Breed Characteristics

Is a Portuguese Water Dog Right for You?

A dog brings tremendous joy to a family, but also significant responsibility. Welcoming a dog into your home means committing to its physical, emotional, and mental well-being every day. A Portuguese Water Dog will likely be part of your family for the next 10–15 years or more, so it is important to carefully consider whether this breed is the right fit for your lifestyle and family.

Portuguese Water Dogs are affectionate, intelligent, athletic, and deeply people-oriented companions. They thrive when included in daily family life and form strong bonds with their “crew.” Because of this, they do not do well when isolated for long periods of time or kept primarily in kennel environments.

PWDs are known for their playful and energetic nature and generally do very well with children. However, as with any breed, respectful interaction between children and dogs should always be taught and supervised. Portuguese Water Dogs are highly social and often treat children as fellow playmates, making early training and boundaries especially important.

See a great summary of Portuguese Water Dog breed standards from the American Kennel Club and its official PWD parent club, Portuguese Water Dog Club of America

Intelligence & Temperament

The Portuguese Water Dog is a true working breed with exceptional intelligence, enthusiasm, and problem-solving ability. They are loyal companions who are eager to participate in family activities and excel when given structure, purpose, and consistent interaction.

This breed is confident, spirited, and occasionally mischievous. Their intelligence allows them to learn quickly — both good habits and bad ones. PWDs thrive with patient, consistent training and positive leadership. Without proper mental stimulation and exercise, they can become bored and develop undesirable behaviors.

Early obedience training is highly recommended and continuing education throughout the dog’s life is ideal. Portuguese Water Dogs excel in activities such as: Obedience, agility, rally, dock diving, water work and therapy and service work. With the right guidance, they become exceptionally devoted and responsive companions.

Grooming & Coat Care

One of the qualities that attracts many families to the Portuguese Water Dog is its low-shedding coat. Unlike many breeds with double coats, PWDs have a single coat of continuously growing hair that requires regular maintenance.

The amount of grooming required depends on the coat type, hairstyle preference, and individual dog. While they are considered a low-shedding breed, Portuguese Water Dogs are not maintenance-free and require a consistent grooming commitment, including regular brushing. Other routine care, including nail trimming, dental care, vaccinations, and regular veterinary visits, is also an essential part of keeping your Portuguese Water Dog healthy.

Hypoallergenic Considerations

Portuguese Water Dogs are often a better option for individuals with mild dog allergies because they shed very little; however, no dog is truly non-allergenic. The term “hypoallergenic” simply means a breed may be less likely to trigger allergic reactions — not that it will eliminate them entirely. Individuals with moderate to severe allergies should spend time with adult Portuguese Water Dogs before committing to a puppy.

Health Considerations

Like all purebred and mixed-breed dogs, Portuguese Water Dogs can be affected by hereditary health conditions. Responsible breeders work diligently to reduce or eliminate preventable genetic diseases through careful health testing and selective breeding practices.

Our sires and dams complete all health testing recommended by the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (PWDCA), along with additional optional screenings when appropriate. We encourage prospective puppy families to thoroughly research breeders and ask detailed questions regarding health clearances, pedigree history, and orthopedic results.

Many breeders complete only basic genetic panel testing, which may not include important breed-specific conditions (specifically JDCM: Juvenile Dilated Cardiomyopathy and MO: Mycropthalmia for PWDs) or orthopedic evaluations. We believe comprehensive health testing is essential to preserving the long-term health and soundness of the breed.

Purposeful Breeding

We strongly believe that responsible breeding should include evaluation through AKC conformation events or other titles in order to preserve and protect the Portuguese Water Dog breed standard. Conformation titles demonstrate that a dog has been independently evaluated by multiple judges for proper structure, movement, temperament, and breed type — all qualities that are essential to the long-term health and integrity of the breed. 

When reviewing pedigrees, you will notice letters appearing before and after a dog’s registered name. In AKC nomenclature, conformation titles — such as CH (Champion) or GCH (Grand Champion) — appear before the dog’s name, while performance, obedience, agility, rally, therapy, and other achievement titles typically appear after the name. These titles reflect the dog’s accomplishments and demonstrate evaluation in areas such as breed structure, temperament, trainability, and working ability (Luna's heritage).

Ideally, breeding dogs come from proven and carefully evaluated lines, including dogs who have demonstrated success in conformation, performance, therapy, or working environments. While not every wonderful dog is meant for the show ring, we believe breeding decisions should be made thoughtfully and with the goal of improving the breed for future generations.

Carefully selected sires and dams help produce puppies with the sound temperament, structure, intelligence, and versatility that make Portuguese Water Dogs such exceptional companions, competitors, and therapy prospects.