Dog
Group:
Working 
Portuguese Water Dog Champions
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Pronunciation:
pawr-chuh-geez waw-ter dawg
Breed Description:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog is a medium sized dog that should be athletic and muscular. This is a well-balanced dog that should be compact as well as robust with a slightly longer body than they are tall. The head should be broad and the ears should hang down the side. The overall shape of the ears should be an upside down heart. The top line of the dog should be level and the long tail should have a slight curl to it.
The coat of the Portuguese Water Dog should be a dense single coat. The hair should either be a tight curl or a loose wave but it should never be straight. The texture is slightly rough and the hair should be medium in length with shorter hair on the head. There should be a noticeable mustache and beard. The color can be white, black, gray or brown and they can also be parti-color.
Temperament:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog is a very intelligent breed of dog that is known for being happy and cheerful. This is a playful breed that often delights in playing the clown. They are often described as having a wonderful sense of humor and owners spend more time laughing at the dog than scolding him. Even with their playful disposition, it is important to remember that this is not a breed for everyone. The Portuguese Water Dog is very active and really needs something to do to keep them happy. In addition, this is a Peter Pan breed so expect a large puppy for several years. The breed does very well with children and will often tire the children out with all of their games. They are very friendly and are not a guard dog in any way. The Portuguese Water Dog usually does very well with other dogs and pets.
Height:
The average height for a Portuguese Water Dog is between 17 to 20 inches for a female and 20 to 22 inches for a male.
Weight:
The average weight for a Portuguese Water Dog is between 35 to 49 pounds for a female and 42 to 55 pounds for a male.
Health Problems:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog is considered to be a very healthy breed but they can suffer from a number of serious health problems including Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Storage Disease, Hip Dysplasia and Juvenile Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Living Conditions:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog an do very well in apartments if they are exercised properly, however, the ideal living condition is a home with a large fenced yard. They can do okay as an outdoor breed but they do better in the home with their family.
Exercise:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog is a very energetic breed of dog and will need about 60 minutes of exercise each day to stay healthy and happy. It is important to note that the breed will become very destructive if they are bored so exercise is very important.
Life Expectancy:
10 to 14 years
Grooming:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog is an easy dog to breed and they should be brushed two or three times a week to keep the coat free of mats. The breed is a low shedding breed but there coats do need to be maintained with brushing. The coat is often clipped for both easy and function and owners can either choose a retriever trim, which is just a short trim on the entire dog, or a lion's trim, which is a bare muzzle, back end and most of the tail except the tip. Bathing should only be done when necessary. Nails should be trimmed once or twice a month and the ears should be cleaned on a weekly basis.
Origin:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog is a working breed that was developed in Portugal several hundred years ago as a working companion to Portuguese fisherman. The breed was used in a number of roles but with the modernization of the fishing industry, the breed nearly became extinct. Although we do not know what breeds went into the creation of the Portuguese Water Dog, it is speculated that the breed itself is a contributing breeds for many of the water and curly coated breeds made popular in Europe. During the early 1900's, the breed was saved by a man named Vasco Bensuade and he is accredited with the breed surviving long enough to become a popular breed once again. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
