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Thread: Porties

  1. #1
    Senior Dog WhoopsaDaisy's Avatar
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    Porties

    Anybody familiar with the Portuguese Water Dog breed? Asking for a friend who loves labs but is allergic. They seem similar to labs? Would love to know more about temperment and personality, grooming, about how much quality puppies cost, ifthey make good service dogs, and any information on quality breeders? Thanks!
    Katie and Aric (7/1/17) Hidden Content
    Whoops-a-Daisy B. 1-26-13 Gotcha 8-25-13
    Jett B 8-17-17, Gotcha 10-7-17




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    Senior Dog dxboon's Avatar
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    In my experience they are NOT like Labradors. I have some in my obedience classes and I see them at shows regularly. They are more vocal/barky than most well-bred Labs, and seem more independent (and the ones I know seem a little stubborn) and less likely to view everyone as their new best friend like a Labrador would. Also, they require more grooming than a Labrador -- either by their owner or via regular trips to the groomer. Your friend should check out their parent club site: Home to see if there are any breeder referrals for her area or any local PWD clubs near her. Talking to reputable breeders would be a good place for her to start. Also, a lot of people want to get PWDs and similar because of allergies, but the dogs may still trigger allergies. Per their parent club:

    "Portuguese Water Dogs are considered to be hypoallergenic because they are single-coated. To be "hypoallergenic" is to have a decreased tendency to cause allergies. There is no such thing as a non-allergenic dog. Hypoallergenic dog breeds (single-coated or hairless) will still produce allergens, but because of their coat type will typically produce less than others. People with severe allergies and asthma will likely still be affected by a hypoallergenic dog.

    If you have severe allergies it is suggested that you spend time with adult Portuguese Water Dogs before getting one. Many people are allergic to Portuguese Water Dogs, so please be careful. Spend time with the breed before bringing one into your home as a family member."

    Since the Obamas got these dogs, some more unscrupulous breeders have popped up to capitalize on the non-allergenic hype, so your friend should research, research, research!

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    I've known several, though I've never researched the breed. Temperaments vary. The first one I knew, a big male, was very friendly to people but not to dogs. The second two (who belonged to the first one's owner after the first one passed) were both friendly to humans and to dogs (one extremely playful, the other more reserved). The third two, who belong to another couple, do not like dogs or people.

    I honestly liked the breed a lot more before I met the third two.

  5. #4
    Senior Dog WhoopsaDaisy's Avatar
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    I have only known one PWD and it was very lab-like and friends with Daisy. But my friend is definately in research mode right now and is planning on visiting a PWD breeder nearby to spend some time with Porties. They understand that there is no hypoallergenic dog but they do want to get the MOST hypoallergenic that they can. They have also been looking into Australian Labradoodles. They know how I feel about that and are researching...but you know how the web is...there is so much conflicting information. They are looking into one Australian Labradoodle breeder near them (PM me and I will send you their name) that claims to be reputabile. The breeder is a member of the ALAA and is active in promoting the "breed." They have a careful breeding program with all of the clearances. But my friend said she didn't like that they do early spay/neuters....like 6 weeks old!!! I can't find any information on why that is but my friend said they had something about their personality stated as the reasoning behind this.
    Katie and Aric (7/1/17) Hidden Content
    Whoops-a-Daisy B. 1-26-13 Gotcha 8-25-13
    Jett B 8-17-17, Gotcha 10-7-17




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  6. #5
    Senior Dog dxboon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WhoopsaDaisy View Post
    They are looking into one Australian Labradoodle breeder near them (PM me and I will send you their name) that claims to be reputabile. The breeder is a member of the ALAA and is active in promoting the "breed." They have a careful breeding program with all of the clearances. But my friend said she didn't like that they do early spay/neuters....like 6 weeks old!!! I can't find any information on why that is but my friend said they had something about their personality stated as the reasoning behind this.
    Well good luck to her if they go the Labradoodle route. There are so many other choices out there -- from larger dogs like Irish Water Spaniels to smaller breeds that basically have looks reminiscent of some "doodles" like Bichon Frise, Lagotto Romagnolo, Coton De Tulear.

