Yesterday I saw in Youtube a video about the Portuguese Water Dog…
It was about a report that a Communication Design and Multimedia student from a Superior Education School made with Portuguese Water Dog breeders from the Algarve region…
In this video a bunch of nonsense’s are said about the Portuguese Water Dog…
For instance in the video they say that the PWD unlike other dog breeds is a direct descendant from the wolf and has no other crossing with other dog breeds……?????
Well, this couldn’t be more wrong…. Of course all domestic dogs are related to wolves acestrals, but we all know that that was a long time ago, and that all dog breeds were at some point crossed with other breeds and some even with mutts…..
Another false comment is that they state that the PWD dives up to 2 meters not because he want but because he can (don’t really understand this phrase either as there’s a lot of things I know I can do, but I don’t because I don’t want to, and not the opposite…) as the PWD thorax has is the double of the of other breeds???.... Never heard of this, but I’m curious to see if there is any study at all that confirms this….
And I saw many videos of other dog breeds diving this distance…. Could their owners be wrong and those dogs were all PWD’s…. ;-))) Don’t think so….
Another one…
That the PWD is the only breed in the world that has the interdigital membranes….
I never really got why they say and many judges go to look at the interdigital membrane in PWD’s, as I can’t see a difference between their paws and others breeds paws… All my others dogs have that, and they aren’t all PWD’s…. Or are they!!!!????? Hehehehehehehe
Well, even if there is something different about those interdigital membranes that I can’t see, I’m sure Labradors, Newfoundlands, etc. has it too, as all of them are suppose to swim….
I’m kind of tired of reading and hearing a lot of untrue things… Like that the true PWD is in Algarve… And why is that???
As far as I know there are records of PWD’s along all the Portuguese Coast and not exclusively in Algarve in the beginning of the breed…
Actually the most winning show PWD in PT was raised in the center region of Portugal… And so were the last winning PWD’s too… In Water Trials (and please note that most are made in the Algarve region, so it’s normal that most dogs competing are from there) each time dogs from the center region competed with dogs from Algarve, the ones from the region center won… So I don’t get it…
I most of all don’t get why this is even posted in websites, as the meaning of each one of us, should be doing the best we can, and not being in a south/center insignificant war… or comparing dogs/results… Each one is different…
And since I’m writing….
I had some comments about how the coat of my PWD’s was so long, and that they probably spent their lives closed in crates so they couldn’t ruin it… Or that I fill them with vitamins or supplements, etc…
Well, my dogs walk 2 times a day (1 in the morning and other in the evening) in the country! They get millions of things grabbed in their long coats…. They spend the day in their kennel (each one has its own kennel) and then they sleep in crates in our garage. The reason they don’t sleep in the kennel is because they are quiet in the garage, hotter and we know they are safe.
I don’t brush my dogs every day, and normally I bath them only 1 a month… And still do they have long coats!!!! With no vitamins or supplements. The only thing they eat is their normal food! But their coats are long and healthy because I do pay attention to it! It’s not hard, but it takes attention and care! I don’t let they chew on each others coats when they’re playing together in our walks! Yes because although I have 3 adult males they all get along and walk together!
Droopy tails…
PWD’s are supposed to carry their tails up…
Transcription from the standard:” TAIL: Entire, of medium set, thick in the base tapering towards the end. Should not reach below the hock. When attentive curls in a ring, not reaching beyond the medium line of the loin. It is a useful aid in swimming and diving.”
“SERIOUS FAULTS:
Tail – Heavy, drooped in action or raised perpendicularly.”
Well, well… Guess some judges forgot to read the standard… But in my opinion it’s more serious than that, as what sense would it make to put the tail of the dog curled in a ring when the dog is in stack position, if when he moves she should be carried any different????
Health issues…
Another thing I still don’t understand how can some so called “breeders” use in their reproduction dogs that aren’t health tested… Not even in the most basic of all hip displasia… And that some even state that the PWD doesn’t have hip displasia because that’s a problem of the larger breeds….
Common!!!! I have a dog with bad hips, and I know a lot of other PWD’s with bad hips!!! So IT DOES EXIST in the PWD!!!!
For me this is mostly buyers fault, as they simply don’t ask or care or know about the main health diseases the PWD can have…. And later they regret they didn’t know….
So please… If you are interested in getting a PWD or any other dog breed PLEASE ASK ABOUT HEALTH TESTS of both parents!!!! You have the right to assure you take the less risk possible of getting a hill or a pup with more risk of having serious health problems!!!!
And do care about temperament too… Don’t think anyone wants a shy or aggressive companion…
And for those who simply want a pet, a dog’s temperament is indeed very important. He’ll be spending the rest of his live with you, so do look for a pup with a normal temperament according to his breed standard!
Better prevent then to be sorrow later…
Indy is my love and one of the best things that happened in my life!
With only 6 months old he participated for the first time in a Water Trial!
Horses are my biggest passion, and dogs next.
Christmas 2012 :))
Há 13 anos