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Portuguese Water Dog Breed
Standard
Working Group
Known for centuries along Portugal's coast, this seafaring
breed was prized by fishermen for a spirited, yet obedient
nature, and a robust, medium build that allowed for a full
day's work in and out of the water. The Portuguese Water
Dog is a swimmer and diver of exceptional ability and stamina,
who aided his master at sea by retrieving broken nets, herding
schools of fish, and carrying messages between boats and
to shore. He is a loyal companion and alert guard. This
highly intelligent utilitarian breed is distinguished by
two coat types, either curly or wavy; an impressive head
of considerable breadth and well proportioned mass; a ruggedly
built, well-knit body; and a powerful, thickly based tail,
carried gallantly or used purposefully as a rudder. The
Portuguese Water Dog provides an indelible impression of
strength, spirit, and soundness.
General Appearance
Size, Proportion, Substance Size--Height at the withers--Males,
20 to 23 inches. The ideal is 22 inches. Females, 17 to
21 inches. The ideal is 19 inches. Weight--For males, 42
to 60 pounds; for females, 35 to 50 pounds. Proportion--Off
square; slightly longer than tall when measured from prosternum
to rearmost point of the buttocks, and from withers to ground.
Substance--Strong, substantial bone; well developed, neither
refined nor coarse, and a solidly built, muscular body.
Head
An essential characteristic; distinctively large, well proportioned
and with exceptional breadth of top skull. Expression--Steady,
penetrating, and attentive. Eyes-- Medium in size; set well
apart, and a bit obliquely. Roundish and neither prominent
nor sunken. Black or various tones of brown in color. Darker
eyes are preferred. Eye rims fully pigmented with black
edges in black, black and white, or white dogs; brown edges
in brown dogs. Haws are dark and not apparent. Ears--Set
well above the line of the eye. Leather is heart shaped
and thin. Except for a small opening at the back, ears are
held nicely against the head. Tips should not reach below
the lower jaw.
Skull
In profile, it is slightly longer than the muzzle, its curvature
more accentuated at the back than in the front. When viewed
head-on, the top of the skull is very broad and appears
domed, with a slight depression in the middle. The forehead
is prominent, and has a central furrow, extending two-thirds
of the distance from stop to occiput. The occiput is well
defined. Stop--Well defined. Muzzle--Substantial; wider
at the base than at the nose. Jaws--Strong and neither over
nor undershot. Nose--Broad, well flared nostrils. Fully
pigmented; black in dogs with black, black and white, or
white coats; various tones of brown in dogs with brown coats.
Lips-- Thick, especially in front; no flew. Lips and mucous
membranes of the roof of the mouth, under tongue, and gums
are quite black, or well ticked with black in dogs with
black, black and white, or white coats; various tones of
brown in dogs with brown coats. Bite--Scissors or level.
Teeth--Not visible when the mouth is closed. Canines strongly
developed.
Neck, Top line, Body
Neck--Straight, short, round, and held high. Strongly muscled.
No dewlap. Top line--Level and firm. Body--Chest is broad
and deep, reaching down to the elbow. Ribs are long and
well-sprung to provide optimum lung capacity. Abdomen well
held up in a graceful line. Back is broad and well muscled.
Loin is short and meets the croup smoothly. Croup is well
formed and only slightly inclined with hip bones hardly
apparent. Tail--Not docked; thick at the base and tapering;
set on slightly below the line of the back; should not reach
below the hock. When the dog is attentive the tail is held
in a ring, the front of which should not reach forward of
the loin. The tail is of great help when swimming and diving.
Forequarters
Shoulders are well inclined and very strongly muscled. Upper
arms are strong. Forelegs are strong and straight with long,
well muscled forearms. Carpus is heavy-boned, wider in front
than at the side. Pasterns are long and strong. Dewclaws
may be removed. Feet are round and rather flat. Toes neither
knuckled up nor too long. Webbing between the toes is of
soft skin, well covered with hair, and reaches the toe tips.
Central pad is very thick, others normal. Nails held up
slightly off the ground. Black, brown, white, and striped
nails are allowed.
Hindquarters
Powerful; well balanced with the front assembly. Legs, viewed
from the rear, are parallel to each other, straight and
very strongly muscled in upper and lower thighs. Buttocks
are well developed. Tendons and hocks are strong. Metatarsus
long, no dewclaws. Feet similar in all respects to forefeet.
Coat
A profuse, thickly planted coat of strong, healthy hair,
covering the whole body evenly, except where the forearm
meets the brisket and in the groin area, where it is thinner.
No undercoat, mane or ruff. There are two varieties of coat:
Curly--Compact, cylindrical curls, somewhat lusterless.
The hair on the ears is sometimes wavy. Wavy--Falling gently
in waves, not curls, and with a slight sheen. No preference
will be given to coat type, either curly or wavy.
Clip
Two clips are acceptable: Lion Clip--As soon as the coat
grows long, the middle part and hindquarters, as well as
the muzzle, are clipped. The hair at the end of the tail
is left at full length. Retriever Clip--In order to give
a natural appearance and a smooth unbroken line, the entire
coat is scissored or clipped to follow the outline of the
dog, leaving a short blanket of coat no longer than one
inch in length. The hair at the end of the tail is left
at full length. No discrimination will be made against the
correct presentation of a dog in either Lion Clip or Retriever
Clip.
Color
Black, white, and various tones of brown; also combinations
of black or brown with white. A white coat does not imply
albinism provided nose, mouth, and eyelids are black. In
animals with black, white, or black and white coats, the
skin is decidedly bluish.
Gait
Short, lively steps when walking. The trot is a forward
striding, well balanced movement.
Temperament
An animal of spirited disposition, self-willed, brave, and
very resistant to fatigue. A dog of exceptional intelligence
and a loyal companion, it obeys its master with facility
and apparent pleasure. It is obedient with those who look
after it or with those for whom it works.
Summary Statement
The Portuguese Water Dog is spirited yet obedient, robust,
and of unexaggerated, functional conformation; sure, substantially
boned and muscled, and able to do a full day's work in and
out of the water.
Faults
Any deviation from the described ideal is a fault. However,
those inherent characteristics that are imperative for the
maintenance of proper type, and therefore cannot be overlooked,
are listed as Major Faults.
Major Faults
1. Temperament--Shy, vicious, or unsound behavior. 2. Head--Unimpressive;
small in overall size; narrow in top skull; snippy in muzzle.
3. Substance--Light or refined in bone; lacking in muscle.
4. Coat--Sparse; naturally short, close-lying hair, partially
or over all; wispy or wiry in texture; brittle; double-coated.
5. Tail--Other than as described. Extremely low set. Heavy
or droopy in action. 6. Pigment--Any deviation from described
pigmentation; other than black or various tones of brown
eye color; pink or partial pigmentation in nose, lips, eyes,
or eye rims. 7. Bite--Overshot or undershot.
Approved January 15, 1991 Effective February 27, 1991
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