Portuguese Water Dogs are a breed of dog that originated along the Algarve, on the coast of Portugal. Instances of the Portuguese Water Dog in history dates back to before Christian times. The Portuguese Water Dog has been revered through history and it is believed that many of the other water dog varieties; Poodle, Kerry Blue Terrier and Irish Water Spaniel are ancestors of the Portuguese Water Dog. Portuguese Water Dogs were found all along the coast of Portugal and were prized by fishermen as a companion and guard dog. Portuguese Water Dogs were taught to herd fish into net, retrieve lost items and courier messages between ships or to the shore. Portuguese Water Dogs were known for for their swimming and diving skills, intelligence and loyalty. For more info on the history of Portuguese Water Dogs we suggest you visit the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (PWDCA) website.
Today Portuguese Water Dogs are still known for their intelligence and loyalty, along with their innate desire to please their humans, they love to work! They are friendly, spunky and excel in many areas of work including agility, therapy, dock diving, scent tracking and making great all around family pets! Portuguese Water Dogs can perform many types of work, we've even seen them used in Skijoring! Portuguese Water Dogs are incredibly loyal and loving and are often referred to as "Velcro Dogs", they love nothing more than to accompany their humans everywhere the go! Our Portuguese Water Dogs are often found following us around the farm, trailing along on hikes or horseback rides, rough housing with each other or meeting new people at the store. Leia especially can be found camped out on the couch when we start movie night or curled under a blanket taking a nap while mom makes dinner.
Portuguese Water Dogs are an incredibly intelligent breed, which can lead to issues if they do not have the physical and mental stimulation that they need. We find that although they have a lot of energy a walk in the evening, or 30 minute game of fetch will satisfy their energy requirement, however mental stimulations is just as important. Some of the things we like to do with our Portuguese Water Dogs is to play hide and seek, where they have to find a certain person to get their treats. Of course they love treats and are more than happy to search until they get it right! We also love using puzzle boxes with our Portuguese Water Dogs, with some good treats and time, they always work it out. There are many wonderful ways you can train and work with your Portuguese Water Dog!
We love our Portuguese Water Dogs and are working hard to improve on the amazing foundation this breed has. We use early Neurological stimulation (ENS) and early scent introduction (ESI) to start building strong healthy, confident puppies from the very beginning. We then move our Portuguese Water Dog puppies on to an advance curriculum that helps them gain confidence, overcome stress and frustration, build mental awareness and empowers them to become a healthy, happy, well rounded, trainable dogs.
We encourage you to learn more about this breed, its standards and history by visiting the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (PWDCA) website.
