Portuguese Water Dog

Quick Facts:
Group Classification: Unclassified
Country of Origin: Australia
Date of Origin: 1989
Weight M: 40-55 Pounds
Height M: 18-23 Inches
Weight F: 35-50 Pounds
Height F: 14-21 Inches
Life Expectancy 13-15 years

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.

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