Posts tagged "portuguese water dog"

With the Westminster Kennel Club 134th Annual Dog Show almost upon us (Feb. 15–16), Paw Nation will be talking with some of the show dogs' owners for some insight into this year's contestants.

Dog Breed: Portuguese Water Dog

Group: Working

Dog's Full Registered Name: Ch Ebb Tide's Upcountry Titan

Nickname: Sage

Dog's Age: 5

Owner's Name: Arnold and Sandra Brown

Hometown: Cheshire, Conn.

Tell me about your dog's personality.
Sage is a people magnet who endears himself quickly and easily to all those he meets. We consider Sage to be our "dog of a lifetime." He is a robust and remarkably caring dog with extraordinary temperament and intelligence. He's very spirited, with a strong work ethic and drive, and a great sense of humor. He takes his jobs very seriously. Sage's favorite job, as part of his role as a certified R.E.A.D. dog, is to welcome children to our home and then snuggle up beside them as they learn to read.

Sage is extremely devoted to his canine and human family. He loves to play chase in his own clever way (using his uncanny ability to pivot like an NBA star). He is persistent and tenacious when tracking, playing hide-and-seek or in locating hidden toys. Sage is also athletically competitive, having earned several first-place ribbons at agility trials. He "attacks" water competition trials with gusto!

What is your dog's favorite treat?
Sage's favorite treats are beef liver and dog biscuits.

What is your dog's best trick?
Sage can count upon command. He will bark (count) to 4. He also sings with our daughter Allison. He mimics her voice with a high-pitched tone that sounds like country music yodeling.

Martha B. Stern, the breeder of First Dog Bo Obama, died July 21 at the age of 72.

Stern and her husband Arthur were thrust into the national spotlight earlier this year when Bo -- one of nine puppies born at their Texas kennel, Amigo Portuguese Water Dogs -- was selected to become the First Family's pet.

The Sterns first became intrigued by the Portuguese Water Dog while watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in the 1980s, reports the Houston Chronicle. "She was a longtime breeder and had a fine reputation," Stuart Freeman, President of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, told Paw Nation.

Senator Ted Kennedy, who owns three pet Portuguese Water Dogs bred by the Sterns, formally gifted Bo to the Obamas. At the time, Mrs. Stern shared a light-hearted prediction of the rambunctious puppy: "He's going to be a little gentleman, believe me -- until he sees that fountain," she laughingly told Pet Connection in April. "He'll be splashing around and saying, 'Where's the fish? Where's the fish?' We're expecting great things of that little fellow."

The family requests that any memorial contributions be made to the Portuguese Water Dog Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 203, Parker Ford, Pa. 19457-0203 or AKC Canine Health Foundation, 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 300, Raleigh, N.C. 27617-3901.

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Our little Bo is growing up! The presidential pup --- famous for acting "crazy" and trying to chew on people's feet --- posed for his first official portrait taken on the South Lawn of the White House. Doing his best to look dignified, Bo gazes off into the distance with a jaunty little thrust of his left front paw (the one that looks as if he's wearing a white tube sock pulled up to his knee).

Still, Bo can't hide his innate playfulness --- just look at that open mouth and bit of tongue hanging out. He's waiting for someone to throw a ball!

Want to know more about Bo? Download his baseball card from the White House website. It doesn't include his batting average, but it does reveal that his hobbies include "playing on the White House lawn and going on walks
with the Obama family," and his lofty goal as first dog: to make friends with foreign dognitaries.

But don't believe the part about tomatoes being his favorite food; that was apparently a little joke by the White House. (Tomatoes can be toxic to dogs.)

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That face. Those eyes! The wavy black (and white!) hair. Bo, the six-month old Portuguese Water Dog who just became the Obamas' family pet and nation's First Pup, is an indisputable cutie.
"You have to be proud and thrilled that they picked our breed," says Stu Freeman, President of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (PWDCA), which is dedicated to the breed's health and welfare. (Bo's breeders, Art and Martha Stern, belong to the PWDCA.) "But at the same time, it's 'Oh my god, you could end up with people who get the dog and don't know much about them.'"

Will the Portuguese Water Dog (or "Portie" for short) become the next "must have" dog?

"It's a concern for our club," admits Mary Harkins, Coordinator of the Rescue & Relocation Program -- enough for the club to have already issued a press release. "Lots of people tend to want a dog like the President has. After [the movie] '101 Dalmations,' lots of people got dalmations and lots started breeding them." And many of those dogs ended up in shelters and with rescue groups.

Is a Portie Right for You?

Here's what you need to know about this loyal, affectionate, hardy breed:

- Portuguese Water Dogs are very active, high-energy dogs that need lots of daily exercise. "If you don't keep them busy, they'll keep themselves busy," says Freeman, meaning, not in a good way.

- They are extremely intelligent and easy to housetrain.

- They are very people-oriented and become attached to their humans. "They're fine for about three or fours if left alone or with other dogs," says Freeman. "But it's not the kind of dog you leave alone for eight hours while you go to work."

- Porties are "wonderful around children," but not very young ones who may poke and push the dog.

- Because they can be headstrong, Porties need lots of training. "They react very well to positive reinforcement, but very badly to aggressive methods," says Freeman.

- Porties need regular grooming. They have hair, rather than fur, that needs to be trimmed, cut, and brushed constantly. "Or else their hair becomes knotted up and looks terrible," says Freeman.

Read more about Portie puppies and who is, and isn't, a good match. If you still think the Portie is right for you, contact the PWDCA, which maintains a referral list of responsible breeders. And remember, websites such as Petfinder.com also list puppies and dogs of all kinds that need good homes too.

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