Portuguese Water Dog Magazine » Portuguese Water Dogs

Dog breed: Portugese Water Dog – Part 1

Master — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:48:40 +0000

The first Portuguese water dog I ever met was owned by a friend of my mother’s, who cut our hair. Every time I would come over for a hair cut I’d play with the dog, and he was very sweet to me even when I was little. At the time, it did not mean much to me that he did not shed. Now, seeing as I have a lab and frequently have to vacuum, I appreciate Portuguese water dogs even more. In the future I would definitelyThink about getting one of my own, as I’ve enjoyed the company of Every oneof these dogs that I have encountered.

These dogs, however, are not just good pets because they do not shed. They are also incredibly good with children. The woman who owned Tucker (the Portuguese water dog) had two young children, and though Portuguese water dogs areHuge dogs, they are usually very good with young children.

The reason they are called Portuguese water dogs is because they were originally found along Portugal’s coast, and were used by fishermen to herd in nets and perform other water based tasks. As you can infer from that, Portuguese water dogs are also very good swimmers, and are also obedient and train quickly.

These dogs make wonderful pets for nearly any family. They’re also good pets if you or a family member have an allergy to dogs, since they do not shed. In addition to that, they’re very intelligent dogs and they learn quickly. They also tend to be quiet dogs, though they will bark if they feel threatened and will also bark if they see someone approaching the house. They can also be trained to bark when the phone rings, which helps if you are hard of hearing, as they can bark very loudly. Portuguese water dogs are often trained as dogs for the blind or deaf.

Portuguese water dogs require some grooming as their coat grows somewhat quickly. They are friendly with strangers and not incredibly aggressive. They will jump sometimes to greet, but can be trained not to.

Though very friendly and affectionate, this dog isn’t for everyone. Portuguese water dogs require a lot of attention as they’re a very active dog, and enjoy having their master spend time with them. If you don’t have time to walk or play with your dog, this is not the dog for you. If you do have time to train and play with your dog, a having a Portuguese water dog will be very rewarding. These dogs love to play fetch and enjoy activity within sight of a human companion, so they will rarely wander off.

Training Your PWD Puppy

Master — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:48:55 +0000

Portuguese Water Dogs could be trained but you need to be quick thinking with this breed. Porties are really clever. As a puppy my doggie Goji was responsive to dog treats, so you could reward him with food if he did one thing on command. This breed is too clever for that human trick to last for long. Here’s what I did to start coaching my standard PWD:

It’s a an excellent thought to own the puppy go to some puppy course starting at age 3 or 4 months or so. Being around other puppies is good conditioning for him. I took mine to the Marin Humane Society. Actually the class is most effective for coaching the owner. I essential some catching up in the latest training strategies for dogs. These days you do not punish the k9 if he does one thing bad, but only reward him for performing anything good. That reward is really a deal with. That’s what the course taught me. Socialization is what the course taught Goji, though he was well socialized at his breeder, Toraq. I learned to unlearn the training techniques I did with my black labrador retriever in an earlier incarnation. I was told not to negatively discipline my k9. It was tough for me to instruct my close friends not to discipline him when the mouthy puppy jumped on them and nipped their skin. I asked my spouse and children and friends to become assertive and to knee the dog if he would jump up. It can be critical that the pet know who is in charge right from the start out.

A month or so later he went into the Spouse and children Doggy I class at the same also on the Humane Culture. This taught him some commands and obedience, and that continued with all the Spouse and children Doggie II class. I don’t think he truly learned as well several commands there, but we did understand to have along better together, which was good.

The Portuguese Water Doggie is actually extra inclined to likepraise much more than a deal with, as an adult. My doggie is pretty picky about treats now; when we go into a pet store plus the shopkeepers offer him a deal with, he often refuses it. Porties are very unique about their food, unlike other breeds. Here’s what he like nowadays:

Dried liver including liver biscuit
Dried salmon sticks
Charlie Bear treats
Bil-jack biscuits
Fois Grois and Caviar
Red Barn rolled beef hide with chicken inside
Dried Kangaroo meat
Dried salmon tenders

Females train these dogs superior than guys, in my opinion. The porties are extra responsive to their high pitched voices than men’s. I also think Portie’s choose the smell of women around men. But this doesn’t mean that they don’t extremely respect male masters; they do. They need the master to own a total life. In fact, they’ve to have a working “captain with the ship” and also you study that fairly fast when you might have just one of these dogs residing with you.

