Portuguese Water Dog Forum:
the right dog

Help, Im confused! Ive never had a dog before and I always promised my husband we would get one. Well now seems to be the time. Im a stay at home mom of 3 kids(2,6, and 8). Im fully aware that this will become my dog, and Im ready for the commitment (I think!) I always thought this would be the right dog because it doesnt shed , is intellegent, and great with kids. However, I keep hearing how much energy pwd have. A lab sounds so laid back, but between the shedding and barking I could go crazy. Any suggestions? Please respond to docfloss@aol.com Thanks, Julie

Labs are bred to jump in to icy lakes and streams over and over again... believe me, they are also a high energy dog. What you must decide is how much of a commitment you are willing to make at this time. Youve got your hand full with kids right now, can you add another "baby to the mix? I have a friend who recently bred a litter (not PWD, but a similar breed as far as time requirements). SHe placed puppies with their new families at ten weeks of age. One puppy went to a family with stay at home mom with 3 kids, ages 6, 8 and 10. They gave up the puppy in a month, because the mom didnt realize how much work having a puppy was. Please think long and hard about adding ANY puppy to your lives.

I highly recomend a pwd for your family Our pwd "Angus" is great with our kids 6 9 and teenagers But maybe you should wait till your youngest is a couple years older only because puppies like babies are alot of work good luck