Welcome to the wonderful world of Portuguese Water Dog ownership!
It is so important to make an informed decision on the type and quality of dog you will be bringing into your family. The decision to buy from a reputable breeder is to be commended and will prove invaluable in the health and longevity of your new family member.
There are so many things to consider when bringing your new puppy home. We would like to offer some suggestions to help you make the transition as easy as possible. It is our belief that following these suggestions will definitely make life with puppy and family rewarding for many years to come.
There are so many things to consider when bringing your new puppy home. We would like to offer some suggestions to help you make the transition as easy as possible. It is our belief that following these suggestions will definitely make life with puppy and family rewarding for many years to come.
Crate Training: Crates are invaluable tools for all dog owners. Start introducing your puppy to his crate as soon as you get home. Toss small treats into the crate for puppy to find. Place some soft toys in the crate for puppy to play with. While learning about the crate, praise your dog every time he goes into his crate. Make this a place your dog will enjoy going into. It should be his safe place. It must never be used as a form of punishment. A crate will ensure your puppy cannot get into any harm while you are out or at night when all the family members are sleeping. We prefer that our puppy owners use the crates that have all four sides with metal framework. This allows for more air circulation and prevents overheating on warmer days.
House training: Puppies are going to soil in the house. There is no getting around that fact. No matter how vigilant you are, there will be accidents. It is very common for puppies not to be totally housebroken until they are six months old. Remember that they do not do this on purpose or just to be naughty. Please do not rub his nose in it or hit him with a newspaper. These antiquated methods do nothing to help the process along. Expect puppy to need to go outside after he wakes up from a nap, after every meal, after running or playing and, while still young, at least once through the night. If you are using your crate for puppy at night, be prepared to let him outside at some point through the night. Start to use a cue word whenever your pup relieves himself in an appropriate spot. We use the cue, “Be Quick!” Eventually, you will be able to let your dog outside with the command to “Be Quick!” and he will!
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Exercise: Your puppy requires daily exercise. When you first bring your puppy home, he is far too young to go on long walks, however, he can most certainly start learning how to walk on a leash and take a short walk up and down the block. Remember that the mental energy spent in learning something new (in this case walking on a leash) is as tiring for the puppy as the physical exercise of walking or running. Portuguese Water Dogs are natural retrievers. Tossing a ball or a toy to retrieve is a great way to have him exercise and it is also a wonderful opportunity to teach a recall and form stronger bonds between owner and puppy.
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Clicker Training: Clickers have been used to train dolphins and orcas at Seaworld for years. It would be very hard to use a leash as a training tool on a dolphin! Clicker training has been very successful. Anyone who has seen what these wonderful animals do can attest to that. The clicker is a small tool held in your hand that, when pressed, makes a clicking sound. Every time you click, you offer your dog a treat. The dog very quickly learns that the sound he hears is immediately followed by a treat. It takes no time for your dog to know that when that clicker is in your hand, he needs only offer the proper behavior and he will hear a click and get a treat! There are classes offered in many places to teach you the proper way to use clicker training. We highly recommend this method as a training tool for your puppy. You can teach your dog proper manners, tricks, performance work (obedience, rally, agility, etc) and even conformation.
Discipline: All dogs require discipline. They need to know their boundaries. A dog taught at an early age what is considered proper behavior in the house is a dog that is well balanced and happy, not to mention how happy the family is! Puppies are full of energy and will, just like small children, push the boundaries. If possible, watch your puppy’s mother discipline her pup when he misbehaves. She does not hurt him. She will first use a quiet vocalization, than a sterner warning sound. Disciplining a dog does not mean hitting him. Please never hit your dog. This is another antiquated training method that does nothing but foster a fearful, anxious dog. Again, clicker training can be used to train proper manners. Incessant barking, jumping up on guests, jumping up on kitchen counters, and any number of other unwanted behaviors. Remember that your puppy will bite. His mouth will bother him terribly in the first few months because of the changes between puppy and adult teeth. Offer him plenty of toys. If he decides your ankle would make a great chew toy, simply give him a soft chew toy to keep him busy instead.
Socialization: Take your puppy with you to as many different places as you possibly can. Many banks and other small businesses keep small dog treats behind the counter to offer to puppies that come in. Pet stores always welcome dogs. Invite friends and visiting family members to pet your puppy. If they are willing, ask them to put their fingers into the puppy’s mouth. Share your puppy with other animals, especially cats and other dogs.
Socialization: Take your puppy with you to as many different places as you possibly can. Many banks and other small businesses keep small dog treats behind the counter to offer to puppies that come in. Pet stores always welcome dogs. Invite friends and visiting family members to pet your puppy. If they are willing, ask them to put their fingers into the puppy’s mouth. Share your puppy with other animals, especially cats and other dogs.