One distinct issue that the Portuguese Water K9 will not seem to have to find out is devotion towards the master. We speedily realized that it really is as if he thinks he is residing with a fisherman, and he’s on a boat with all the fisherman and becomes quite devoted to him. Goji despises boats, so the devotion isn’t really to some working fisherman, but to some master. This has been built into Goji since he came to our house at age 9 weeks. This unlearned trait seems to be only increasing over the years. If you ever cannot handle this extreme devotion do not bring a PWD residence.

Image via Wikipedia

You should be consistent in your approach towards your dog
Keep intonations, gestures and words for expressing dissatisfaction and praise consistent; then you’ll be help him comprehend commands by associating wtih the way it can be said.
If you issue conflicting commands your k9 will be confused compared to just one who has learned the same command over and more than. 1 example of getting consistent is to let him out the same door every time he has to do his business. In this way he associates that door with needing to go out and will let you know by going to that door instead of somewhere within the house.
Remember of course that after every command that he successfully does, shower him with love and affection. Handle him once in a while when he does proper because like a child it needs to become appreciated and given praise.
There are quite a few technques to dog coaching from positive reinforcement, understanding when to reward and when to punish, the effective way of punishing, howTo ceaseexcessive barking and chewing and aggression to name a few.
K9 exercise is an on-going process but one distinct which is full of rewards. You will create a bond with your pet which is unbreakable. You will use a loyal companion for life and a friend forever.
There are several dog training ebooks, cd`s, dvd`s, seminars, groups and tips on coaching your doggy that you can find online. Find a single that you’re comfortable with and provides all the necessary tools to help you in pet coaching.

Cocoa Happy in Singapore

Master — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:48:45 +0000

Our pwd Goji’s best dog friend was Cocoa, the first portuguese water dog I’ve known. Cocoa migrated to Singapore in October. We were worried about the long trip and quarantine, but Cocoa made it just fine and handled the ten day quarantine easily. Now Cocoa is enjoying his family in Singapore. Portuguese Water Dogs are very adaptable. We recently moved from our hourse of 30 years to a smaller place nearby, and Goji handled it well. He’s adjusting to not being by the San Francisco Bay all the time. Fortunately, the Bay is not too long a drive from his house.

