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Dogs 101 - PORTUGUESE WATER DOG - Top Dog Facts About the PORTUGUESE WATER DOG
The Portuguese Water Dog, also known as Portie or simply PWD,is a medium-sized working dog that shares some characteristics as well as its origins with the Poodle. It is generally believed that the Goths brought the ancestors of these dogs to Portugal from Central Asia in the 5th century. Like the Poodle in Western Europe, these dogs also excelled in performing jobs in water, including retrieving water fowl or fishing equipment, herding fish into nets, and working as a water courier. As modern fishing spread, traditional fishermen and their water dogs started disappearing, and the dogs’ numbers had come down sharply by the early 1900s. Vasco Bensuade, a wealthy shipping magnate, is credited with re-establishing the breed in the 1930s, getting a breed standard written and introducing these dogs to the show ring. The breed saw further stabilization once it came to the US in the 1950s, and has grown in popularity as a family pet.
Time for some Ruff Trivia:
- The two most well known Portuguese Water Dogs in the US have to be the dogs owned by the Obamas. If the older of the two is called Bo, what is the younger one called?
o A: Sunny
o B: Mo
o C: Sammy
What do you think, give it your best guess in the comments below before we get to the answer! Hang on tight and we’ll get back to this Ruff Trivia Question toward the end of the video.
The height of an adult male PWD is between 20 and 23 inches, and weight between 42 and 60 pounds. The corresponding numbers for the female are 17 to 21 inches, and 35 to 50 pounds. The breed comes with two different coat types: the curly coated variety has somewhat lusterless, cylindrical curls, while the wavy coated variety has a slight sheen, with the hair falling gently in waves. The profuse hair in both types covers the entire body evenly, and there is no undercoat, mane or ruff. Colors seen are black, black-and-white and brown, with completely white being a rarer occurrence.
Grooming:The PWD has a single-layered coat that does not shed, but its profuse hair is prone to matting, which makes brushing every other day necessary. Its hair grows continually, requiring monthly clipping. Two types of coat cuts are seen usually in the breed: the lion cut, which is the more traditional cut and well-suited for a dog working in water; and the retriever cut, which is a more recent style, seen often in house pets. Apart from coat care, regular trimming of nails, cleaning of ears and brushing of teeth are important parts of the grooming regimen.
Temperament:The Portuguese Water Dog is an intelligent, merry and affable dog, known to befriend everyone, human or animal. With a long history of spending hours on a small boat with its master, the breed has a tendency to get really attached to one family member. It craves human attention, and will always try to engage in activities with or around its master.
Training:The PWD is a highly intelligent breed, easily trainable for a wide range of functions. Apart from its traditional roles as a water dog, the breed is also commonly used in therapy and for assistance to the hearing impaired and mobility challenged. The breed requires vigorous daily exercise, and providing access to a water body and/or a yard is recommended.
Health:Life expectancy for the PWD is 10 to 14 years. Because of a small foundation gene pool, the breed is prone to certain inheritable disorders, which include hip dysplasia, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, distichiasis (ingrown eyelashes), GM1 Storage Disease (a potentially fatal nerve disease) and Juvenile Dilated Cardiomyopathy (a rare heart condition).
A sturdy and spirited breed, the Portuguese Water Dog loves to hang out with its family at all times. Ideal for active owners, it will be the happiest when given a chance to flaunt its intelligence and workhorse abilities.
Find out if the Portuguese Water Dogwould be a good addition to your home. Now you can visit Brooklyn’s Corner.com to take our quiz and find out which dog would be the best match for you.
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