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Feeding Your Puppy: Our philosophy on what to feed our puppies is covered under the Raw Diet tab on this site. We do like to tell our puppy owners the importance of being able to take food away from our dogs whenever we want. To be able to do this with your dog, you must start as soon as you bring your puppy home. While he is eating his meal, go over to him and very firmly (not roughly) take the food out of his mouth. Hold it for a few seconds, then praise him and give it right back. Touch his body, head and muzzle while he is eating, and praise him quietly. Do this with every meal at the beginning and then every once in a while for the rest of his life. Learning this early will ensure that if your dog ever gets into something he should not have, you will never have to worry about getting bitten trying to get it out of his mouth.
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Grooming:
Tools needed:
A Pin brush
A poodle or greyhound comb
Spray Bottle with coat conditioner
Nail clipper
Grooming scissors
Dog shampoo
Dog conditioner
It is important to brush your puppy on a regular basis. To start out, a couple minutes a day is good so she gets used to the routine and learns how to behave. Don’t brush a dry coat, but mist with water or water and conditioner. The coat must be brushed down to the skin! Mats can form deep in the coat and you may just be brushing over them and not removing them. I tend to give an over-all brushing and then start in an area, part the hair and work through the coat a little at a time with a brush or preferably a comb. Pay particular attention to the hair behind the ears and elbows. If this is done on a regular basis it will take little time and be easy. If too much time goes by it will take more time to remove the mats that may form. It is loose hair that is not removed that causes mats. Dogs are not comfortable with mats - they pull. They also don’t like having them removed - it can hurt! To remove a mat, isolate it and then with a comb, start at the top of it and work towards the skin.
I have taught my dogs to lie down on the grooming table and I work on their coats while I watch TV. It is relaxing and enjoyable for both of us! I give my dogs a treat when they get on the grooming table and when we are done grooming. I started this with Pirate when he was a puppy and now he will jump on the table when I ask him!
It is best to trim nails once a week to keep them short. Just cutting off the very top will avoid cutting the quick and making them bleed. As a nails get longer, the quick continues to grow. Cutting them makes the quick recede. If they are too long, cut them every three days to get them back to a good length. Every time you brush the dog or just play with them, fondle their paws to get them used to being handled. Another trick is to have someone feeding them a treat while you cut their nails. It will be a positive experience.
PWDs have hair growing in their ears. Unless they develop an ear problem I do not remove it.
I like my dogs clean and give them a bath every two to three weeks. I trim them every four to six weeks. They have hair and not fur, so bathing will not dry their coats out provided you use an appropriate shampoo and conditioner. I rinse their ears with an ear cleaner** and then put a cotton ball in the ear to keep the water out. I wet down the dogs body and not its head initially. The legs and feet usually need to be washed twice, so I wash the legs and feet and soap up the body. Then I rinse the legs and wet the ears and head too. This way the dog is less fidgety because you don’t wet their heads at the beginning. Then I rewash the legs, wash the head making sure you lift up the ear flaps and clean that area. I give them an all over massage that they really enjoy. Remember you want to make this a pleasant experience! Rinse and then condition, rinse and towel dry. Watch out, now come the zoomies! Then I apply a silicon based coat dressing and completely comb the dog out making sure they are mat free.
Daily clean out the matter in their eyes.
**You can purchase an ear cleaner or this is a recipe for a homemade one:
16 oz isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 Tab Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%.
Mix together in a bottle and shake well, and before each use. Use a
Clairol type bottle to dispense into ear canal.
Tools needed:
A Pin brush
A poodle or greyhound comb
Spray Bottle with coat conditioner
Nail clipper
Grooming scissors
Dog shampoo
Dog conditioner
It is important to brush your puppy on a regular basis. To start out, a couple minutes a day is good so she gets used to the routine and learns how to behave. Don’t brush a dry coat, but mist with water or water and conditioner. The coat must be brushed down to the skin! Mats can form deep in the coat and you may just be brushing over them and not removing them. I tend to give an over-all brushing and then start in an area, part the hair and work through the coat a little at a time with a brush or preferably a comb. Pay particular attention to the hair behind the ears and elbows. If this is done on a regular basis it will take little time and be easy. If too much time goes by it will take more time to remove the mats that may form. It is loose hair that is not removed that causes mats. Dogs are not comfortable with mats - they pull. They also don’t like having them removed - it can hurt! To remove a mat, isolate it and then with a comb, start at the top of it and work towards the skin.
