Any other Portuguese Water Dog owners here?

[Doggedly Determined]

true water dogs!

[Brindles]

OMG! How cool is that?!

I really wish I had a dog that was energetic, trainable, and willing to please. I've spent a lot of time researching dog breeds that fit that description (yes, guilty, I know), and the PWD is one that REALLY piqued my interest. It was a three way tie for a while between a flat-coated retriever, a poodle, and a portie. The flatties shed a whole lot, and I can't really see myself with a poodle. But the more research I do on PWDs, the more I just love them! There's a breeder in my area that I'm hoping to visit with sometime soon, even if I'm not ready for another dog just yet.

They seem like really neat little dogs. Please tell me more!

[dogs4life]

OMG, I missed your thread.

We don't have any PWDs but are seriously considering them for the future.

BTW Your dogs ROCK!

As far as my photography skills, I'll teach you all a trick:
Get great equipment, take tons and tons of photos, then only show the good ones...

Ha, Ha...that might help me.

How are they with tiny dogs, cats and kids?

[B-Line]

Originally Posted by dogs4life

How are they with tiny dogs, cats and kids?

My girls love kids. And they love tiny dogs.

As far as cats, they have never been around any, but I've read:

"The Portuguese Water Dog is a water-loving, lively but sensible, and loyal dog. Affectionate and fun to be around. It is excellent with children and usually gets along with other dogs and pets without any problems. They need to get to know cats so that the company of them will also cause no problems."

Brindles, what can I tell you about the PWD? If I say what I really think, everyone on the forum is going to think that I'm bragging and there going to find me, hit me over the head with a club and then steal my dogs.

Ah screw it, I'll put up a good fight..

As much as I love many other breeds, I wouldn't ever consider getting any other type of dog. They are medium sized which means, not too big, not too small. They don't shed which means, I have to spend a couple bucks on grooming, but I don't have to clean up dog hair.. I would never consider having a dog that sheds after having two that don't shed.

Here is a quote from a previous Lab owner who I helped find a PWD:
"Biggest thing about this dog….non shedding, non smelling. LOVE IT."

Have I mentioned yet how smart they are? So smart that I would not recommend this breed for the type of owner who can't out-think a smart dog. They are mischievous in a playful way and they like to test the rules. It's important to be firm and consistent with them.. But they reward you with endless love.

Did I also mention how soft and cuddly they are? They come in two coats, curly and wavy.. Both of mine are wavy.

This is not the dog to get if you don't like attention on the street. Cause I get stopped EVERY DAY! "What type of dog is that?" "A Portuguese WHAT?" Everyone wants to stop and pet them and learn more about the breed.

And to my eye, they are just beautiful, and sweet, and the greatest family pet imaginable.

Again though, you need patience and a good sense of humor. They are little smart-*****.

What else would you like to know?

[B-Line]

Oh, I forgot to mention...

My breeder is having another liter soon. If you are seriously considering a PWD, I think she will have pups ready to home around January.

Contact me and I can give you her info.

She lives in Connecticut. FYI, when I decided to bring another dog into the family, the wife and I flew to Conn. from Los Angeles to get a dog from her. It was a long trip but worth every minute and penny.

I decided to travel cross country because she is the breeder I got Nikita from 12.5 years ago. She has been breeding PWD's for a long time and is EXTREMELY well known and respected. She is actually a judge at the national specialties and her stock of PWD's has been used all around the country..

Dogs4Life, if you are ever in Los Angeles and want to meet my girls, it would be my pleasure to have you meet them..

[Brindles]

Originally Posted by B-Line

As much as I love many other breeds, I wouldn't ever consider getting any other type of dog. They are medium sized which means, not too big, not too small. They don't shed which means, I have to spend a couple bucks on grooming, but I don't have to clean up dog hair.. I would never consider having a dog that sheds after having two that don't shed.
...
I would not recommend this breed for the type of owner who can't out-think a smart dog. They are mischievous in a playful way and they like to test the rules. It's important to be firm and consistent with them.. But they reward you with endless love.
...
Did I also mention how soft and cuddly they are? They come in two coats, curly and wavy.. Both of mine are wavy.
...
This is not the dog to get if you don't like attention on the street. Cause I get stopped EVERY DAY! "What type of dog is that?" "A Portuguese WHAT?" Everyone wants to stop and pet them and learn more about the breed.
...
My breeder is having another liter soon. If you are seriously considering a PWD, I think she will have pups ready to home around January. Contact me and I can give you her info.
...
What else would you like to know?

Well, since you asked...

Let's see... I have four dogs already right now, three greyhounds and a NSDTR, so I'm not exactly ready to get another one! But for future reference, I would love to have her contact info and/or website. Can you PM it to me?

I'm also not sure if I want to get a puppy or an adult. I'd planned to rescue my next dog, but getting a puppy is not completely out of the question. How often do you see adult PWDs available for adoption/purchase?

