50 pounds.
If you are looking for a dog that requires minimal grooming, you may want to look elsewhere. The Portuguese Water Dog requires consistent grooming that includes a firm brushing at least three times a week to remove mats and shed hair, which often becomes caught in the long coat. Although they do shed, they shed less than one might think for a heavily coated breed. In dog show competition, the breed is exhibited in one of two clips: the “lion” and the “retriever.” With the lion clip, the hindquarters as well as the muzzle are clipped short. The end of the tail is left long and the coat on the head, neck, fore-quarters and chest is left long to resemble the lion’s mane. The retriever clip is the choice of many pet owners; this is also acceptable for showing. If you decide to go with the retriever clip, the entire coat is scissored or clipped to a length of 1 inch, except the end of the tail, which is left long. If you are a new Portuguese Water Dog owner, it’s probably best to contact your breeder or an experienced groomer before attempting to clip the dog yourself.
In the field, the breed can be taught to flush out upland game and water fowl. They are excellent retrievers with soft mouths. They even have a distinctive innate herding ability. Whether it’s in the field or in the home, Portuguese Water Dogs make wonderful companions. They are truly “people dogs” and require the utmost respect and loyalty. If you’re willing to give these dogs the attention and love they require, you will certainly receive that same respect back and learn the meaning of true friendship.
HEALTH CONCERNS
The Portuguese Water Dog is a healthy breed of dog. It’s not uncommon for them to live well over 12 years of age. They are a strong breed and resistant to many of the common ailments that frequently affect some of their canine cousins. Before acquiring a new puppy, it’s essential that he has a clean bill of health. Any reliable Portuguese Water Dog breeder should have a health certificate from a vet on all dogs for sale as well as documentation on relevant health testing on the parents (and pups, where applicable). If the breeder you select does not have the proper documentation, you should choose to look elsewhere.
Listed here are some of the more common health concerns that are known to affect the Portuguese Water Dog. It is hoped that a PWD is not affected by any of these conditions; nonetheless, potential buyers of the breed should be aware of all of these and discuss them with their chosen breeders.
COAT COLORS
The Portuguese Water Dog comes in several different colors. They are usually black with some shadings of white on the body. Other dogs may have various shades of brown, also some combinations of black or brown with white.
HIP DYSPLASIA
Canine hip dysplasia is a common disorder that can affect dogs of all sizes, although usually dogs that are medium to large in size. Hip dysplasia is a developmental defect in which the hip joint is improperly formed and, thus, the head of the femur does not fit correctly into the hip socket. It’s absolutely essential that any Portuguese Water Dog that is being considered for breeding purposes have its hips x-rayed at two years of age. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals assigns certification numbers to those dogs with non-dysplastic hips. Dogs that have not been granted OFA numbers should not be used for breeding. Even if the dog is not to be used in a breeding program, it might be best to have the hips checked anyway. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
DELTA SOCIETY
The human-animal bond propels the work of the Delta Society, striving to improve the lives of people and animals. The Pet Partners Program proves that the lives of people and dogs are inextricably linked. The Pet Partners Program, a national registry, trains and screens volunteers for pet therapy in hospices, nursing homes, schools and rehabilitation centers. Dog-and-handler teams of Pet Partners volunteer in all 50 states, with nearly 7,000 teams making visits annually. About 900,000 patients, residents and students receive assistance each year. If you and your dog are interested in becoming Pet Partners, contact the Delta Society online at www.deltasociety.org.
Research has found that genetically pre-dysplastic dogs can be protected by restricting some environmental stress. There is even some indication that some puppy foods may speed up growth and therefore create a greater risk of the condition’s developing. Allowing for stable and uniform growth is healthiest for the dog’s development.
PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA)
PRA is a condition in which the retinal cells degenerate, eventually causing the dog to go blind. It is a genetic disease that affects many breeds of dog. Statistics thus far indicate that the PWD is most commonly affected by late-onset PRA, with the majority of cases diagnosed in dogs 3 to 5 years of age or older. At first, affected dogs have difficulties seeing at night or in dim light. Eventually the disease can lead to total blindness.
Affected dogs can be detected by an electroretinogram at two years of age; methods of earlier detection have not yet been established. All dogs should have an annual examination. There is presently no clinical test to identify carriers of PRA, so carriers can only be accurately identified after they have produced offspring with PRA. Likewise, the offspring of an affected dog can be identified as carriers as well. It is recommended that all Portuguese Water Dog owners take their dogs for an annual ophthalmoscopic examination by a veterinary eye specialist.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIP DYSPLASIA?
X-ray of a dog with “Good” hips.
X-ray of a dog with “Moderate” dysplastic hips.
Hip dysplasia is a fairly common condition found in pure-bred dogs. When a dog has hip dysplasia, his hind leg has an incorrectly formed hip joint. By constant use of the hip joint, it becomes more and more loose, wears abnormally and may become arthritic.
Hip dysplasia can only be confirmed with an x-ray, but certain symptoms may indicate a problem. Your dog may have a hip dysplasia problem if he walks in a peculiar manner, hops instead of smoothly runs, uses his hind legs in unison (to keep the pressure off the weak joint), has trouble getting up from a prone position or always sits with both legs together on one side of his body.
As the dog matures, he may adapt well to life with a bad hip, but in a few years the arthritis develops and many dogs with hip dysplasia become crippled.
Hip dysplasia is considered an inherited disease and only can be diagnosed definitively by x-ray when the dog is two years old, although symptoms often appear earlier. Some experts claim that a special diet might help your puppy outgrow the bad hip, but the usual treatments are surgical. The removal of the pectineus muscle, the removal of the round part of the femur, reconstructing the pelvis and replacing the hip with an artificial one are all surgical interventions that are expensive, but they are usually very successful. Follow the advice of your veterinarian.
STORAGE DISEASE
Storage disease (GM1 gangliosidosis) is a genetic condition in which the lack of an enzyme allows a build-up of toxic substances in the nerve cells. The gene for storage disease is recessive, so only Portuguese Water Dogs who obtain a defective gene from both parents are affected. A dog that has the disease will show signs of neurological deterioration and will die by
