We're daft about Portuguese Water Dogs
Meet Fudge & Meg our Porties
At Pillows & Paws cottages we’re mad on Portuguese Water Dogs. So much so, we’re hobby breeders and have two PWDs who are our much loved family pets. We want to share the love of the these dogs and promote the breed as much as possible. They really are a very special breed. We’re Kennel Club assured breeders and breed pups every few years. We only breed two litters from each of our girls as they are our pets first and foremost.
The ancestry of the Portuguese Water Dog is said to be from the herding dogs of the Moors who brought their dogs with them when they arrived in Portugal in the 8th Century. A working breed, the Portuguese Water Dog was used in Portugal as a retriever of equipment from the water and as couriers of messages between fishing boats as they have for centuries. With the advent of radio and modern equipment the need for the breed crashed and by the 1970s the breed was at it’s lowest ebb. A few dedicated breeders in Europe & the U.S.A committed themselves to bring the breed back from the brink. After 50 years the breed now has a healthy population spread across many countries and bloodlines.
As the name suggests, Portuguese Water Dogs LOVE swimming. We have four large ponds in the grounds of our home that act as magnets for our porties. The breed is not for the faint-hearted. They need lots of exercise and mental stimulation so aren’t a breed to leave at home all day while you go to work. You’ll likely return to an unhappy dog and a trashed home! On the plus side they are so ridiculously loyal that they will always be at your feet and will do anything to try and please. As an intelligent working breed they are very easy to train to a high standard but be aware they are strong minded and will try to train you in return. A medium sized dog with either a wavy or curly coat the hair of the Portuguese Water Dog isn’t moulted out but has to be clipped around every three months. There are two traditional cuts for the breed. The show cut is the odd one – The dog is shaved from the last rib to 3/4 down the tail leaving the front of the torso, front legs and end of the tail with longer hair. The muzzle of the dog is also shaved. This is said to be to keep the organs of the dog warmer while freeing up the back legs for swimming with a ‘flag’ on the tail. The retriever cut is roughly the same length over the entire body of the dog with the muzzle shaved.
We have bred four litters so far and are very strict about the homes that our pups go to. We won’t home pups to those with children under five years old or where the dog will be left for more than 4 hours. Feel free to give us a call and we’ll talk forever about our favourite dogs.
Fancy a Dog Friendly Holiday In Devon?
Devon is a fantastic choice for a dog friendly break. With a huge variety of landscapes from mountains to beaches and woodland to deserted dunes, dogs (and their owners) love it here – we certainly do. We offer dog friendly breaks on our small farm in two of our converted stone barn holiday cottages. Have a click around our website to find out more.
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