This breed was developed in Portugal where it worked as a fisherman's aid for centuries. They herded fish into the net, helped retrieve nets, and carried messages to shore and to other boats. When the boat pulled into port they would guard the boat and the days catch. They were considered to be so valuable that retired fishermen would sometimes rent out their Portuguese Water Dogs to make extra money.A medium sized dog, the Portuguese Water Dog, also known as PWD or Portie, has a wavy and shiny coat. Their fur is often tightly curled around the edges and they have double layers, with an under and over coat. The PWD's coat, like Yorkies, Poodles and Maltese is good for people with allergies, as the Portuguese Water Dog's fur is hypo allergenic. Oddly, this is one of the only dog breeds that has webbing in their paws which helps them as excellent swimmers.
Portuguese Water dogs are excellent pets and companions. The PWD is considered a smart, kind and loving dog that is very good with children and families. The PWD will protect the family it loves, and exhibits great bravery and is easy to train. The Portuguese Water dog is very smart, so you need to maintain a very consistent behavior when training them or they will start to control you, their owner. As puppies, make sure you are steady with your training to get the best behavior out of your Portuguese Water Dog. Be careful though, they are mouthy and love to chew your belongings. Make sure to supply your Portuguese puppy with a lot of chew toys and teach the puppies the difference between what is a toy and what is your shoe and/or furniture.
Generally, you'll need to give your Portie a good amount of space to run free and exercise. In some circumstances, a townhouse will be enough room for it to live in, but for the best and happiest Portuguese Water Dog, you should make sure you have a nice-sized backyard or a good dog park to take them to. They love to run, walk, jog and swim though you want to make sure your PWD has enough age before you start them swimming.
The Portuguese Water dog is an intelligent affable family pet. They love children and get along well with other animals. They will appreciate a good deal of daily activity, this breed's idea of heaven would be retrieving a ball in water. They are excellent swimmers and if they have access to water it will be hard to keep them out.
