Portuguese Water Dog
Fishermen used it to herd fish into nets, carry messages between boats and fetch gear out of the sea. The lion clip left the hindquarters free to kick.
Photo by SheltieBoy (Ron Armstrong), CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Portuguese Water Dog worked with Atlantic fishermen, herding fish into nets, retrieving gear and lines that went overboard, and carrying messages between boats. It has webbed feet and a genuinely waterproof coat, and it was nearly extinct by the 1930s before a wealthy Portuguese shipping magnate rebuilt it.
It is best known now for having been the Obama family's dog, which caused a surge in demand the breed was not ready for.
Temperament
Bright, biddable and enormously energetic. PWDs are affectionate with their families, good with children, and sociable with other dogs.
They are working dogs and they need work. They are also mouthy and they chew, more than most breeds, and they are strong swimmers who will get in any water available. They are sensitive and respond well to reward based training.
Care and grooming
The curly or wavy single coat does not shed and grows continuously, needing combing to the skin two or three times a week plus clipping every six to eight weeks.
Because it does not shed it is often recommended to allergy sufferers, and no dog is truly hypoallergenic. Progressive retinal atrophy, storage disease GM1 and juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy all have DNA tests. Ask for all three.
Living and exercise
Two hours a day with swimming and retrieving plus mental work.
They are not a low allergy lap dog, which is how they were widely marketed after 2009. They are an athletic working retriever with a grooming bill, and they need an owner who wants that.
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