Portuguese Water Dog Traits

Master — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:13:09 +0000

Portuguese water dog is a great breed, but it is a pretty rare to find. In fact, only 15 of these dogs were entered into the England’s crufts competition back in 2002. Many people have been looking for these, dogs because they have great personalities and have no shedding qualities of any kind. They are starting to get more popular, but it is stillvery difficult to go about finding these dogs. These dogs love the water, but they love one thing more than the water and that is their master. They are very loving and very intelligent animals, so they are very easily trained. After you train them they are very obedient as well to what you are saying. Most of the time these dogs are even friendly to strangers, which makes them perfect dogs to go out in public with. They do have fluffy soft coasts, which works out good for them, because most people can not keep their hands off of it.
But physically he is lively and athletic, poised for any activity. He cares about to play and needs vigorous exercise: long walks, occasional runs, and swimming whenever possible, for he is a master swimmer and diver. Mental stimulation (agility, fetching, advanced obedience) is just as important to this clever, thinking breed. When well socialized, his reaction to strangers varies from friendly to polite, but he should always remain steadfast and hold his ground. This observant breed makes a fine watchdog, but not a guardian. Most Portuguese water dogs are accepting of other pets when raised with them. Pwds are strong-minded, with an independent streak and a wicked sense of humor. A natural retriever, the Portuguese water dog is a very mouthy dog who will pick up everything in his path, chew up both edible and inedible objects, and try to gnaw on your hands. Provide a box filled with toys so he can satisfy his oral fixation by carrying something around in his mouth. Youngsters are especially rambunctious, bore easily, and without enough attention and structured activity can excavate vast chasms in your yard.
Portuguese water dog is an old breed, know in it’s native land as cao de agua (literally meaning ‘dog of the water’). The ancestors of todays’ pwds played an important role in their country’s’ fishing industry, and were used to herd fish, retrieve lines/tackle, carry messages from boat to boat or to shore, and act as guardians when protection was needed. A medium toMassivesized dog, an adult will measure anywhere between 17 and 23 inches in height, and weigh between 35 and 60lbs. A female will usually be smaller/lighter than a male, but both sexes should be solidly built and muscular. This courageous, hardy and spirited dog still carries the attributes of a working breed, and in spite of it’s cuddly looks, it is most definitely not a lap-dog. Portuguese water dogs need lots of vigorous exercise and an active lifestyle, but can be happy in an average-sized home/yard if given plenty of opportunity torun and play on a daily basis. They bond closely with their owners and always want to be by your side. This is not an independent breed who can be happy left alone for long periods inside or out, and your portuguese water dog pup will want (and need) to be an integral part of your family’s’ life. Outgoing, intelligent and eager to learn, portuguese water dogs make great obedience or agility dogs, and althoughoften considered too small to fill the ‘service dog’ role, they can be great therapy dogs. Regular socialization and obedience training are very important if you want your pwd to grow up to be all that it can be.
Portuguese water dog is a dog that has felt at home in all kinds of waters for many years. Their webbed feet are the main reason for their awesome swimming ability. This breed will go swimming with its family for hours at a time. So make sure to find a stick or bring a ball to throw in the water for them to retrieve. This breed of dog is a wonderful dog to have as part of your family. You might want to make sure they get to know the cats in your home before leaving them alone with the kitty. Otherwise, this is a great dog to have when it comes to having a family dog. This breed will love to go outside and run around with the children and other dogs to play and burn off some energy. This is not a breed of dog to have to keep them outside in cold weather. They can be outside dogs, but they prefer to be inside with their family especially when it is cold outside. They enjoy being active indoors or outdoors and while they are puppies, they are sure to chew everything in sight. They tend to be very active chewers while they are in puppyhood and nothing is left unchewed if you allow it.
Portuguese water dog is a lesser known breed with many uniqueand appealing qualities. They are a highly energetic breed with a long history as a working dog. The portuguese water dog is believed to descend from the same original dogs as the poodle, the kerry blue terrier, and the irish water spaniel. The first reference to a water dog similar in type and function as the portuguese water dog is in text by a monk in 1297, when a dog in a trim similar to the lion cut seen in the current day show ring on portuguese water dogs and poodles assisted a drowning sailor to shore. That the first reference to a portuguese water dog or their immediate ancestors includes a water rescue would not be a surprise to fans of the breed. When he was the companion of portuguese fisherman, the dogs actually herded fish into the nets, retrieved lost equipment including damaged nets, and acted as messenger dogs between boat. Their work ethic and value as a partner to portuguese fisherman made the portuguese water dog and inseparable part of the fishing culture along the coasts of portugal. The portuguese water dog is a moderate sized dog, with males averaging a height of 20-22 inches at the shoulder, females 17-22 inches. Females weigh from 35-50 pounds, while males may be up to 60 pounds.
Portuguese water dog is abetter diver and swimmer, at home in the water and on land. This breed is strong and spirited, yet obedient and good-natured, traits that make it a favorite as both a working dog and family pet. Often referred to as a “thinking” dog, it learns swiftly and thrives on new challenges. After having mastered a task, it will often attempt to improvise or[ modifyit. A natural retriever, this high-energy dog needs to work — whether in water, obedience, tracking, or agility tests. True to its name, the dog was acclaimed for centuries along portugal’s coast as a robust, seafaring breed. An exceptional swimmer and diver, it was considered a working part of a ship’s crew and assisted fishermen by driving schools of fish into nets, retrieving lost tackle and equipment, and carrying messages between ships as well as to shore. As marine technology increased, dependence on the dog decreased until they faced near extinction. American interest in the breed didn’t take hold until the last quarter of the 20th century. In 1972, only 12 portuguese water dogs existed in the united states, but a dedicated group of breeders worked diligently to propagate the species, and within 10 years, the dogs’ numbers increased to 650. Today, there are roughly 10,000 in america, and they’re often used in water rescue.
