It's not easy being among the most talked about dog breeds nowadays; take the case of the First Dog, Bo the Portuguese water dog. It seems that, the more exotic-sounding the breed is, the more it is eagerly sought out! But in the end, the Portie, as it is also known, is but subject to almost the same common set of problems dogs encounter. To treat it, it also needs almost the same amount of medication and vet care that dogs need.

With this, we turn to the major issues regarding Portuguese water dog training and other housebreaking tips. Any plan or strategy for defusing a ticking house breaking time-bomb starts by knowing what the problem is. When potty training a dog, for instance, scent marking is not the same as wetting when the dog is agitated, which further implies that the owner needs a different, case-to-case response. But in any case, potty training is beneficial for all types of house training problems.

House training in general encompasses many kinds of house breaking dilemmas. Let's take the dog or puppy that has never been trained to pee or potty anywhere, and is beginning to get used to relieving inside. Whether Portie or Westie, Boxer or Rottie, the dog will more or less need only potty training. This sort of potty training simply calls for helping the dog learn to relieve itself in the potty area and to train it not to go anywhere else.

A house training scenario that many will find familiar is the dog that was mistakenly (or perhaps unwittingly!) trained to eliminate indoors. Such a dog may be even made to stay outside for stretches of time, yet for some amazing reason will hold it all the way up to the time it can go in. Moreover, the dog can be observed as usually eliminating when and where the owner is out of sight.

There is really no big mystery in the above scenario. The problem is usually brought about, or aggravated, by taking the dog over to its accident (or on purpose) and ranting and raving at the dog long after the "spill" spilled. Take note, 5 minutes after the accident is already way outside the dog's memory for the rant to be effective! It is also almost cliche to say that shouting in front of the dog has no place in Portuguese water dog training, or any training for that matter.

Potty problems like these need the owner to help put a sense of order on the dog's daily life, and also need the owner to live discipline. Dogs prone to the just-described potty problem need to trust the owner (or, to have their trust won by the owner) and to not be anxious of them. When the owner finally wins over the dog, the dog needs to be taught how, where and when to relieve itself on command.