Portuguese Water Dog Breed

As readily apparent from its name the Portuguesebreed was admitted to the American Kennel Club in
Water Dog hails from Portugal and for centuriesJune of 1981 under the miscellaneous category.
before it was finally superseded by technology itThe crowning achievement of the Portuguese Water
remained the Portuguese fisherman’s consummateDog breed’s fight of survival is that in 2009 it was
all-purpose fishing tool. The exact ancestral origins ofbeen short-listed as a very strong contender to
the Portuguese Water Dog remain unknown but it isbecome part of the First family in the White House as
quite closely related to other European water dogthe First Canine. For lovers of this breed such news is
breeds save for the fact that they generallya mixed bag because although the resultant popularity
specialized in waterfowl retrieval whereas thewill increase breed awareness it will also lead in a
Portuguese Water Dog’s specialties lay elsewhere.surge of backyard breeders, puppy mills pushing the
Unsubstantiated evidence does tend to suggest thatbreed and fly-by-night dog owners who are inspired by
the breed's ancestral heritage originated somewhere inthe sudden publicity and popularity to acquire a
central Asia around 700 B.C. and that the PortuguesePortuguese Water Dog only to abandon it sooner than
water dog was taken to Portugal by the Visigothslater!
circa the fifth century.
Some of the many functions ascribed to thePortuguese Water Dog Temperament
Portuguese Water Dog in earlier times included:The Portuguese Water dog breed is a gregarious,
• Herding fish into netsfun-loving pet that boasts an excellent and balanced
• Message courierdisposition. The dog gets along very well with other
• Functioning as a lookoutpets including dogs and also does extremely well with
• Translocating and retrieving nets; as well aschildren. This breed has a high affectionate and
• Rescuing capsized fishermenplayfulness level that is more than sufficient to delight
From the time of the Middle ages the Portugueseand endear any child making it an ideal family pet.
Water Dog performed as the ultimate fisherman’s
in-water assistant making the lives of the fishermen ofPortuguese Water Dog Upkeep
the Algarve on Portugal’s southern coast thatIn keeping with its ancestral and genetic pedigree this
much easier. Anytime a small fleet of fishing boatsactive dog breed needs plenty of physical and mental
would set out the Portuguese water Dog would be instimulation on a daily basis if it is not to become a
the thick of the action, conveying messages from boatnuisance. Ideally the physical activity should be in the
to boat, alerting the fishermen by barking whenever itform of a daily swim to sate the dog’s love of
spotted a shoal of fish and during foggy conditions thewater but failing that then a long brisk walk or daily jog
dog with its unique "rising-and-falling" bark would act asshould suffice. The Portuguese Water Dog does best
a canine foghorn.when closely integrated and involved with its human
The first documented evidence of the Portuguesefamily. The coat of this dog breed should be combed
Water Dog was in 1297 from a monks account whereevery other day in order to prevent matting and
he narrates how he was saved from drowning in theclumping and it should also be clipped on a monthly
sea by a dog with a "black coat, the hair long andbasis.
rough, cut to the first rib and with a tail tuft." Known asPortuguese Water Dog Characteristics
Cao de Agua in Portugal which translates as "dog of
water", the Portuguese Water Dog is also sometimesHealth:
referred to as the Portuguese Fishing Dog, the DivingMajor Health Issues: PRA
Dog or the Sea Dog.Minor Health Issues: GM1 storage disease; Distichiasis;
By the early 20th century as traditional fishing methodsAddisons; CHD; Juvenile Cardiomyopathy; Follicular
became obsolete as a result of advances indysplasia (hair loss); Irritable bowel syndrome (rare);
technology the Portuguese Water Dog numbersSeizures (rare)
dwindled to the brink of extinction. As fate would haveLifespan: 10 – 14 years
it though, the Portuguese water Dog breed wasPortuguese Water Dog Form & Function
introduced to one Vasco Bensuade, a wealthyThe Portuguese Water Dog is a well proportioned
Portuguese shipping magnate who had a fondness forcanine that is slightly longer than it is tall. The breed is
dogs. Vasco Bensuade loved the breed and acquiredof medium build with good musculature and has
a dog which he named Leao (lion).excellent stamina to work on or out of the water for
It was through the efforts of Vasco Bensuade thatlong durations. This breed exists in two coat variations:
the future of the Portuguese Water Dog was• The long-haired variant also known as the Cao de
consolidated and a breed standard was written andAgua de Pelo Ondulado in Portugal; and
the dogs thereafter soon began appearing in dog• The curly-coated variant which is known as the
shows. Bensaude’s dog Leao became theCao de Agua de Pelo Encaradolado.
founding sire of the kennel he set up to develop andThe Portuguese Water Dog is also a good choice of
sustain the Portuguese Water Dog breed atdog breed for allergy sufferers because it is hypo to
Algarbiorum, and Leao also became the standard uponnon-allergenic (especially the curly-coated variant).
which the Portuguese Water Dog breed wasLike the better known Labrador Retriever that also
eventually based on.loves swimming the feet of the Portuguese Water
However despite Vasco Bensuade’s valiantDog have webbed toes to assist movement whilst in
efforts to revive the Portuguese Water Dog, by thethe water.
1960s the breed was once again teetering on the brinkThe coat of this breed is generally trimmed in two
of extinction with only about 50 dogs in existencevariations:
worldwide. Once again destiny’s kindly hand• Lion Trim: Here the rear-end of the dogs body is
reached out to intervene this time in the form of twoclosely cropped giving the impression of a male lion
Americans; Deyanne and Herbert Miller, Jr. The Millerswith a mane; hence the name. The historical value of
acquired a Portuguese Water Dog from the verythis type of trim was that supposedly by trimming the
same Algarbiorum Kennel that Vasco Bensuade haddogs coat on the rear half of its body drag was
established in the 1930s (and which was later acquiredreduced when the dog was swimming. The close trim
after his death by a former lady bullfighter, Conchitaextends to the tip of the tail which is left untouched as
Branco).a bushy tuft.
The Millers named the dog that they acquired• Retriever Trim: Here the coat of the Portuguese
Renascenca (renaissance) do Al Gharb with highWater Dog is clipped consistently across its entire
hopes of saving the breed with former founding sirelength to approximately 1 inch in length.
Leao’s descendant. The Millers were successful inCoat Color:
their endeavors forming in 1972, along with fourteenAcceptable coat colors of this breed include: black,
other breeders established, the Portuguese Water Dogbrown, white or any combination of black and white or
Club of America, Inc. (PWDCA). Today there are inbrown and white.
existence over 5000 Portuguese Water dogs and the