Daily Dog Care|Dog Day Care|How to Take Care of a Dog

Portuguese Water Dogs have short hair that does not shed and is considered a working dog, meaning that it is a breed that needs to stay busy. This breed is considered a hypoallergenic dog. Traditionally used to assist in fishing expeditions, the Portuguese Water Dog is now kept as a house pet. While this breed is not as common as other breeds, if you want to dog that is hypoallergenic, lively, and enjoys companionship, then this breed may be the one for you.

Since the Portuguese Water Dog is not bred as often as other breeds of hypoallergenic dog, you will have to search for a breeder online, in the newspaper, or by calling breeders in your area until you find one. Generally happy dogs, the PWD needs to stay busy or it will get bored. You should have plenty of toys for it to play with and you may want to consider crate training when you are not at home. This means that the dog will stay in a crate when you go out so it does not destroy your home. When the PWD gets bored or lonely, it will chew on anything it finds.

Crate training should begin right after you bring the dog home. By placing a blanket, toys and water into the crate, you will make the dog comfortable while you are away. You should not use the crate when punishing the dog or it will not want to go in it when you leave for the day. After training the dog, you will have to keep up the routine. This will give the dog structure and will also salvage your possessions. Keeping the dog in a crate when you are not at home will also reduce allergens.

Portuguese Water Dogs need to be groomed every two months or so. There are two patterns that most groomers follow, the retriever cut and the lion cut. The retriever cut means that the hair is cut evenly on the body. The lion cut leaves that front half of the dogs body covered with hair, while hair on the hind legs is cut short. You should take the dog to have his hair groomed if you are not comfortable cutting it yourself.

If you are considering buying a PWD, you should be prepared to have constant companionship. These breeds need to be walked and they need to be entertained throughout the day. If you need to travel on vacation or for work, you should board the dog so it will not be lonely. Portuguese Water Dogs typically live between twelve and fifteen years.

Portuguese Water Dogs are easy going and get along with children and most adults. If you are looking for a breed that does not shed and will fit in with your family, then the PWD is the breed for you. While most Portuguese Water Dogs are black, some are white or a mix of both. Their hair is curly or wavy and similar to that of the standard poodle.

Probably any dog owner can tell you that training your dog isn’t always as easy as it seems it should be. Most owners assume that after a few days or sessions of rehearsing commands and actions then the dog should just pick up on basic skills and that should be it. Many owners are surprised to find out that training your dog can take literally months depending on the dog, the owner, and what exactly is being taught. However sometimes there are common mistakes that dog owners make that are causing the process to take much longer and be much more difficult than it needs to be.

For one thing, it’s good to remember that training your dog should be a positive experience for you and your dog. It’s too easy for owners to get caught up in every little “mistake” that a dog makes and concentrates on punishing these mistakes rather than concentrating on rewarding a dog when she obeys or does something right. It’s a very common mistake when training your dog to forget how much dogs crave that attention and approval from the owner and will do just about anything to get it. Concentrating on that, rather than on punishment, is going to be much more effective.

Another common mistake that you may be making when training your dog is thinking that you dog understands a word you’re saying! Too many owners fail to realize that dogs have no memory and no grasp of language except to associate a few words with certain actions. If a dog has made a mess and you start yelling at her, she won’t be able to connect your yelling with her mess. You need to actually catch a dog in the act of doing something wrong in order to properly correct her as she just cannot connect your words now with something she’s done five hours ago or even five minutes ago. Don’t make the mistake when training your dog of getting upset if she doesn’t understand you or continues to make the same mistake if you’re not catching her right then and there. Punishing her after the fact is pointless and ineffective.

The last mistake you may be making when training your dog is getting excessively angry at her when she doesn’t make the progress you think she should be making. Dogs are not spiteful and don’t do things purposely to make you mad, so if she’s not progressing as you think she should, either your expectations are unreasonable, you are making some other mistakes in training, or it’s time to see a professional trainer. There’s nothing wrong with asking a professional to help with training your dog and a pro may be able to show you some other mistakes you’re making or help to readjust your expectations. Either way, by asking for this help in training your dog you’re sure to not only be more successful but to also have a happier and calmer dog as well.

Many people are familiar with seeing-eye dogs or assistance dogs, those that directly help persons with disabilities. Seeing-eye dogs are assigned to those that are blind whereas assistance dogs may help those that are deaf, in wheelchairs, or who have any number of other disabilities. Beyond a seeing-eye or assistance dog, healthcare professionals are now appreciating the assistance of therapy dog training, which is something different than assistance dogs. Therapy dogs do not necessarily provide any specific help the way seeing-eye dogs or assistance dogs do, but rather are meant to provide comfort and companionship to those in wheelchairs, assisted living facilities, hospice care, and so on. Therapy dog training doesn’t include the training of dogs to guide their owner through traffic and crowds or to respond to doorbells and other sounds the way it would be for assistance dogs. However, therapy dogs are not just any old dog and there is some specialized classes needed for therapy dog training.

Many dogs are very uncomfortable around strangers, children, and those who are in wheelchairs or who have canes, crutches, and the like. Part of therapy dog training involves socializing the dogs with those who need such assistance or who have such medical equipment. They also need to be comfortable with those that pet them rather clumsily and must be able to hold their composure when this happens, as those that are disabled or the elderly do not always have the best mobility.

Another part of therapy dog training is teaching the dog to crawl up on laps or onto beds so that they can be in close contact with their owners who may be bedridden or unable to sit on the floor with them. This is something new to most dogs, which are often taught to get off their owners and to stay off the furniture! Having a dog unlearn some things it’s learned before can be a difficult part of therapy dog training but it can be done.

Not every breed of dog is a candidate for being a therapy dog. Only those that are very friendly, calm, gentle, and open to strangers can even begin to approach therapy dog training. Typically golden retrievers are very good candidates as they have great temperaments that make them perfect for being companions to some.

Dogs aren’t the only animals that are good for therapy companions. Some have also found that rabbits, cats, ponies, and animals such as this work well also. Of course it’s important to realize that not everyone can have a therapy pony! But if they’re gentle and open to human companionship then these animals too can go through the same type of socialization that therapy dog training includes.

If you’re looking for a way to really make a difference in someone’s life you may want to consider if you have a dog that would be successful at therapy dog training. They can be very comforting to those who need them most.