Breed standard 

& J. Mulholland and Renée Sporre-Willes.

companion dog.

Water Dogs.

Section 3 Water dogs.

Without working trial.

Portuguese Water Dog could be found throughout the entire

Portuguese coast. Thereafter, due to continuous changes in fishing

methods, the breed was located mainly in the Algarve region which

is now considered as its original birthplace. Its presence on the

Portuguese coast is probably very remote and thus the Portuguese

Water Dog should be considered as an autochthonous Portuguese

breed.

bracoïd tending to rectilinear to slight convex. Harmonious in shape,

balanced, strong and well muscled. Considerable development of the

muscles due to constant swimming.

length of body approximately equal to height at the withers.

The ratio of the height at the withers to the depth of the chest is 2:1;

the ratio of length of skull to muzzle is 4:3.

understands and obeys easily and happily any order given by its

owner. An animal with impetuous disposition, wilful, courageous,

sober and resistant to fatigue. It has a severe, penetrating and

attentive expression, as well as remarkable visual and scent faculties.

An excellent and resistant swimmer and diver, it is the inseparable

companion of the fisherman for whom it performs a multitude of

tasks, both in fishing and in guarding and protecting its boat and

property. While fishing, it will willingly jump to sea to retrieve

escaped fish, diving if necessary and likewise if a net breaks or a

cable becomes loose. It is also used as a liaison between boats and

shore or vice-versa, even at great distances.

axes of the skull and muzzle.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Seen in profile it is slightly longer than the muzzle (4:3). Its

curvature is more accentuated at the back and the occipital

protuberance is pronounced. Seen from the front the parietal bones

are rounded with a slight depression in the middle; the front is

slightly hollow, the frontal furrow extends to two thirds of the

parietal bones and the superciliary arches are prominent.

Stop : Well defined and slightly behind the inner corners of the eyes.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Wide, with well open and pigmented nostrils. Black in black,

white and pied animals. In brown specimens the nose is the same

colour as the coat, but never marbled.

Muzzle : Straight, broader at the base than at the extremity.

Lips : Thick, especially in front. Commissure not prominent. Mucous

membranes (palate, under the tongue and gums) deeply pigmented in

black, deep brown in brown dogs.

Jaws/Teeth : Strong, healthy teeth, not visible when mouth is closed.

Strong and well developed canines. Scissor bite or pincer bite.

Eyes : Medium sized; noticeable and rounded in shape; set well apart

and slightly slanted. The iris is black or brown and the lids are thin

and black edged, brown in brown dogs. Unapparent conjunctive.

Ears : Set above the eye line, held against the head, slightly raised

from the rear and heart-shaped. Thin in texture, their extremity

never reaches below the throat.

high; connecting to the body in an harmonious transition. Without

ruff or dewlap.

Top line : Straight; level.

Withers : Wide and not prominent.

Back : Straight, short, broad and well muscled.

Loin : Short and well connected to the croup.

Croup : Well proportioned, slightly sloping with symmetrical and

non apparent hip bones.

Chest : Wide and deep. Its lower edge should reach the elbow. The

ribs are long and well sprung, providing great respiratory capacity.

Underline & belly : Gracefully shaped and reduced in volume.

the end. Should not reach below the hock. When attentive curls in a

ring, not reaching beyond the middle of the loin. It is a useful aid for

swimming and diving.

FOREQUARTERS :

 Strong and straight. Upright. Slightly sloping

pasterns are admissible.

Shoulder : Slanting in profile and transversely. Strong muscular

development.

Upper arm : Strong and medium in size. Parallel to the main body

line.

Forearm : Long and strongly muscled.

Carpus (pastern joint) : Strong bones, broader when seen from the

front than from the side.

Metacarpus (pastern) : Long and strong.

Forefeet Rounded and flat with slightly arched toes of medium

length. The webbing, extending over the whole length of the toes, is

composed of limp tissue and covered with abundant and long hair.

Black nails are preferred but, according to coat colour, may also be

white, striped or brown. The nails do not reach the ground. Hard

central pad and normal thickness in the other pads.

HINDQUARTERS :

hocks are admissible.

Buttock : Strong and well rounded.

Thigh : Strong and medium in length. Very well muscled. Stifle

joint turned neither in nor out.

Second thigh : Long and very well muscled. Turned neither in nor

out. Well slanting from front to back. All tendons and ligaments are

strong.

Hock : Strong.

Metatarsus (rear pastern) : Long. Without dewclaws.

Hind feet : Identical to the forefeet in all aspects.

light cadenced trot and energetic gallop.

membranes preferably pigmented.

HAIR :

The whole body is abundantly covered with strong hair, with

no undercoat.

There are two varieties: one long and wavy and the other shorter and

curly. The first is slightly shiny and woolly; the latter is dense,

lustreless and forms compact cylindrical curls. Except for the

underarms and groin the coat is even all over the skin. On the head it

forms a topknot of wavy hair in the long and wavy variety and of

curly hair in the curly variety. The hair in the ears is longer in the

long and wavy variety.

COLOUR :

The coat is black or brown of various shades, or solid

white. In black or brown coats, white is accepted in the following

locations: muzzle, topknot, neck, forechest, belly, tip of tail and

lower extremities of the limbs, below the elbows and hocks. The

white coat must not be albino, consequently the nose, eyelids and

inside of the mouth should be pigmented in black, and brown in

In this breed partial clipping of the coat, when it is too long, is

typical. The hindquarters, the muzzle and part of the tail are clipped,

leaving a plume of full length hair at the tip of the tail.

Height at withers :

Males: 50 - 57 cm. Ideal height 54 cm.

Females: 43 - 52 cm. Ideal height 46 cm.

Weight :

Males: 19 - 25 kg.

Females: 16 - 22 kg.

considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be

regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect on

the health and welfare of the dog.

    other colour than the described type.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall

be disqualified.

descended into the scrotum.