Portuguese water dog is sure to be found, passing and relaying information from boat to boat, keeping a keen eye on the water in order to help spot a shoal of fish, and putting to use itsvery special repertoire of barks and sighs in order to find safe passage through fog. In his home country, the dog is known as cao de agua, or â€œdog of water. But there are really some elements that not even some assiduous portuguese water dog puppy training can resolve. By the early decades of the 1900s, traditional fishing methods were already getting replaced and updated, and portuguese water dog were being spotted less and less among fishing boats. But in a stroke of luck for the breed, Vasco Bensuade, a wealthy portuguese shipping merchant and dog lover, took a liking for the breed and purchased a pwd named leao (lion). Eventually, bensaude’s dog leao became the founding sire of the kennel he put up to stabilize the portuguese water dog breed at algarbiorum. As for leao, he became the best example upon which the portie breed was soon patterned on. To sum up, it is largely thanks to Vasco Bensuade that we get to keep portuguese water dogs as pets.
Portuguese water dog is a relativelyHuge dog but they will do well in most any type of surrounding. Generally, as long as you provide them with enough outdoor exercise, they are likely to have no problem being indoors at other times and even in small places will do well. These dogs don’t need too much space indoors as long as they’ve enough room to run and to play outdoors. A fenced in yard may be important especially if you don’t train your pet to stay near to you. Because the portuguese water dog likes to be near to his family and his master, they would like to stay near to you at all times, meaning that they do not like to be outdoor dogs. They will enjoy spending a good deal of time outdoors even in the water, especially if that is where you are. The more attention that you pay to them the better they’ll be with you and the happier they will be.
Portuguese water dog is an intelligent, hard working dog that was bred to help fishermen. They generally get along well with other dogs but should be socialized when young for other pets. If at all possible, they need plenty of exercise and if there can be water involved, you’ve a happy dog. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog. The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the portuguese water dog is 16 to 22 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 35 to 55 pounds. Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the portuguese water dog is no exception. Be on the lookout for skin conditions, canine hip dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness) and progressive retinal atrophy (inherited disease of the retina that can cause vision loss and blindness). Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list. She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up.
Portuguese water dog is an old breed, traced back at least 700 years. Back then, it was a working dog, helping fishermen and guarding their boats. Breeders state modern dogs in the breed retain the character of their ancestors: hard-working and easily bored, loyal to their family and sometimes overly defensive toward outsiders. The breed nearly vanished in the 1930s, dwindling to a dozen or so dogs until a wealthy portuguese businessman decided he liked them. That small breeding pool set up genetic problems for today’s dogs. Portuguese water dog owners are afraid of what happened with dalmatians because of the disney movies. Not only did families adopt puppies that didn’t fit their lifestyle, but demand pushed the creation of puppy mills that bred dogs with health problems that more responsible breeders are able to avoid.
Portuguese water dog is a medium size dog with a wavy or curly coat. Most portuguese water dogs are black or brown but there’s the odd white portuguese water dog now and then. Portuguese water dogs who have standard portuguese water dog cuts are very recognizable because they’ve thick long hair everywhere except on its face and tail and back legs, where it is shaved. Portuguese water dogs are also good at a number of competitive dog games. They’re good jumpers and runners and especially good swimmers. The portuguese water dog’s feet are slightly webbed between the toes,, which helps it to swim. In portugal, the portuguese water dog is used by fishermen to help them retrieve their fishing nets. The portuguese water dog’s strange hair cut is meant to help them stay warm without having hair impeding the movement of their strong hind legs while swimming. However, the portuguese water dog isn’t just a show dog and a good swimmer; they’re also great family pets. Of course, as with all dogs, you should do some research on portuguese water dogs and their behaviour before buying a puppy for your family. Portuguese water dogs are very smart animals but have someuncommon habits and behaviour. Not only are portuguese water dogs very energetic high energy dogs, but they need a lot of attention from their owners. Like a lot of other dogs, the portuguese water dog will take to destroying your home if you leave them locked up for too long with no one around. You shouldn’t get a portuguese water dog if you know you will not be able to dedicate a lot of time to taking it out for regular walks and playing with it. It must have been difficult for portuguese water dogs to fetch the fisher man’s nets in portugal because they would have gotten a lot of salt water in their eyes.
Portuguese water dog is an intelligent dog that cares about to work and play. This water loving dog is courageous and has plenty of stamina and enthusiasm for everything that he does. These dogs love to be in the thick of the action, whether it is work or play, and are not suited to those with Littletime for their pets. The portuguese water dog needs plenty of exercise, as he is a very active and physically demanding dog. He also needs a lot of mental stimulation, and will not take kindly to being ignored or neglected. Loyal and loving, the portuguese water dog will bark to raise an alarm, making him an effective protector – the good news is that he doesn’t tend to bark unnecessarily. Destructive behavior can stem from boredom with the portuguese water dog, and these dogs also love to chew, so keep plenty of appropriate toys to hand. The portuguese water dog is a friendly and confident dog, but can be willful, obstinate, and challenging, which makes him ideal suited to a confident owner with experience of dog ownership. He tends to get along well with children, who he’ll treat as friends, and with proper socialization also gets along with pets, althoughhe can sometimes be jealous or territorial. He is usually polite – even friendly – with strangers when properly socialized. The portuguese water dog is a good choice of family pet for active families with plenty of time to devote to a pet, but not the right choice for those with Littletime or energy. The portuguese water dog is a medium sized dog with a sturdy, robust build. He has a beautiful curly or wavy coat, which can be clipped and shaped for show dogs.