I have taught my dogs to lie down on the grooming table and I work on their coats while I watch TV. It is relaxing and enjoyable for both of us! I give my dogs a treat when they get on the grooming table and when we are done grooming. I started this with Pirate when he was a puppy and now he will jump on the table when I ask him!
It is best to trim nails once a week to keep them short. Just cutting off the very top will avoid cutting the quick and making them bleed. As a nails get longer, the quick continues to grow. Cutting them makes the quick recede. If they are too long, cut them every three days to get them back to a good length. Every time you brush the dog or just play with them, fondle their paws to get them used to being handled. Another trick is to have someone feeding them a treat while you cut their nails. It will be a positive experience.
PWDs have hair growing in their ears. Unless they develop an ear problem I do not remove it.
I like my dogs clean and give them a bath every two to three weeks. I trim them every four to six weeks. They have hair and not fur, so bathing will not dry their coats out provided you use an appropriate shampoo and conditioner. I rinse their ears with an ear cleaner** and then put a cotton ball in the ear to keep the water out. I wet down the dogs body and not its head initially. The legs and feet usually need to be washed twice, so I wash the legs and feet and soap up the body. Then I rinse the legs and wet the ears and head too. This way the dog is less fidgety because you don’t wet their heads at the beginning. Then I rewash the legs, wash the head making sure you lift up the ear flaps and clean that area. I give them an all over massage that they really enjoy. Remember you want to make this a pleasant experience! Rinse and then condition, rinse and towel dry. Watch out, now come the zoomies! Then I apply a silicon based coat dressing and completely comb the dog out making sure they are mat free.
Daily clean out the matter in their eyes.
**You can purchase an ear cleaner or this is a recipe for a homemade one:
16 oz isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 Tab Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%.
Mix together in a bottle and shake well, and before each use. Use a
Clairol type bottle to dispense into ear canal.
Toys:
Have plenty!They are the best distraction for inappropriate chewing. Soft, stuffed toys are great. They can not only be purchased at pet stores, but made, found in discount stores as pillows or Goodwill as stuffed toys (Make sure there are not plastic parts such as eyes. ) They probably will be unstuffed quickly, but the shells still make good toys. If you choose to give your dog rawhide, make sure it is produced in the USA. Imported rawhide can contain undesirable chemicals. As the dog matures, monitor their chewing, rawhide can break into small pieces and cause intestinal problems.
Common Commands We Use:
BE QUICK -tell her this just before she relieves herself, soon she will "go" on command or sit and cock her head if she doesn't need to "go".
STAY- Stay means "Stay right here. Don't move. I'm coming back.”
SIT -to teach "sit" have the pup face you standing, hold a treat and let her see it, then move the treat over the top of her head. Her nose will come up to the treat and her butt will go down in a sit. If you teach “sit” to a show dog, make sure you also teach “stand”.
WAIT -This command is when you want her to stay where she is, but you are not coming back. For example, tell her to "wait" so you can open the door to leave and she will not run out. It is a very handy command to teach.
Above all, enjoy your puppy. With the right combination of the suggestions listed above and a more than generous helping of love and affection, you will be rewarded with an invaluable new addition to your house. We must caution you, though, Portuguese Water Dogs are like potato chips. It is hard, if not impossible, to stop at one........
Have plenty!They are the best distraction for inappropriate chewing. Soft, stuffed toys are great. They can not only be purchased at pet stores, but made, found in discount stores as pillows or Goodwill as stuffed toys (Make sure there are not plastic parts such as eyes. ) They probably will be unstuffed quickly, but the shells still make good toys. If you choose to give your dog rawhide, make sure it is produced in the USA. Imported rawhide can contain undesirable chemicals. As the dog matures, monitor their chewing, rawhide can break into small pieces and cause intestinal problems.
Common Commands We Use:
BE QUICK -tell her this just before she relieves herself, soon she will "go" on command or sit and cock her head if she doesn't need to "go".
STAY- Stay means "Stay right here. Don't move. I'm coming back.”
SIT -to teach "sit" have the pup face you standing, hold a treat and let her see it, then move the treat over the top of her head. Her nose will come up to the treat and her butt will go down in a sit. If you teach “sit” to a show dog, make sure you also teach “stand”.
WAIT -This command is when you want her to stay where she is, but you are not coming back. For example, tell her to "wait" so you can open the door to leave and she will not run out. It is a very handy command to teach.
Above all, enjoy your puppy. With the right combination of the suggestions listed above and a more than generous helping of love and affection, you will be rewarded with an invaluable new addition to your house. We must caution you, though, Portuguese Water Dogs are like potato chips. It is hard, if not impossible, to stop at one........
