If socialised properly, they can also get along with cats and other dogs but it may not be wise to keep them unsupervised around smaller animals. Portuguese Water Dogs get along well with children but as large, enthusiastic playmates, they can be intimidating to younger children. Portuguese Water Dogs are an intelligent breed, needing mental stimulation as much as physical exercise. Boredom is another reason for inappropriate chewing. Like other retrievers, the Portuguese Water Dog is a mouthy breed so will need appropriate chew toys to express this behaviour. If they’re left alone for long periods though, they are susceptible to separation anxiety, which may manifest as inappropriate chewing. This friendliness makes them popular as therapy dogs who visit hospitals and nursing homes. They are a highly social breed that loves to be around people and are even friendly towards strangers. They have very high energy levels making them perfect for those with an active lifestyle, preferably with access to a suitable water source! Portuguese Water Dogs are a friendly breed that love to play with their family, however, they have the tendency to be quite stubborn so might not be suitable for inexperienced owners. “Parti” coats, which feature irregular white markings, are becoming more popular in the USA, however, the Portuguese breed standard excludes individuals with white markings covering more than 30% of the coat. White markings on black or brown dogs are common and usually appear on the chest, chin, legs and feet. The coat can come in three colours, including: Some dogs have a mixed coat with curly hair on the body and wavy on the ears and tail. The coat comes in two different types, including wavy or curly. The skin between their toes is covered with fur and extends to the tip, giving their paws an otter-like appearance. Portuguese Water Dogs have webbed toes on their round feet. They are broad dogs with a deep chest that runs into the abdomen with a moderate tuck. Their ears are heart-shaped and hang down the side of the head to below eye level. The nose colour matches the coat colour while the eyes are usually black or dark brown. Their heads are distinguished by a central furrow in the forehead, along with a wide muzzle. Females tend to be slightly smaller with a mature height between 43 and 52cm and weight somewhere around 16 to 22kg.Īs you would expect from a dog bred for swimming, Portuguese Water Dogs are an athletic and well-muscled breed with very weather resistant coats. The Portuguese Water Dog is a medium to large breed with males achieving an adult height of 50 to 57cm and weighing between 19 and 25kg. A few decades later, the breed began to spread abroad, especially to the USA where they are relatively popular. Most modern Portuguese Water Dogs are descended from a breeding program established in the 1930s by Vasco Bensaude, a wealthy shipping heir who decided to save the breed. Luckily, the breed wasn’t just popular among fishermen since modern practices and technology replaced them on many ships. They retrieved lost tackle from the water and, most importantly, drove fish into their masters’ nets. They acted as messengers, swimming from ship to ship or ship to shore. Invariably, they would be accompanied by Portuguese Water Dogs who fulfilled various roles on the ship. Fishermen from Portugal ranged all over the Atlantic from the Portuguese coast to Iceland and Newfoundland. Not only did they guard the homestead on land but they were formidable swimmers. Portuguese Water Dogs were a favourite of fishermen. This description fits the Portuguese Water Dog to a tee. A document written by monks in that year describes how a ship-wrecked sailor was rescued off the Portuguese coast by a dog with a "black coat, the hair long and rough, cut to the first rib and with a tail tuft". Wherever they came from, we do know that the Portuguese Water Dog was around in 1297. The other theory states that they are descendants of dogs brought over by the Moors during their 8th century conquests. This primitive breed diverged into Poodles, Löwchen and the Portuguese Water Dog. One theory suggests that their ancestors accompanied the Visigoths from Eastern Europe into Western Europe. There is no consensus on how the Portuguese Water Dog arrived in Portugal.
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