Breed library

Portuguese Water Dog

Portuguese Water Dog photograph.
Cão de agua Português 2.jpg - Silke Hollje-Schumacher. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C%C3%A3o_de_agua_Portugu%C3%AAs_2.jpg. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The Portuguese Water Dog (PWD; Portuguese: cão de água ), also known as the Algarvian Water Dog (cão de água algarvio), or Portuguese Fishing Dog (cão pescador português), is a breed of dog that originated from the Algarve region of Portugal. From there the breed expanded to all around Portugal's coast, where they were taught to herd fish into fishermen's nets, retrieve lost tackle or broken nets, and act as couriers from ship to ship, or ship to shore. Portuguese Water Dogs rode in fishing trawlers as they worked their way from the Atlantic waters of Portugal to the waters off the coast of Iceland fishing for cod. The Portuguese Water Dog is a fairly rare breed; only 36 Portuguese Water Dogs were entered for Great Britain's Crufts competition in 2013. Their non-shedding qualities have made them more popular in recent years. The Portuguese Water Dog was the chosen breed of US President Barack Obama, who had two of them, Bo and Sunny.

  • Breed classification: Fédération Cynologique Internationale GroupsBreed reference breed group.
  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
  • Country of origin: PortugalBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • The PWD was a breed on the verge of extinction when, during the 1930s, Vasco Bensaude, a wealthy Portuguese shipping magnate, began to seek out fishermen's dogs for use in a breeding program to re-establish the breed.
  • Bensaude's kennel was named Algarbiorum, and his most famous dog was Leão (1931-1942), a very "type-y" (that is, standard-conformant) fisherman's stud dog, who was bred to so many different females that about half of the pedigreed Portuguese Water Dogs in existence can trace their lineage back to him.
  • He registered his first PWD in 1954 after Bensaude had pioneered the re-establishment of the breed in Portugal.
  • The "Mark of Cabral" is a triangular shape of different color/textured hair, usually 2 to 3 in from the base of the tail.
  • In 1972, the Millers, along with 14 others, formed the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, Inc. (PWDCA).

Size and appearance

In Portuguese, the Portuguese Water Dog is called cão de água (; literally 'dog of water'). In Portugal, the dog is also known as the Algarvian Water Dog (cão de água algarvio), or Portuguese Fishing Dog (cão pescador português). Cão de água de pêlo ondulado is the name given to the wavy-haired variety, and cão de água de pêlo encaracolado is the name for the curly-coated variety. The Portuguese Water Dog is often referred to by the initialism "PWD".

  • Body mass reference: 16 - 22 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 16 - 22 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: Up to 22 kgBreed reference body mass. female, maximum.
  • Body mass reference: 16 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. female, minimum.
  • Body mass reference: 19 - 25 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 19 - 25 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: 19 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. male, minimum.
  • Body mass reference: Up to 25 kgBreed reference body mass. male, maximum.
  • Height reference: 43 - 52 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 43 - 52 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: Up to 52 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
  • Height reference: 43 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
  • Height reference: 50 - 57 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 50 - 57 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 50 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 57 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.
  • Coat texture: wavy
  • Coat texture: curly
  • Height category: medium
  • Height category: tall
  • Weight category: medium
  • Weight category: large

Personality and behavior

Portuguese Water dogs are loving, independent, and intelligent and are easily trained in obedience and agility skills. They are generally friendly to strangers and enjoy being petted. Because they are working dogs, PWDs are generally content in being at their master's side; awaiting directions, and, if they are trained, they are willing and able to follow complex commands. They learn very quickly, seem to enjoy the training, and have a long memory for the names of objects. These traits and their non-shedding coats mean they excel at the various service dog roles such as hearing dogs (assistance dogs for the deaf), mobility dogs, and seizure response dogs. They also make unusually good therapy dogs.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.24 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 1.82 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.79 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.77 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.20 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 1.88 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.19 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.63 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.05 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.57 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.50 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.56 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.79 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.94 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Portuguese Water Dog.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

If left untended, the hair on a PWD will keep growing indefinitely. Problems associated with this include the hair around the eyes growing so long as to impede vision, and matting of the body hair, which can cause skin irritations. For these reasons, PWDs must be trimmed about every two months and the coat brushed every other day.

  • Coat texture: wavy
  • Coat texture: curly

Health and lifespan

Care planning: keep your dog's veterinary records, health-check dates and agreed care plan together. Add reminders for appointments and record changes you want to discuss at the next visit. Use the linked breed organizations and original references to explore their current health resources.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Breed history

The PWD was a breed on the verge of extinction when, during the 1930s, Vasco Bensaude, a wealthy Portuguese shipping magnate, began to seek out fishermen's dogs for use in a breeding program to re-establish the breed. Bensaude was aided by two Portuguese veterinarians, Frederico Pinto Soares and Manuel Fernandes Marques. His work was carried on by Conchita Cintron de Castelo Branco, to whom he gave his last 14 PWDs and all his archives.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Portuguese Water Dog - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Portuguese Water Dog, revision 1378136776. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portuguese_Water_Dog&action=history
  2. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  3. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  4. File:Cão de agua Português 2.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Cão de agua Português 2.jpg - Silke Hollje-Schumacher. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C%C3%A3o_de_agua_Portugu%C3%AAs_2.jpg. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.