Portuguese Water Dog

Dogs not only can be used for hunting, herding and other works but they also can be good companions and source of entertainment. This faithful creature is taking attention of all age groups but senior citizens and children love those most.

Senior citizens want them as a company during their walk and children love to play with them.

However, most of the people refuse to keep dogs because of their shedding. These dog lovers actually are allergic and avoid to pet dogs.

If you are among them don’t worry now you can have a loyal companion because not all dogs shed excessively. There are some breeds of dogs which are hypoallergenic. Like,

• Poodle
• Yorkshire Terrier
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Shih Tzu. Purebred
• Havanese
• Maltese
• West Highland White Terrier
• Bichon Frise
• Etc

One of such non-shedding and hypoallergenic dogs breed is discussed here. If you are looking for such dogs you definitely are going to like it.

It is none other than Portuguese water dog. This write-up covers everything about Portuguese water dogs you want to know like their temperament, personality, behavior, health and other important aspects. Just keep on reading and at the end, you will be not be left with any question about Portuguese water dog.

What are Portuguese water dogs?

Portuguese water dogs are commonly known as Portie, PWD and Water Dog. These dogs are categorized as working dogs breed by American Kennel Club. Working dogs are a group of dogs which are the dogs which are train to assist human being or to perform different tasks including herding, farming and entertaining their owner with different acrobats.

Portuguese water dogs are a healthy breed of dogs with an average lifespan of 10 to 14 years.  These are active, intelligent, loyal and playful dogs.

Origin and history of Portuguese water dogs:

These cool looking dogs originated from Algarve a region of Portuguese. Then these dogs were taken to Portugal’s coast, where they were used for fishing. They were trained to herd fishes into the net. Along with this they also were trained to find and retrieve lost tackle or broken nets and transport things from ship to ship.

The very first Portuguese water dog is described around 1297 by a monk. He writes that a drowning sailor was saved by a dog. The description of dog matches today’s Portuguese water dog.  The monk describes the dog as black in color with a coat of long but rough hairs and tuft tail.

It is also believed that these dogs were also taken by Goths. Goths is a tribe of East Germanic people. In Germany, these dogs were called as German the poodle-hund or puddle-dogs. These dogs then also show ancestry with Romans where they were named as Lion dogs and with.

Size and Appendance of Portuguese water dogs:

Portuguese water dogs are large breed dogs with curly coats webbed toes which help them in swimming.  These robust dogs have stout legs and wavy coat instead of tightly curled. These dogs have a strong muscular body made up of strong substantial bone.

These healthy dogs with a strong body can grow as high as 50 to57 cm male and 43 to 52 cm female. A muscular male dog of this breed gains weight from 19 to 27 kg and its female can gain weight from 16 to 23 kg.

Coat of Portuguese water dogs:

These dogs have a single coat of long hairs. Unlike most of the breeds having long hairs, this breed is hypoallergenic. These dogs don’t shed hence are also suitable for peoples who are allergic to dogs.

Their coat comes in different colors like completely black, black and white, brown, or silver-tipped. These dogs have white chest spots and white paws along legs having black or brown coat.

Portuguese water dogs vary in appearance with location. Like, in the United States Parti” or “Irish-marked coated dogs are famous. These dogs have irregular white or black spots on their coat. While in Portugal dogs of this breed black in color with white marking on their chin are very famous and common.

These dogs come with two types of coats curly and wavy coats.

  Portuguese water dog temperament:

These dogs are best known for their fish herding skills and a great sense of humor. These working dogs breed initially was used by fisherman for assistance in fishing and moving things from boat to boat. These dogs even were rented by a fisherman. As most of their time was spent with people in ships and boats they become part of fisherman crew and they started acting like a family member.

These dogs temperamentally are loving, independent, intelligent, impetuous, docile, Quarrelsome and brave. These large breed dogs are very active and quick learners. They learn much faster than many other dogs. They love activates but are very patient that they can live with you in an apartment with changing their behavior.

Portuguese water dogs have a deep devotion to their owner and greater will to make them happy by performing different activities. These dogs are gentle and fine with other animals he is brought up. If you want to enjoy their company you need to adopt a Portuguese water puppy and train him accordingly. Their obedient and will follow you during training.

Those people who to pet a large breed dog bud due to allergy they can’t adopt Portuguese water dogs. Their grooming is much easier than other dogs and they are a good option for you if you want to keep your house clean. These are non-shedding dogs and completely hypoallergenic.

Do Portuguese water dogs make good pets?

These dogs have gentle behavior but can chase and kill animals like rodents, birds, and reptiles. They are fearless and quarrelsome which make them a good watchdog. They develop love and devotion to the family and become a family member. These dogs are good pets if trained and socialized. They can guard you can even fight for you if necessary. They always love to be around people.

These dogs are good for families having kids. These dogs love to play with kids. These dogs are okay with other animals if grownup with them. Portuguese water dogs if brought up among other animals, they will consider other animals as a member of their family and be of no harm.

