History
An old breed, the Portuguese Water Dog has an ancestry closely tied with the Poodle and Irish Water Spaniel. Historically, the breed, otherwise known as the Cao de Agua, helped drive fish into fishermen’s nets. He was an essential member of the Portuguese crew. He served the vessels by retrieving things from the water, sometimes even diving for them, and delivering messages from the ship. By the early 1900s, technology made the Portuguese Water Dog’s role redundant, and the breed quickly fell by the wayside. In the 1930s, a wealthy Portuguese shipping magnate took an interest in the breed and began efforts to save it from extinction. A mere 35 dogs were brought to North America in the 1960s, where dedicated breeders continued the effort to revive the breed, increasing it to over 1,000 members.
Personality
A fearless, lively and dedicated service dog, the Portuguese Water Dog loves his family and will do anything to keep them happy. Although easily trained, he likes to think for himself and can get distracted if he doesn’t know what is expected of him. The Portuguese Water Dog loves to work, and needs to have a job. He excels at obedience, agility, water sports and any other sport his owner might want to try.
