The Portuguese Water Dog is obedient, robust, functional conformation; and able to do a full day's work in and out of the water.
General Appearance
It is a swimmer and diver of exceptional ability and stamina. This highly intelligent breed has two coat types - curly or wavy and has a powerful, thickly based tail.
Height--Males, 20 to 23 inches. The ideal is 22 inches.
Females, 17 to 21 inches. The ideal is 19 inches.
Weight--For males, 19 to 27 Kg and for females, 16 to 22 Kg.
Head - An essential characteristic; distinctively large, well proportioned
Expression--Steady, penetrating, and attentive.
Eyes-- Medium in size; set well apart, and a bit obliquely. Darker eyes are preferred. Haws are dark and not apparent.
Ears--Set well above the line of the eye, except for a small opening at the back, ears are held against the head. Tips should not reach below the lower jaw.
Skull--It is slightly longer than the muzzle, when viewed head-on, the top of the skull is very broad and appears domed, with a slight depression in the middle. The forehead is prominent, and has a central furrow.
Jaws--Strong.
Nose--Broad, well flared nostrils. Fully pigmented; black in dogs with black, black and white, or white coats.
Teeth--Not visible when the mouth is closed. Canines strongly developed.
Body--Chest is broad and deep, reaching down to the elbow. Ribs are long.
Tail--Not docked; thick at the base and tapering; set on slightly below the line of the back; should not reach below the hock. The tail is of great help when swimming and diving.
Feet are round and rather flat. Webbing between the toes is of soft skin, well covered with hair, and reaches the toe tips. Central pad is very thick.
Nails held up slightly off the ground. Black, brown, white, and striped nails are allowed.
Coat - A profuse, thickly planted coat of strong, healthy hair, covering the whole body evenly. No undercoat or ruff. There are two varieties of coat:
Curly--Compact, cylindrical curls, somewhat lusterless.
Wavy--in waves, not curls
Color - Black, white, and various tones of brown and also combinations of black or brown with white.
Portuguese Water Dogs have a multi-octave voice. They are quiet dogs although they warn when the home is approached, and they communicate their desires vocally and behaviorally to their owner. Their bark is loud and distinctive. They sometimes whine.
No comments:
Post a Comment