Who owns a portuguese water dog

Portuguese water dogs are bred to help on fishing boats — diving into the water to retrieve fish and nets. They need a lot of hair to protect their hearts from the cold. Their hinder quarters are shaved for ease of swimming. Some people take up gardening when they retire. Others learn to watercolor. When Oakland Superior Court Judge Julie Conger retired from the bench after 25 years, she began breeding and showing Portuguese water dogs. Two of her previous dogs had won national championships, but none had won at Westminster.

Almost 3, dogs — and almost qualifying breeds — compete at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden each winter. Traditionally, coats are cut in one of two styles: the "lion cut" or the "retriever cut.

The Portuguese water dog is an extremely infrequent shedder. Most of the hair they do release gets caught up in their waves or curls. While no dog is truly "hypoallergenic" —they all shed to one degree or another—Portuguese water dogs are well-known as a breed that's great for people with allergies to hair or dander. They have webbed feet to aid in swimming, and their bodies aren't quite square, being slightly longer than they are tall.

Female dogs come in at 17—21 inches tall, with male Portuguese water dogs a bit taller at 20—23 inches. Much like their poodle cousins, the Portuguese water dog is stunningly smart. Originally bred to be fishing dogs , they were trained to herd schools of fish into nets, retrieve broken nets and tackle, and to act as couriers, delivering messages from ship to ship and ship to shore. Because of their smarts and appetite for work, Delgado says Portuguese water dogs might do better with experienced dog owners.

Now that they have largely made the transition from fish to families, Portuguese water dogs love learning tricks and playing games. They will often act like clowns to try and make their people laugh and get their attention. If you're looking for a dog to compete with, they do fantastically well in obedience, agility, flyball, and of course water competitions. If you're considering competition sports, make sure to have your pup checked out by a veterinarian first. Portuguese water dogs are gregarious, outgoing dogs who are happy to make new friends.

Moore says the breed can sometimes be suspicious of new people, but with proper socialization they are happy to let unfamiliar people pet them. Also much like the poodle, the smart Portuguese water dogs will get bored easily if you're not keeping them stimulated. They are a very high-energy dog who will require at least an hour's worth of exercise every day. This is another reason why competition training is such a great activity for them. But no matter how you choose to do it, keeping your dog fit and happy needs to be a priority because they have a strong tendency to chew when they're bored or frustrated.

If you leave your Portuguese water dog at home alone for too long or don't exercise him enough, you will come home to all your stuff chewed up. As with any highly intelligent dog , obedience training is going to be imperative for Portuguese water dogs.

Not only will it help keep them stimulated, but it will curtail some of their less-desirable traits, like the breed's tendency to greet people by jumping up , or their notorious reputation as counter surfers. Portuguese water dogs do very well in households with cats and other dogs. They have a low prey drive , making them a good choice for households with other small animals as well.

They love playing with children , but they can be a little too rambunctious for very small ones. Share with your friends f t. Read more articles. Read more. More from our catalog. Customer Support Need help ordering? Email us at: orders workman. Follow Page-A-Day f t p g.

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