Spinone Italiano vs Portuguese Water Dog - Breed Comparison

The Portuguese Water Dog is a working dog hailing from the Portuguese region of the Algarve. The dog has always been a friend of the sea, working around fishing boats, loving his life around water.

He descends from dogs that have always been used by Portuguese fishermen, and its believed he has Poodle in him. Known also as the Cao de Agua, which means Dog of the Water, the Portie as he is also known, almost disappeared.

Their numbers dropped in the early 20th century, but a certain Vasco Bensuade saved the breed, forming a breed club, writing a breed standard.

They then also made their way to England and the United States. It was in 1972 that the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America formed. In 1983, the AKC recognized the dog as a distinct breed.

This Italian breed has an ancient blood line tracing all the back to 500 BC. Originally bred to hunt, he is today a friendly, alert and loyal companion. He is intelligent enough to do any job you give him. The Spinone is thought to be one of the oldest gun dogs ever, but it is not entirely clear that he came from Italy. There are some who think he may have come from somewhere in these European countries – Italy, Greece, France, Celtic Ireland, Spain or Russia. However, most believe the breed came from Italy in the Piedmont area.

The most common thinking is that he is a descendent of the Spanish Pointer and/or the Russian Setter. One other theory is that setters from Greece were brought to the Roman Empire and crossed with a variety of Italian dog to make the coarse haired Spinone we see today. Then the French put in their claim that the breed is a cross of many French pointers.

The theory that counts might just belong to the Italians who believe the ancestor to the Spinone includes the German Wirehaired Pointer, the Pudelpointer and the Wirehaired Pointer. It was not until the 19th century that the name Spinone was officially given to the breed.

Before that it might have been known as a Spinoso and named after a thorn bus in Italy called the Spino. This bush was so thick and sharp that small prey animals learned to hide under it because the predators could not get through it. The Spinone however was able to fight through the briars with its thick, coarse hair and tough skin.

The breed almost became extinct during the second world war as before and after the hunters in Italy had started to use other breeds for hunting. Breeders also began to cross the Spinone with wire hairs like German Wirehaired Pointer, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and the Boulet.

The most popular hunting dog in Italy today is the Bracco Italiano while the Spinone is still used for hunting.

Standing at between 43 and 57cm in height and weighing in the region of 16 to 27kg, the Portuguese Water Dog is a medium-sized, curly-coated dog.

It is believed that the dog is hypoallergenic. He does however shed, though not a lot. He just loves the water and is always ready to plunge in. One of the distinctive characteristics of this dog is its webbed feet.

Temparament:

The Portuguese Water Dog is an intelligent dog that will do well with training and socialization.

It won’t be troublesome training this dog as he is intelligent. They're also calm dogs. Referred to fondly as the Portie, this is a fun-loving dog, friendly and social, getting on well with all members of his human family.

These dogs get on well with children and other family pets. They can be reserved toward strangers, but this makes them good watchdogs.

The breed is made up of strong, solid and muscled dogs that have an almost square build. His legs are made to travel any terrain and his head is long with an occipital that is pronounced and unique to the Spinone. They are said to have “human appearing eyes”, with a docked tail in countries allowing it and webbed paws.

Shorter hair covers their feet, head, legs, muzzle and ears. They have longer hair on their eyebrows and it is stiff, with soft hair on the muzzle and cheeks with a beard and mustache. It is a single coated dog though the coat is rough. They should have skin, lips, nose, and pads in colors that coordinate with their coats. For white dog it is a red-orange color, brown in dogs that are roan colored and dark red-orange in the orange and white colored dog.

With training, your Portie can make a splendid pet. He is also adaptable to different living situations, and is capable of living in the city or in the countryside, just so long as his exercise needs are met.

He is such an affectionate and loyal, fun-loving dog while also being hard working, and all these wonderful characteristics mean that he can be a treasured pet and companion.

1.Children friendliness – yes they live kids.

2.Special talents – Digging and running.

3.Adaptability – Young dogs need a lot of attention but they don’t need a lot of space. The young dogs are energetic while the adult dogs are laid-back. They need exercise every day and at least a small back yard.

4.Learning ability – good/stubborn/intelligent.

Portuguese Water Dogs are generally healthy, but like most other dogs they are more prone to certain heath conditions, though your pet is unlikely to get any of them. Still it pays to know of some of the more complicated- and disabling ones.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is where the thighbone doesn't fit properly into the hip joint. Hip dysplasia spells pain for your dog and he may show lameness with one or both rear legs. Arthritis can develop too.

Hip dysplasia is hereditary, but it can be worsened by allowing your dog to become obese and from injuries from leaping off your bed for instance.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA):

This is a degenerative eye disorder that can lead to blindness, but fortunately it is detectable long before the dog shows signs of blindness.

Reputable breeders have the eyes of their dog certified each year by a veterinary ophthalmologist and they don’t allow the dogs to produce puppies.

This is an ancient breed with not a lot of documented genetic issues, but it does have one deadly condition.

• Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is inherited and hits the puppies. Because it is a recessive gene both the mother and father must carry it for the puppy to inherit it. This makes it less likely than it would be otherwise. Puppies with the condition do not live more than a year. Since it is a genetic problem there is now a test for it that identifies carriers at a 95% accuracy rate.

• Like many other large breed dogs, they are susceptible to hip dysplasia. This can cause arthritis and/or lameness. There are now hip replacement surgeries available for this condition.

• Bloat is again common in large dogs and you need to watch for it with the Spinone. It can be deadly if not treated immediately. Let your dog rest quietly after eating. Do not let her exercise or play energetically after eating.

Your Portie is a dog that loves outdoor life and lots of exercise. Take him with you on your walks and give him a run off his leash. When he gets home, if you have a pool h’ll be the first to plunge right in. He makes a great pet to have at the sea too.

Provide him with plenty of nice chewy toys, balls and ropes so he doesn’t get bored.

Provide him with a nice, dry, warm sleeping area and don’t allow him to be disturbed when he retreats there.

Keep his vaccines up to date to prevent some life threatening illnesses.

Provide him with high quality food that has lots of vitamins and minerals instead of fillers, preservatives, colorants and toxins.

There are some excellent commercially manufactured dog foods which can be convenient and good for your pet. Try and provide him with some tasty homemade food occasionally. Nothing spicy and exotic. Dogs thrive on simplicity and consistency.

Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes chopped up and added twice week to the dry kibble is all your dog requires to keep him energetic happy, thankful, healthy and happy.

A little bit of raw meat added in from time to time will be superb. See that he always has access to clean, cool water.

1Feeding the puppy – feed a high quality dog food for puppies of large breeds. Feed 3-4x day but don’t overfeed or let him exercise after eating even as a puppy.

2.Feeding the adult - feed a high quality dog food for large breeds. Feed 1-2X day but don’t overfeed or let him exercise after eating.

3.Points for Good Health – Active and strong

4. Games and Exercises – The Spinone is an active breed, but not a fast dog. In fact, they like to travel at a trot so it becomes a great dog for jogging or running with. They love to jump, track, hunt, hike. They do well with agility, retrieving, flyball, carting, being a therapy dog, a rescue dog and a watchdog.