Portuguese water dog

Once upon a time, a Portuguese water dog was found all over the coast of Portugal, where it was taught to fish in the net, find lost scraps of torn nets, and transfer messages from ship to ship or from ship to shore. These dogs were kept on small trawlers that ran from the warm Atlantic waters of Portugal to the icy coast of Iceland , where cod was well caught.

The breed was transferred to the Iberian Peninsula by Persian sailors. The first written records of canis turcus or the great mongrel dog date back to 600 BC. e. The Romans who came to the Iberian Peninsula called it canis piscator - “dog fisherman”. The peoples living in this area raised cows, sheep, horses or camels, depending on the area, and the dogs that guarded them. Isolated from the rest of the world, these dogs have evolved into a certain type, very reminiscent of the Portuguese water dog, with the exception of the coat.

It is believed that the Irish water spaniel is a descendant of the Portuguese water dog. Left alone among the secluded cliffs of the rugged coast of Portugal, the breed retained its original type for several centuries. But at the beginning of the 20th century, deep social changes took place in the country, and the Portuguese water dog began to quickly disappear along with the social layer of Portuguese fishermen.

In 1930, the Portuguese ship tycoon and dog breeder Dr. Vasco Bensuade set about saving and preserving the breed. A specialized club was reorganized, dogs began to be shown at exhibitions, a standard was written, and the Portuguese water dog was included in the Working Breeds group.

In 1954, several Portuguese water dogs were taken to England. The English Kennel Club recognized the breed as a working breed. The breed adopted in this way gradually waned, and since 1957 not a single dog has been registered in the British Isles.

In the United States, interest in the Portuguese water dog arose after Mr. and Mrs. Harrington from New York in 1958 received a pair of dogs from England in exchange for rare breeds. Among the first to show interest in the breed was Mr. Herbert Miller from Connecticut , who acquired the first puppy imported from Portugal. It was a bitch that he bought from Senor Branco, the heiress of the nursery of Dr. Bensuade.

The breed was registered in the Stud Book of the American Kennel Club on August 1, 1983 and began to exhibit at exhibitions in the "Working Group" class from January 1, 1984.

This is a calm, smart dog with a wonderful character, strong and healthy, with a thick, water-repellent, non-allergenic and non-shedding coat and webbed feet - an ideal working breed not knowing fatigue.

• Portuguese Water Dog (The Portugese Water Dog. Cao de Agua)