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The Portuguese Water Dog Breed
President Barak Obama promised his daughters that once the exhausting
pre-election campaign was over, they'd get their very own dog to take
to their new home, and the choice has been made - the Portuguese Water
Dog breed will be joining the first family in D.C.
Malia Obama, 10, is allergic to most dogs, which made the search
more difficult - though certainly not impossible. Although no dogs
are completely hypo-allergenic, the Portuguese Water Dog comes close
and is well-tolerated by those with allergies. The breed is also exceptionally
intelligent, gets along with everyone, and is stable and level-headed
- qualities we all like to see in the White House!
Portuguese Water Dog Breed Description
- The Portuguese Water Dog breed is known for its
family-friendly nature, compact, hardy build, and non-shedding,
hypo-allergenic coat. These fun and happy dogs are medium-sized
and muscular, with a black, white, brown, silver, grey or parti-color
coat that may be flat, wavy and shiny, or thick open or tight curl.
- Portuguese Water Dogs are sturdy and solid, with
a body that is slightly taller than it is long. The head is broad
on top, with heart-shaped ears and dark eyes.
- These dogs have more webbing on their feet than
most breeds, making them excellent - and enthusiastic - swimmers.
———————— Temperament ————————
- Portuguese Water Dogs are sensible, lively, affectionate,
stable, fun, and loyal dogs. They adore children and will usually
do well with other pets.
- These dogs are highly trainable, they love to
learn and please their masters, and they are exceptionally intelligent.
Be consistent, confident, and firm - dogs this intelligent may take
liberties if their masters don't command authority. Dogs without
proper leadership may be overly loud; they will bark to try to communicate
or display dominance.
- This breed is famous for its sense of humor -
they love to play the clown and be the center of attention.
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Height and Weight ————————
- Adult males tend to be 20-22 inches tall and weigh
around 42-55 pounds.
- Adult females are generally 16-20 inches tall
and weigh about 35-49 pounds.
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Living Conditions and Exercise ————————
- The Portuguese Water Dog breed does well in an
apartment setting as long as they receive sufficient exercise.
- This breed is generally somewhat active indoors,
and they enjoy playing outdoors as much as possible. They require
daily mental and physical exercise, including a long jog or walk.
They are bred to swim and love to retrieve toys or sticks from water.
- Dogs make excellent walking, hiking, and jogging
companions.
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Life Expectancy ————————
- Well-cared for dogs can be expected to live 10-14
years.
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Grooming ————————
- The coat requires regular brushing and combing.
- These dogs shed little to no hair, making them
the perfect pet for families with dog allergies. Because the coat
grows so slowly, trimming is only needed occasionally.
- The traditional trim for this breed is the lion
trim, which was designed to keep dogs warm and comfortable while
working in the water or swimming.
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History ————————
- The Portuguese Water Dog breed is an old breed,
descended from working dogs in the Iberian Peninsula. This breed
has assisted fisherman in Portugal for centuries by herding and
catching fish, retrieving anything that fell overboard, guarding
the catch while in port, and carrying messages between boats. Dogs
were considered an essential part of the fishing team and received
a share of fish and money.
- In the 1930s the breed became nearly extinct as
technology took over the jobs formerly performed by dogs, but Vasco
Bensaude, a shipping tycoon, took interest in the dogs and started
a breeding program.
- The first pair of Portuguese Water Dogs arrived
in the United States in 1958. In the U.S. they are most often used
as companion animals, but they also excel as therapy and assistance
dogs, and are trained for agility, obedience, and water trial contests.
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Group and Recognition ————————
- Grouping: Gun Dog, AKC Sporting
- Recognition: CKC, ACR, NKC, APRI, FCI, KCGB, AKC,
UKC, NZKC, PWDCAI
Return to Breeds of
Dogs from Portuguese Water Dog Breed
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