Portuguese water dogs are so known because they were used for assisting in fishing. It is a rare breed, and difficult to find. You will really have to make an extensive search for these dogs, if you are bent upon one. Try newspaper ads, the Kennel Club, or breeders, or in surrounding communities. And if you are really that choosy, well, you can even put in an ad in the newspaper.

They have wavy or curly hair, and live between 12 to 14 years. And come in white or black, or a mixture of the two colors.

Typically, PWDs or Portuguese Water Dogs are working dogs, and are characterised by having short hair, and is generally considered to be free generally from creating allergies to people. Hence they are called Hypoallergenic. It is lively, loves companionship, and is hyper active. It tends to get bored, if just left hanging around. You need to keep it busy.

Keeping it busy is easier said than done. If you or your children are not playing around with it, because of your preoccupation with your work, and the children are off to school, this PWD needs to be given lots of toys in a large box with which it can play. If you are going out, and the PWD is to kept back in the house, you might as well put it in the box in a manner it can't get out, and provide a variety of playthings for it inside the pen. If you don't, when you return, you may not recognise your house!

It loves company of both adults and children. And be prepared to take it for long walks every day, or have someone from the family take it. It is quite harmless, but still if your local regs require it, you would have to have it on a leash. It likes to pounce around and play all the time, and you better indulge it! That exercise would be good for your body also!

Of course you have to train this dog in much the same manner as you would for a different breed.The training should begin as soon as you get one, and special attention needs to be put on crate training, and leash training. Crate training and leash training needs to be done, so that it will quickly understand that it is going to left alone, and will get used to it. If it requires disciplining do not use the crate; choose some other method, like tying it to a short leash, and take away its playthings or place it near it, but unable to reach it. Then as you gently chide it, and it starts reacting better, you reintroduce its toys to it. That should help.

In grooming, the PWD should receive a hair cut about once in 2 months. Giving it a bath would help remove some allergens, although as said earlier, this dog has a low propensity of producing allergens. Still, it does need a wash. The hair cut can be done by yourself, by giving an even cut all over the body, or you can shape it in any way you want. The first time you can take to the vet barber who will show you how the hair can be trimmed and shaped, for it to look different. Later, you can do it yourself.