All About PWDs

About the Breed 

The bright and biddable Portuguese Water Dog was bred to be an all-around fisherman's helper. The robust, medium-sized body is covered by a coat of tight, low-shedding curls. PWDs are eager and athletic companions built for water work.  The Portuguese Water Dog is super-smart and very 'biddable', meaning he's easy to train and eager to please. The Portie can be groomed in two styles: The retriever clip (the entire coat is clipped to one inch in length, with the tail tip at full length) or the more check-me-out lion clip, where the coat is on the hindquarters and muzzle is clipped down to the skin.

History 

The Portuguese Water Dog once lived all along Portugal’s coast, and was used to herd fish into nets, retrieve lost tackle, and act as a messenger between ships and shore. Fishermen counted on the strong and muscular dogs to be hardworking and seaworthy. They would ride in trawlers from the warm Atlantic waters of Portugal to the freezing cold waters off the coast of Iceland. Technology eventually laid him off from his job, but the breed is still used for water rescue.

More information about PWDs can be found on the AKC website. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/portuguese-water-dog/

https://www.pwdca.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=8853&pk_association_webpage=18266

Full AKC Standard found at: http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/PortugueseWaterDog.pdf