Activities For Portuguese Water Dogs
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Introduction
We're not sure if there are any other breeds out there that are quite as at home in the water as Portuguese Water Dogs. These curly haired critters love making a splash and being the life of the party! Portuguese Water Dogs are medium sized breeds whose most notable physical feature is the insane amount of hair that covers their entire bodies; they have so much of the stuff that it's actually become a widespread practice among Portuguese Water Dog owners to shave off the posterior half of these dog's hair while leaving the rest untouched. Evident by their names, Portuguese Water Dogs can try out all sorts of aquatic actives, including water polo, surfing, and more!
Dog-friendly Water Polo
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Sunny Day
Cheap
Easy
30 - 60 min
Items needed
Water Polo Ball
Swimming Pool
Activity description
Human water polo is very physically demanding and intense; those players who have dedicated themselves fully to the sport even play on an Olympic level, just to give you some context as to how hardcore the sport can be. Dog-friendly water polo, on the other hand, is meant to be a fun and carefree way for you and your Portuguese Water Dog to bond. For this activity, you won't be spiking or chucking the ball with all of your might as a professional polo player would in a real match. Rather, you'll be casually tossing the ball to your dog and then kicking back as they paddle it back to you.
Step
1
Dipping In
It would be a shame if you didn't take some time before getting into the game just chill in the water and hang out with your dog. We think it'd be a good idea to spend about 10 to 15 minutes before game time just paddling across the pool with your dog so that the two of you can get acclimated to the pool.
Step
2
Serving up
After you and your dog have spent a good amount of time lounging about in the water, you can get ready to get into the game. And by that, we mean it will be time for you to toss the ball towards your dog so that they can swim over and bring it back to you. Early on, we suggest tossing the ball in between yourself and your dog so that they won't have to travel too far, and then tossing the ball further over time. After your Portuguese Water Dog has mastered movement of the ball, you can teach them to push it toward the goal.
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Surfing
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Any Day
Moderate
Hard
1 hr
Items needed
Surfboard
Dog Life jacket
Activity description
You ready to "hang ten" with man's best friend? Many dogs tend to take very well to the wide open seas. Portuguese Water Dogs are no exception to that bit of conventional wisdom, as they love getting to play in the water in just about any form a human can. Depending on where you live, there are a number of beaches you and your dog can visit. We can't think of any places that'd be better for tying out this activity, as beaches tend to make for prime surfing areas. Best of all, you'll have lifeguards on duty who can help you or your dog if either of you wipeout.
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1
Choose your venue
Residents of places like California or Hawaii have their pick of the litter, in terms of great places to go surfing, so we're sure our readers from those areas already have a few places in mind that they'd like to go surfing with their dogs. For our readers living in other states and countries, we suggest you look for dog-friendly surfing spots near you using the internet. Don't forget to look for indoor surfing areas as well!
Step
2
Test the waters
Once you and your Portuguese Water Dog make it to your destination, the both of you will want to spend some time getting acclimated to both the surfboard and the water. As tempting as it might be to just dive on into the water so that you can try to ride the biggest wave you can find, it may not be a bad idea to just paddle around for a bit with your dog on your board. Think of this step like a surfing warm-up exercise.
Step
3
Hang ten
Now it's time for the good stuff; after you and your dog have spent enough time testing the waters, you'll likely be itching to catch some waves. At this point, we say go for it! Just try to steer away from any monster waves while your dog's surfing with you; it's a lot easier to find your dog if the two of you wipe out on a small waver as opposed to wiping out on the wave of the century. So have fun, but use caution and your best judgement at all times.
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Water Work
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Any Day
Moderate
Hard
1 - 2 hrs
Items needed
Dog Treats
Seaworthy Vessel
Water Work Equipment
Water
Activity description
Not every dog have activities that were specifically created for them, but Portuguese Water Dogs are an exception here. "Water work" activities refer to a series of tasks that Portuguese Water Dogs were specifically bred to perform in order to help the fishermen of Portuguese antiquity. This activity can actually get pretty intense, as it's played on a competitive level in various places around the world. In regards to what your dog would actually be doing for this activity, they'd be doing things like diving in the water to retrieve certain items (both from the surface and underwater) and jumping from boat to boat to relay messages.
Step
1
Doing it yourself
We mentioned earlier that there are water work competitions which are held all around the world. However, you don't have to enter your dog into any of those competitions to get in on the fun; if you've got access to a boat, you can take a dip with your dog in a water source such as a lake and try a few water work activities out by yourselves.
Step
2
Finding work
Should you decide that you'd like for your dog to get the full experience, you can always use the internet to find a number of water work competitions that are either being held or that will be held near you. Take your pup and go observe for a while to see if this activity suits your dog's personality. You may see challenges such as dummy retrieval, underwater dive and courier pouch.
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3
Join a club
As with most competition based dog activities, how well your dog can follow your directions will make or break the two of you as a team. If you think water work is something you would like to try, see about joining a club. Expect to learn about the Junior Water Dog Test, and the Courier Water Dog test to name just two of the fun challenges. Experts will assess your Portuguese Water Dog and advise on how to begin this interesting sport.
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More Fun Ideas...
Ring Stacking
Most of the activities we've talked about throughout this guide have involved water in some kind of way, so here's one that you and your pet can try out on dry land. All you need for this one are just a few rings that your dog can pick up and with their teeth and few poles they can stack the rings on. A very simple but very fun activity to be sure!
The Cup Game
You've probably seen cartoon characters play this game a million times on TV, but it's actually a great way to test your dog's ability to memorize things and pay attention. You don't even really need to use cups, despite what this activity's name implies - you just need at least three hollow objects that you can hide a dog treat or a small under and your puppy's undivided attention to give the cup game a go.
Conclusion
By now, we hope that we've been able to demonstrate how awesome Portuguese Water Dogs can be and that we've convinced you to adopt one if you were on the fence about it. These dogs are perfect companions for dog owners who like to live adventurously as well as those who have a knack for fashion, beauty, and glamour. And as with just about any other breed, Portuguese Water Dogs can learn to become great family pets after they've received enough training. It would honestly be harder to try and think of reasons why a person shouldn't adopt one of these lovable furballs, as we couldn't speak highly enough about them!