Appearance

The Portuguese Water Dog is a hardy and fit dog. The body is muscular with a wide and deep chest, a level top line, strong and straight legs, webbed feet and a long, high-set tail. The head is broad with a wide muzzle, a broad black nose, high-set hanging ears and round, dark eyes. The single coat is thick and water repellant to a degree, and is normally wavy or curly. The coloring tends to be black, brown or white, or combinations of these.

History

Portuguese Water Dogs originated along the coast of Portugal. Used by fishermen to haul nets, carry tackle and transport messages between ships, Portuguese Water Dogs were robust and dependable enough to be considered part of a ship’s crew. While no one knows for certain where they came from, some say they descend from ancient Asian herding dogs that were brought to Portugal by traders hundreds of years ago.