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    Senior Dog WhoopsaDaisy's Avatar
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    I told her they aren't a real breed but she doesn't seem to care much about that. I told her they are overpriced mutts --in a kinder way than that-- but she said she was willing to pay more for a dog that had all the clearances and wanted a puppy bc she plans to train it to be a therapy dog. They had a lab that passed away a couple years ago. They loved her and they love labs. Anyway, they are seriously considering the PWD...but are worried about costs and personality.
    Katie and Aric (7/1/17) Hidden Content
    Whoops-a-Daisy B. 1-26-13 Gotcha 8-25-13
    Jett B 8-17-17, Gotcha 10-7-17




    “Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.”
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  9. #7
    Senior Dog dxboon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WhoopsaDaisy View Post
    I told her they aren't a real breed but she doesn't seem to care much about that. I told her they are overpriced mutts --in a kinder way than that-- but she said she was willing to pay more for a dog that had all the clearances and wanted a puppy bc she plans to train it to be a therapy dog. They had a lab that passed away a couple years ago. They loved her and they love labs. Anyway, they are seriously considering the PWD...but are worried about costs and personality.
    My guess is they will pay just as much or more for an "Australian Labradoodle" as they would for any of the breeds discussed in this thread, with less assurance as to the expected personality or physical traits that would come with getting a purebred from a reputable breeder. If my goal was to get a low-shedding dog and do therapy work then I'd go with a reputable breeder of an established purebred whose dogs have fixed traits over hundreds of years and who come from breedings of dogs who have themselves become certified in the therapy work being considered, or who have been proven to produce dogs capable of such by work (i.e. the dogs have produced multiple puppies who have gone on to become certified for therapy work). If you want a dog for a specific purpose, the upfront cost for the right dog from a reputable breeder is an investment. I hope your friends find the perfect puppy for their needs.

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  11. #8
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Why not just go straight to a Standard Poodle? They are intelligent, biddable dogs with a single coat, that may be less allergenic for some people. I think they would be an ideal service dog, and you can just keep them in a nice puppy cut with a grooming appointment every 6 weeks.

    The guy that developed the 'Labradadoodle" regrets having done so now.
    Breeding blunder: Labradoodle creator laments designer dog craze - TODAY.com

  12. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by WhoopsaDaisy View Post
    I told her they aren't a real breed but she doesn't seem to care much about that. I told her they are overpriced mutts --in a kinder way than that-- but she said she was willing to pay more for a dog that had all the clearances and wanted a puppy bc she plans to train it to be a therapy dog. They had a lab that passed away a couple years ago. They loved her and they love labs. Anyway, they are seriously considering the PWD...but are worried about costs and personality.
    Someone I know at the park introduces her dog as a "purebred rare Australian Labradoodle". I've never seen the dog be allowed to mingle with other dogs (including my own).

  13. #10
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    I was thinking of a poodle in place of a doodle mix also. A neighbor of mine has 3 with which she does obedience, rally, all those TLAs (three letter abbreviations) that I still don't know. Those are the most well behaved dogs I've ever seen, except when one of them barks back at my 2 knuckleheads. They are super smart and depending upon what specific service needs the owner might be looking for, a standard poodle would work for those needing a larger dog, and a miniature might still be big enough AND small enough to meet some service dog needs.

    I know someone who has bought, not just one, but 2 "rare" miniature Australian labradoodles from the same breeder. I looked the breeder up on line and she certainly did not post flattering photos of her breeding dogs. In fact, the friend said she knew the parent dogs looked "ridiculous" (her word) but they insisted on paying $1200 for each puppy. The dogs are still young-ish, not littermates fortunately, and I haven't heard of any health issues so far. And "miniature" still resulted in 40+ lb dogs. I think they were impressed by having to spend a lot of money for a "rare" breed.

 



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