Behavior: The Portuguese Water Dog’s outgoing and kind personality makes them a great fit for just about anyone looking for a good-natured friend. These dogs are happy, spirited, and social. They’re highly attached to their owners and known for bonding closely with one person in particular. These dogs are obedient and fairly quiet, but they have an interesting range of voices, including a loud breathy “laugh” that they use to greet people and share their emotion during playtime.
Activity: The Portuguese Water Dog need mental and physical stimulation on a daily basis. This breed loves to swim and has a great time retrieving sticks or balls from the water (hence their aquatic name). They enjoy competing in agility trials or other dog sports as well. Portuguese Water Dogs are best suited for active people, so if you love getting outdoors and staying busy with a companion, this might be a good match for you. PUZZLES AND HIDE AND SEEK ARE GREAT MENTAL STIMULATION ACTIVITIES FOR PWDs.
Coat: The Portuguese Water Dog has a coat of dense, circular curls or gentle waves with a light sheen. The most common colors are black, brown, white, black and white, or brown and white. Parti-color white and black coats are growing in popularity too. The curly-coated Portuguese Water Dog is usually clipped only at the tail, and the wavy-coated Portuguese Water Dog is usually clipped in a “lion cut” at the hindquarters and muzzle, with the rest of the coat growing to full length. No matter which type of coat they have, these dogs are not big shedders.
Lifestyle: Portuguese Water Dogs are wonderful companions for adults and kids alike. They enjoy being friends with just about anyone, including other pets and animals. Their moderate size (typically 35-60 pounds) make Portuguese Water Dogs a good fit for a home or apartment. They crave human interaction and activity, though, so make sure you’re available to spend time with them and keep them busy. Because of their minimal shedding, this breed is also a good fit for people with allergies.