Are Portuguese Water Dogs expensive?

If you want a hypoallergenic dog Portuguese water dog is the best option for you. You can buy as well as adopt these dogs. However, adopting these dogs is much cheaper than buying it from a breeder. Price of Portuguese Water Dogs varies with color, size and their breeding. These dogs normally cost in-between $2,000 and $6,000.

Activities required for Portuguese water dogs:

These larger breed dogs are highly strong and energetic. They can run fast and long. They run all day and still will ask you for any activity. They love to have outdoor activities. They must be given proper play time or they must be kept in-house with many rooms so that they complete their activities visiting these rooms.

Portuguese water dogs can be your company when going for walk and jogging. These dogs love a house with a swimming pool. They love swimming as they initially were used for herding fishes.

The trainability of Portuguese water dogs:

Portuguese water dogs are devoted to their owners and have a strong will to make them happy. This is what makes them be good obedient dogs and their training relatively much easier than other dogs breed. However, with time they can develop independent behavior which makes them hard to train. Therefore it is advisable to start training of Portuguese water dogs as soon as you bring them home.

Portuguese water dogs are much responsive to praise and treats, so you can easily train them with positive reinforcement. While on the other hand punishment and negative reinforcement can be dangerous in sense of obedience.

Behavioral Trait of Portuguese water dogs:

Chewing is a normal habit of dogs but Portuguese water dogs are crazy behind chewing. The hardest training of these dogs stopping them from chewing and jumping on the people.

These dogs love being around people and will be excited to have someone on the door. They will welcome and greet visitors by holding any objects in their mouth. These dogs are both gentle and intelligent.

Portuguese water dogs are active and can be a victim of separation anxiety if don’t get proper exercise daily. You can get more love and affection from these dogs by taking them out for walk and games. You can save your dog from anxiety by taking him for a walk before leaving them at home.

If you find your dog frequently chewing things, be sure your dog is passing through anxiety. You can avoid this to happen with exercise and leaving chewing toys and bones for him.

Grooming of Portuguese water dogs:

If you are not adopting a dog because you want your room clean or because of much expenses of the grooming, then this really is a piece of happy news for you.  Portuguese water dogs are non-shedding dogs which require relatively less grooming than other dogs. it just requires normal baths and regular brushing to keep their coat shiny.

They are completely hypoallergenic dogs with log haired coat. Hence those dog lovers who want log hairy coated dogs but can’t pet because they are allergic can pet Portuguese water dogs.

Portuguese water dog Obama:

BO is called as the first dog which means it is pet by the president during its reign. This is a pet dog of Obama family, which actually is a Portuguese water dog. Breeders took a long time thinking of suitable dog to present to the former president of the United States. Finally considering the non-shedding and hypoallergenic character of this BO dog it was decided to be the first dog. Mainly this dog was chosen because Malia Obama was allergic to dogs.

BO proved him to be the best dog for president’s family, this is the reason family brought another female member of this breed.

Portuguese water dog Obama is a very intelligent and gentle dog with high capability of learning. This dog is trained to present paw/shake, lie down, roll over, get off, wait and sit.

Portuguese water dog puppy:

Portuguese water dogs even in their puppyhood are very gentle, attractive and playful. They love to be around people and enjoy children’s company. Temperamentally puppies are Affectionate, athletic, and adventurous, always ready to learn new things. They are best-suited puppies for families having kids.

Portuguese water dog puppies have strong desire to make their owner happy and win praise. These are much healthier and less prone to many diseases other puppies commonly suffer from. Male puppy can attain height from 20 to 23 inches and the female puppy can go high from 17 to 21 inches. A healthy male puppy normally weights from 42 to 60 pounds and female weights from 35 to 50 pounds

These puppies are hypoallergenic and only have seasonal shedding, which makes their grooming pretty easier. They only need weekly grooming.

The trainability of Portuguese water dog puppy:

Baby Portuguese water is likely to be fond of learning and energetic. They are pretty easy to train than other dog breeds. They will respond positively because they wish to make you happy. Portuguese water dog puppy is trained easily using positive reinforcement, praising and treats. A better time to start their training is the first day you bring them home.

If you are new and how have training skills still you can train a Portuguese water dog puppy. You can start their training with obedience training by teaching them basic commands like Come, Sit, Stop and stay.

Portuguese water dog rescue:

Rescue centers are formed to provide shelter to dogs those are left by their current owners. These centers offer dogs to adopt at cheaper rates as well. These rescue centers are open 24/7 for any assistance on dogs. If you are tired and are trying to get rid of your dog, you can call these centers to adopt your dog. These centers also provide a golden opportunity for those dog lovers which can’t afford to buy a dog from a breeder. They can adopt a dog from these centers for a very little price. These dogs are well trained and well-socialized dogs hence safe to adopt.