Are they much like retrievers? My Toller is a blind and deaf old guy, so he prefers to be a couch potato with the greyhounds nowdays. He can't fetch a ball or do agility, and he doesn't really act like a retriever anymore. I really miss that happy-go-lucky attitude that he used to have. My boyfriend has an exuberant, smart Australian Shepherd, but he doesn't like to fetch and retrieve. I want a dog that I can teach to carry things around, etc.

I know with most dogs that the girls tend to be spirited and full of themselves, and the boys tend to be more placid and loving. Is the same true with the Porties?

DEFINITELY used to the attention when walking. I walk all four of mine and it's either "OMG that's a lot of dogs!" or "OMG are those greyhounds?!" or "OMG is that a Toller?!" so I'm pretty accustomed to that.

I love a big dog, but I quickly figured out that even my skinny greyhounds are too big to take places sometimes, so a medium dog really appeals to me. I'm with you on the non-shedding breeds! I'm so used to how little the greyhounds shed that now I can't stand seeing all the tumbleweeds my Toller leaves behind. :P Do you clip your dogs at home, or do you take them to be professionally groomed? If so, how often? I don't mean to pry, but how much does that cost per year?

The curly/wavy coat- they're soft and cuddly? Every dog I've come across with curly hair didn't seem very soft to me. What's the difference between the curly/wavy coats?

Can we see more pictures of your beautiful pair when they're dry? I love pictures!

Thanks SO much for the info!

[dogs4life]

Originally Posted by B-Line

Dogs4Life, if you are ever in Los Angeles and want to meet my girls, it would be my pleasure to have you meet them..

That's a wonderful idea! We've never encountered PWDs here so meeting as many as we can is a must.

We'll be in Newport Beach next July but we've been wanting to see friends in Aliso Viejo, so we'll have to PM you for a meetup. Thanks!

I don't think we'll be ready by January, I was hoping to foster a few dogs before we make a final decision about what breed we really want, we're still considering Labs, Boxers, Cavalier King Charles and Bichons. So we'll see, we love larger dogs and I'm partial to waterdogs since we like to fish and boat but I also love some of the smaller, easy dogs too.

Thanks for the info!

[B-Line]

Might not be able to get to all these questions right now, I have a shoot in a couple hours, but I'll get started

Lets begin with pictures of a dry dog:


Here is a picture of both my girls with the trainer:




this was the day we got Maggie.. At the airport:


at the park:


just a young pup:


Nikita at the park:






at the breeder, the day we got her

[B-Line]

As I hope you can tell from the pics, these dogs have a lot of character and really warm, loving, sweet dispositions.

I have never seen an adult PWD for adoption/purchase but I have also never looked. I think if something happened to my older girl Nikita and I were to add another dog, I would also consider an adult over a puppy. I love puppies, but they are soo much work.. So depending on where the wife and I are at, kids, etc., we would probably also consider an older dog, if available.

When you ask, if they are much like retrievers, do you mean the breed: Golden Retrievers? Or do you mean in general, are they dogs that like to retrieve? Cause PWD's LOVE to retrieve. They are a working breed, but more specifically, they are considered water retrievers.
- I think it should be expected that all dogs, with age, lose interest in the things they liked to do as pups. Nikita still loves to water retrieve and she's almost 13, but if I throw a ball for her in the house, she may or may not go for it. She's a couch potato but she's also close to 90 years old in human equivalent.
Maggie, the pup, won't stop retrieving and she is also in dog agility 102. She's an amazing agility dog, her biggest limitation is her handler, ME. But the instructors call her the star pupil.
-- They also both love to carry things around in their mouth. Remember, they are working breeds, so carrying and retrieving are the two strongest things they do.

I've never had a boy portie so I can't say for sure. The boy Porties I have met seem to be, ah, "less smart". But I don't know if that was because of their nature or nurture.. My girls are smart as a whip and really well trained. Boy porties seem to be a little more goofish. But again, since I have never trained a boy Portie, I can't say for sure.

My wife and I tend to do maintenance clipping at home. Around their eyes, around their privates, and if they get matted from swimming, we will cut out the mattes. But for their serious grooming, we take them in. I'm sure we could learn to do it and save money but we don't mind the expense.

Total for both dogs with tip in Los Angeles tends to be around $130 total. And we do that about once a season. I love the way these dogs look with long hair but short hair is so much easier. So cut and then let grow long, then cut again.

More to come:

[B-Line]

Curly vs. Wavy..

Curly has tight curls, more like a poodle. Wavy is softer coated, more like a wheaten terrier.

But many dogs have a combo, part curly part wavy. I think wavy coat is softer and It's my preference but others like the curly coated as they seem a bit more regal. I will try to find pics of a wavy and curly next to each other so you can see the difference but I find all PWD both curly and wavy have soft coats.. Much softer than a Standard Poodle for example.

[Brindles]

Wow, thank you so much! That really sounds like my kind of dog! I'll come back to you if I have any more questions, because I'm sure I probably will.

[JDub]

<----- Fellow PWD owner here, and new member. Pics to follow later.

[Sentry]

Love the action shots!!! Love that they have a pool to play in! your babies are great!!!