The Portuguese Water Dog was developed along Portugal’s coast as an indispensable working partner for fishermen. Known for helping herd fish, retrieve gear, and carry messages between boats, the breed nearly disappeared before dedicated fanciers helped preserve it.
Today, the Portuguese Water Dog remains admired for its intelligence, athleticism, versatility, and enduring love of water.
The Dogs Who Chased Baseballs
Few breeds can claim they lost a job because of a baseball player’s home-run prowess. But the Portuguese Water Dog can.
In 2000, the San Francisco Giants needed a way to retrieve foul balls and home runs that landed beyond the stadium’s right-field fence and into McCovey Cove, an inlet of San Francisco Bay. Comedian Don Novello suggested Portuguese Water Dogs for the task.
Working with the local rescue organization Pets in Need, handlers stationed the dogs in the cove during selected Giants games. The dogs became known as the Baseball Aquatic Retrieval Korps, or BARK. Their natural swimming ability and enthusiasm for retrieving quickly made them fan favorites.
Then came the height of Barry Bonds’ home-run career. As more spectators crowded McCovey Cove in boats hoping to catch historic home-run balls, concerns about the dogs’ safety increased.
“After a couple of years, there was great concern for the dogs’ safety in McCovey Cove with all of the boats, especially during the peak Barry Bonds home run era,” recalls Tracy Pore, a community outreach specialist from San Francisco. “So the BARK program was discontinued.”
While the BARK program ended, it showcased the breed’s long-standing talent for water work, a skill deeply rooted in its history.
Tracing the Breed’s Origins
Several theories attempt to explain the origins of the Portuguese Water Dog.
One theory traces the breed to approximately 200 B.C. on the Iberian Peninsula. Over the centuries, invading groups, including the Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, brought their own working dogs to the region.
“The Romans had their ‘canis leo ’ or Lion Dog, the Visigoths had their ‘canis pescator’ or Fishing Dog, and the Moors had their Great Water Dog,” explains Maryanne Murray, former president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (PWDCA) and current chair of the club’s breed standard committee. “Over hundreds of years, these dogs interbred and eventually started to breed true to a particular type. This type — a sturdy, longhaired, willing water worker — was identified by the Portuguese fishermen as being a valuable asset to their work, and the dogs became known as the ‘fisherman’s dog.’ Over the course of time, they became the Portuguese Water Dog.”
Another theory places the breed’s beginnings around 700 B.C. near the border between present-day Russia and China, where isolated populations developed hardy herding dogs. According to this theory, the dogs eventually traveled westward through North Africa before arriving in Iberia with the Moors.
A third theory suggests similar dogs migrated with another nomadic tribe, the Goths. One branch may have contributed to the development of the Poodle, while another branch accompanied an offshoot, the Visigoths, to the Iberian Peninsula and eventually evolved into the Portuguese Water Dog.
Regardless of which theory is correct, the breed became firmly established as a valuable working dog along Portugal’s coast.
A Vital Partner to Portuguese Fishermen
Once established in Iberia, Portuguese Water Dogs proved essential to fishing communities.
Their responsibilities extended far beyond retrieving objects from the water. They helped herd fish into nets, retrieved lost tackle and broken equipment, and even carried messages between boats or from boat to shore.
Their intelligence, stamina, and confidence in rough water made them uniquely suited for these demanding tasks. For generations, they worked side by side with Portuguese fishermen, earning a reputation as dependable and hardworking partners.
How the Breed Was Saved From Decline
By the early 20th century, modernization threatened the breed’s future. Historians credit Portuguese shipping magnate Vasco Bensaude with saving the breed from decline.
“With a goal in mind of preserving the breed, he started an extensive search for more dogs and fortunately found a few working on the fishing boats in the Algarve region of Portugal. He was able to acquire a male and female during that first search ” says Murray. “On a subsequent trip, Bensaude discovered another female and a magnificent male who worked daily on the boats. He desperately wanted this male and after much negotiating with the fisherman owner, he acquired ‘Leao,’ the dog who became the foundation for Algarbiorum Kennel and the ideal model for the breed standard.”
Bensaude continued breeding Portuguese Water Dogs for nearly three decades, often placing dogs with friends and associates rather than selling them. After he died in 1957, his widow entrusted the remaining dogs to a close friend, helping preserve the bloodlines that would shape the modern breed.
The Portuguese Water Dog Comes to America
The breed’s American story began with a handful of dedicated enthusiasts.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Harrington, of Renssalear, New York, acquired a pair of Portuguese Water Dogs from England in exchange for a pair of Affenpinschers. The Harringtons bred the PWD pair and a litter resulted, but the strain eventually died out.
Although the Harringtons’ breeding program eventually came to an end, interest in the breed resurfaced during the 1960s.
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Miller, of New Canaan, Connecticut, imported a female descended from Bensaude’s breeding program and later brought in a male. Their efforts helped establish the breed in the United States.
“Their first litter, born on June 17, 1971, at the Millers’ home in Nantucket, was the first litter of PWDs of Portuguese breeding stock in the U.S.A.,” says Murray.
On August 13, 1972, the Millers hosted a gathering that led to the formation of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. In 1984, the breed became eligible for full AKC registration in the Working Group.
The breed gained worldwide visibility in 2009 when President Barack Obama and his family welcomed “Bo,” a Portuguese Water Dog, to the White House. In 2013, the family added a second PWD, “Sunny.”
The Portuguese Water Dog Today
Today’s Portuguese Water Dog remains a rugged, athletic breed built for action. Its webbed feet and waterproof, low-shedding coat reflect generations of specialized work in the water.
Murray considers Leao the ideal representative of the breed’s character and abilities.
“He was spirited, self-willed, and brave, and strong enough and mentally tough enough to do a full day’s work in and out of the water,” Murray says. “A real Portuguese Water Dog is spirited, exceptionally intelligent, powerful, and a bundle of predetermined energy.”
For former PWDCA president Steven Dostie, another influential dog embodied the breed’s best qualities. That dog was Ch. Charlie de Alavalade, known as “Charlie Brown.” Mrs. Miller imported the dog from Portugal, and in 1984, he became the first PWDCA breed champion. His many accomplishments include four BOB wins at Westminster.
“He was a true ambassador of the breed and the first Portuguese Water Dog that I met,” recalls Dostie. “His lively and confident personality attracted me to the breed.”
Mrs. Miller agrees.
“He was the best ambassador for the breed we’ve ever had,” she says. “And his downline offspring continue to pay tribute to his great characteristics and unique joie de vivre.”
Today, Portuguese Water Dogs channel their historic working instincts into a wide variety of activities. In addition to water work, they commonly participate in agility, obedience, tracking, AKC Rally, and other performance sports that showcase their intelligence and versatility.