This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, May 2018 issue.
The Portuguese Water Dog is a working dog and as such is a very physical being—athletic, active, exuberant, and full of energy. He is also highly spirited and extremely intelligent. Combine these characteristics with their extraordinary stamina, and you have a dog not intended for inexperienced dog owners nor for those who desire an unobtrusive companion. If you’re looking for a compliant and calm companion, step away from the Portuguese Water Dog! A Portuguese Water Dog requires a serious commitment from its owner in terms of quality time and a willingness to direct this canine’s energies in a positive direction. Read between the lines here—needs training! Leaving a PWD alone to devise his own form of activity is a way of tempting the creative nature of their temperament and can be spelled simply—destruction. They’re a mouthy breed, they were bred to be such, and will always yearn to have something in their mouth, whether it be acceptably one of their toys or unacceptably, the legs of your dining room table. Perpetual motion may be a good descriptive phrase for the PWD.
They need supervised activities to channel their need to be doing something at all times and to release their inner playfulness. Supervision, training, and lots of patience are required of a PWD owner. Also, throw in a sense of humor as they’ll entertain and amuse with their never-ending antics and forever-puppy playfulness. Being “shadowed” by a Portuguese Water Dog is not unusual. They’re “people dogs” as they crave the companionship of their humans and have a 24/7 need to be a focal part of family life. Forget about having alone time for even the most personal of bodily functions—your “shadow” will have no respect for your personal needs.
Leave the room for a minute, and the welcome you receive upon returning will be tantamount to your having been gone for a year. Coming home to a PWD is an experience filled with exuberance and joy who loves you is a raucous yet endearing experience. Their ability to bond with and love their human family is beyond belief. They do NOT do well as a kennel dog. A Portuguese Water Dog who is fortunate enough to share his life with a dedicated, committed, and equally intelligent owner is a total joy to be around. Understand the basis of this dog’s behavior, channel it properly, and you will indeed be a lucky person. Once a Portuguese Water Dog knows what his behavioral boundaries are, he is ever so happy, affectionate, charming, totally devoted, and never too far from the food!
Portuguese Water Dogs are the epitome of a world-class athlete and excel at everything which involves their muscular physique, their spirit and intelligence, and their love of all activity. Their innate characteristics contribute greatly to the success of a working team—as long as the owner is smarter and faster than they are! Agility, Obedience, Flyball, Dock Diving—you name it, the PWD can do it and do it well.
This is not a fat, dumb, and lifeless breed that will sit idly and watch life go by. No, these dogs participate in life to the fullest extent of their abilities. Owners who cannot keep them active and busy need not apply—they are not the proverbial couch potato. They were bred to be active, strong, spirited, and intense. They’re comparable to gifted children and need to be kept busy, both mentally and physically. Portuguese Water Dogs served a valuable and productive purpose in the early days of the fishing industry in Portugal. They worked side by side with the fishermen and were a necessary and vital part of a boat’s crew. Their presence on the fishing boats was required by experienced fishermen who recognized their capabilities and valued their contribution to the catch of the day. Herding schools of fish into the nets, dragging nets into place, retrieving gear used in the water, guarding the catch and the boats, taking messages in a pouch from boat to boat and from boat to shore were just some of the tasks performed by these able-bodied canine crew members. Saving the life of an overboard fisherman was an added blessing in the repertoire of these canine water wonders.
Were it not for the strength of their structure and the soundness of their spirit, the power of their performance would never have claimed a place in history nor encouraged dog lovers the world over to make every effort to save this breed from the possibility of extinction. The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America has established a series of tests of the dogs’ working abilities and has based each test on the activities required of the breed in their historical function as a fisherman’s crew mate. The PWDCA Water Trial Program has eight skill levels beginning with easier tasks and working up to much more difficult tests. From underwater retrieves to distance swimming to retrieving floating gear to diving off of boats and taking messages to other boats, all on command and most within a time frame, the noble working heritage of the breed is being preserved.
A team of an owner and dog go through lengthy training to prepare for the tests. If you haven’t seen these dogs working in the water (put it on your bucket list), you must plan a visit to a Water Trial. It’s exciting and a real eye-opener seeing what these dogs are capable of doing and the spirit with which they tackle their job. Go to PWDCA.org and find a national listing of Water Trials, dates, and locations. To date, over 4,000 Portuguese Water Dogs have been awarded Water Titles. The Program is extremely successful, has the support of all Portuguese Water Dog aficionados, and serves to keep the dog in the water—doing what he was bred to do!
