introduction

This breed originated in Portugal and is well known there for its excellent swimming ability. It was first brought to the U. S. in the 1960s for its working ability and is becoming more and more popular. This dog can measure an average of 19 to 22 inches at the shoulder and can weigh between 35 and 55 lbs. They are non-shedding dogs and therefore are considered to be non-allergenic. Their coats come in two distinct types, curly or wavy, and come in several colors. These dogs display a very social tight bonding and are loyal companions with a strong need to please.

Photo courtesy of Sharmink Kennel, Portuguese Water Dogs.

History

Some historians date this breed back to around 700 BC in areas around the Russian-Chinese border. It is said that they helped shepherds tend to their flocks. Another theory holds that the dogs came from Asia with the Goths. Whatever the origins, in 1927 a monk gave an account of a drowning sailor who was saved by a dog that had the qualities of the Portuguese Water Dog.

General Description

The Portuguese Water Dog is a muscular, hardy dog with a medium sized body. Its coat is varied in appearance and may be wavy, flat, or curly. This coat has a single layer and does not cause any allergic reactions. It comes in colors like brown black, white, gray or partly colored with markings. Their body is just a little bit longer than its height with a level and flat topline. The brisket reaches the elbow and its chest is quite broad. It has a large, broad head with an enhanced stop occipit as well. The dog’s ears are heart shaped and droop off the side of the head, but not beyond the jaw level. The eyes are normally dark in color and the teeth have a half a level or scissors bite. Webbed toes give this breed the ability to swim well.

Temperament

The Portuguese Water Dogs are very loving, lively and affectionate. The dogs interact well with young children and hardly have any problems with different pets; however they need to get accustomed to cats before they can get along well. Training these dogs is not difficult because they are quite intelligent. They are able to distinguish different tones of voices and decipher the mood of the person issuing instruction. Conditioning needs to be done from an early stage because the dog’s intelligence could make it want to have dominance over its owner. They love to please and like being the center of attention. Portuguese Water Dogs can be described as chewers (meaning that they can chew on things that they find). They should therefore be provided with special chewable toys that can keep them busy and away from other items.

Other Information

The Portuguese Water Dog was facing extinction by the early 1900s; in the 1930s, a Portuguese businessman known as Vasco Bensuade sought out the dog in a bid to start a breeding program. Bensuade named his kennel Algarbiorum. The most famous dog there was known as Leao, said to be the ancestor of almost half of all the pedigreed Portuguese Water Dogs today. Currently the most famous dog of this breed is probably the one owned by the American First Family, known as Bo Obama. One of the main reasons that the dog was chosen is because of its hypoallergenic nature, but members of the breed make favorable family dogs and good companions.

Colors

As a beautiful dog, you will first notice the Portuguese Water Dog's coat which is an amazing black in most dogs. You can find these dogs in white and brown as well, but those coats are much harder to locate. Some are multi colored dogs. Those are generally white and will have darker spots over their body.

Living Area

Your Portuguese Water Dog is a relatively large dog but they will do well in most any type of surrounding. Generally, as long as you provide them with enough outdoor exercise, they are likely to have no problem being indoors at other times and even in small places will do well. These dogs do not need too much space indoors as long as they have enough room to run and to play outdoors. A fenced in yard may be important especially if you do not train your pet to stay near to you.Because the Portuguese Water Dog likes to be near to his family and his master, they would like to stay near to you at all times, meaning that they do not like to be outdoor dogs. Yet, in the right climate you can do this. They will enjoy spending a good deal of time outdoors even in the water, especially if that is where you are. The more attention that you pay to them the better they will be with you and the happier they will be.

Recognized By

CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR

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