Early origins
The Portuguese Water Dogs origin can be traced back to 200 B.C on the Iberian Pennsulia which is now Gibraltar, Andorra, Spain, and Portugal. This area was constantly invaded by 3 groups in particular the Romans, the Visigoths, and the Moors.
Each group brought a dog with them to the pennsulia, the Romans had the lion dog, Visigoths has the fishing dog, and the Moors their great water dog. Over the years each one of these interbred which led to the Portuguese Water Dog
There are many different origins besides the one described, there are many accounts dating all the way back to 700 B.C. E where a breed used to herd camel between china and russia was captured, taken to northern africa where the Moors then took them to the pennsulia.In each variation of theory the end result is the same and these dogs were used by fisherman for mutlipe jobs
Grooming History
Lion's clip/ Working cut
While no exact date is available for when this cut became the standard, the reason this cut is the working cut is due to how partical it is for the job, removing the fur on the hind quarters made it easier to swim, fur on the chest kept the heart and lungs warm, the trimmed muzzle kept fish from staying on their face, and their tail was kept long at the tip to signify their iconic flag tail
Retriever Trim
This is the everyday family friendly cut that many owners of Portueguese Water Dogs are familiar with and choose. The only conditions of this cut is the entire body be cut the same length and the dog's last 1/3 of their tail be kept natural to keep the flag look.
Maintanence
No matter the style these dogs need to be brushed daily to prevents mats that would make the dogs uncomfortable. These dogs should be trimmed every 6-8 weeks as well.
