Unique Traits of the Portuguese Water Dog Breed

The origins of the cao de agua portugues dog breed date back to the 12th century and was widespread throughout the Portuguese coastline. This breed can be considered native to the Algarve province and has a proven kinship with the French barbet, both having the barbet as ancestors. It is called the cao de agua because of its great passion for water.

In fact, in ancient times he was used by fishermen to push fish into nets, retrieve equipment that had ended up in the water and carry messages from one boat to another. When in port, he used to guard the boat when necessary. Unfortunately, this breed declined greatly in the 1960s when fishing methods changed and its help was no longer needed. It was listed as a rare and endangered breed, but the interest in this breed as a show and companion dog replaced its traditional role by saving it from extinction.

It belongs to the group of water search and retrieval dogs.

Even earlier, if one wanted to search for its origins, this breed would derive from an indigenous dog from north-west Africa imported by Berber populations to the Iberian Peninsula, dogs that were later crossed with French dogs and Portuguese shepherd dogs.

The reference for the breed standard for the cao de agua was Leo, a male specimen selected by a breeder and businessman Mr. Bensaude, who initiated a thorough selection programme. This breed is not well known outside Portugal, but has enjoyed success in America since the then US President Barack Obama was given a specimen of the breed by Senator Ted Kennedy in 2009.

Character of the cao de agua portugues dog breed

The character of the cao de agua is truly excellent; they say of him: faithful, alert, sociable, cheerful, and he adores physical contact. He is very attached to all members of the family, be they children, young or old, but he has the defect that he is often jealous of his master, of whom he can be possessive, but he obeys orders without fuss. He is also impetuous and very willing, being primarily a working dog.

It is a lively and active dog, which needs a lot of exercise; it is also an excellent swimmer and is therefore recommended for hunting retrieving, especially in water, where it demonstrates a great personality, a strong spirit of initiative and a fair amount of intelligence. It is also an excellent guard dog, but not a defensive one, although it is a bold dog. He likes to take part in family life and is quiet even in the presence of other animals with whom he generally gets along well.

With strangers he is generally wary. It is not a breed that is suited to being alone a lot, and must also be stimulated with games and new situations, otherwise it gets bored easily, in which case it can become destructive, chewing up everything it finds. Its training is easy, because it loves to please its master and is very obedient, although it always retains a small amount of stubbornness at heart, so socialisation as a puppy is always necessary so that it can be properly integrated into the family environment and participate in social occasions.

Appearance of the cao de agua portugues dog breed

The cao de agua is a medium-sized dog. The height at the withers for a male ranges from 50 to 55 centimetres and weighs between 19 and 25 kilograms; the female usually a little less. Its structure is proportionate and natural, and is due in large part to its propensity for swimming. Morphologically classified as a braccoid, it is medium-sized, well-proportioned and very robust. The limbs are muscular and turned, especially the hindquarters, and the tail is thick at the base and gradually thinner, attached not too high nor too low, not reaching beyond the hock.

Its gait, when running free, is cheerful and it moves with small but quick steps.

The head is massive and large but of elegant proportions. The skull in profile is slightly longer than the muzzle, which is always narrower up to the truffle, which is always wide and changes colour depending on the dog's coat. It is black in black, white or black and white specimens and brown in brown specimens. The ears are rather small, set high on the head and drooping; the eyes are medium-sized, well spaced and slightly oblique and may be either black or brown.

The main characteristic of the cao de agua is its coat. There are two varieties of this breed that are distinguished precisely by their coat. One has a long, slightly wavy, fluffy and shiny coat, the other has a shorter coat with small, flat, cylindrical and very tight curls. Both have no undercoat but the hair is continuously growing and there is no shedding. The coat is thick and uniform. On the head both varieties show a longer tuft of hair. The colours are white, black, brown and black and white.

Health and care of the cao de agua portugues dog breed

This breed, like many breeds, can suffer from hereditary eye diseases or hip dysplasia, as well as otitis and cardiomyopathy. The life expectancy of the cao de agua is 10 to 14 years. It needs a lot of daily exercise, at least one hour but preferably more because it is a very active dog.

As far as its coat is concerned, it is a dog that requires a lot of care. The coat grows constantly and requires frequent grooming to prevent the formation of knots and tangles in the coat. The grooming that is normally practised on this dog is the classic lion's head, with the front part left long, the back part shaved and a tuft left on top of the tail. However, it must be brushed and combed daily and requires frequent bathing and shearing. It has the particularly welcome characteristic of being odourless and does not cause allergies in people sensitive to dog hair.

Its diet will, as with all breeds, be balanced and controlled, although it is not a dog that tends to put on weight as long as it takes adequate physical exercise.