Here are some fun and fascinating facts about the Portuguese Water Dogs that will surely surprise a lot of people!
It is widely believed that the Portuguese fishermen used to employ medium-sized curly coated canines for their everyday tasks. And, because most of their work was taking place either inside or around a water body, these canines were given the title of Cao de Agua which literally means Dog of the Water. And this also inspired their official name as well, and these canines were named as Portuguese Water Dogs.
As these pooches were bred to be excellent swimmers, they were able to accomplish a lot of water-related tasks with ease and thus in the process, they proved them to be immensely useful for the Portuguese fishermen. These canines were used as messenger dogs as they used to deliver several messages from one boat to another, they were also good at retrieving the useful materials and gear from the water and they also helped the fishermen while they hunted as these canines used to drive the fish into the fishermen’s nets. So, all in all, it is clear from this that the PWDs truly deserved the title of Cao de Agua.
The Portuguese Water Dogs have webbed toes which certainly help them a lot to swim more freely and efficiently. And, this is the case with most other breeds that are awesome swimmers, the majority of them have webbed toes and other unique features such as waterproof coat, thick tail et cetera that enables them to swim without any problems.
There are two accepted ways by which a Portuguese Water Dog’s coat can be clipped. The first one is Lion Clip in which the hair on the muzzle and the hindquarters are clipped to the skin. This hairdo gives them a lion-like appearance, hence the name. The second way is Working or Retriever Clip in which the entire coat is clipped to one inch in length.
Although nobody is certain about when these dogs first came into existence, it is believed that they have at least existed as far back as 700 BC. And, as these pooches are immensely ancient, it is widely believed that they have influenced the development of various other popular breeds such as the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, the Newfoundlands, and the Poodles. This is all just conjecture, but still, this theory is widely accepted.
When the fishing industry got modernized in the early 20th century, the need for the Portuguese Water Dogs started to decrease and gradually their numbers also began to decline. And, within a few years, their numbers reached an all-time low and this breed was on the verge of extinction. But, fortunately, a man named Vasco Bensuade came to the rescue in the 1930s. He started a breeding program with a PWD named Leao and through persistence and determination, within a few years, this breed’s numbers again became fairly solid and Leao became the founding sire of the modern-day PWDs. Vasco also founded a Portuguese Water Dog Club which further solidified the status of this breed in various parts of the world.
After existing for thousands of years, the Portuguese Water Dogs were finally recognized as a distinct breed by the American Kennel Club in the year 1983.
As the PWDs were bred for working purposes, they still have a natural inclination towards work and exercise. These pooches love to spend the high-amount of energy that is present inside their body on some kind of task or activity. Their exercise needs are very high and it is advised their exercise sessions should at least last 45-60 minutes and should be carried out daily. And, if these pooches are not receiving the proper amount of exercise, then they can gradually become fairly demotivated, sad and frustrated which can lead to several destructive traits such as excessive barking, furniture chewing et cetera.
Senator Ted Kennedy gave a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo to Barack Obama, the former President of the United States as a housewarming gift. Later, the Obamas got another PWD named Sunny and the two pooches lived a lavish life in the White House. Bo held the title of “first dog” when President Obama was in rule.
Many people are very easily affected by dog hair as the dander and the loose hair that falls from the body of a canine can easily trigger an allergic reaction in some people. Hence, for those people, it is a good idea to only look for a Hypoallergenic breed which is known for its minimal shedding potential and thus it does not affect the allergy-prone people that much. And, the Portuguese Water Dog is a great breed for those people as these pooches do not shed their fur that often and also, they do not produce a lot of dander which is the primary cause of allergies in most people.