President Obama’s new puppy, Bo, the Portuguese water dog is stirring a lot of interest in this previously obscure dog breed. Like the Obama family, many parents adopt a puppy for their children to soften the blow of a move to a new home. Please read this before jumping on the Portuguese water dog band wagon!!!
Like the Obama girls, my boys also have allergies, so selecting a sweet pound dog was out of the question. I was familiar with the breed as family friends had a hilarious Portuguese named Domino. So, six years ago, I tracked down a reputable Colorado breeder and was put on the “waiting list”.
My first clue into the complexity of this breed should have been during the initial screening process. The breeder pretty much wanted everything but DNA from my entire family prior turning over the pup. I have no doubt that my great-grand-father (who was a Colorado rancher) rolled over in his grave the day we were actually interviewed to fork over $1500 on a dog.
Our new Portuguese, “Murphy” was and continues to be a lovable, exceptionally ill-behaved, delight and pain in the neck all at the same time.
First, in an effort to quell some of his antics as a puppy, we got him a Standard Poodle. Well, then we had to get the poor Standard Poodle another Standard Poodle just so they could double team him and at least stay on the same playing field with Murphy. Did I mention that Portuguese water dogs are smarter than most humans – and certainly smarter than Standard Poodles.
Murphy is a force that simply can’t be reckoned with when it comes to food. At first there was no pantry that he couldn’t open and trot off with a bag of Doritos or a package of Oreos – out through the doggy-door in to the back yard. So, we installed child locks on the pantry and all of the kitchen cabinets.
He then moved on to counter-surfing and nothing was off limits – He learned to flip the handle on the fry pan and knock it onto the kitchen floor so he could help himself to whatever happened to be cooking for dinner. Thank goodness for the folks at the electric fence company who wired our kitchen to keep the little beggar from torching his hair on the gas stove-top.
Holidays involving candy are always a challenge in our home. One Valentine’s day, when my youngest son was in 6th grade, Murphy decided to get up early, and hunt down the 24 Valentine cards addressed to each child in my son’s classroom, remove the candy from the cards, and scatter the rumbled remains throughout the back yard. If you are a parent, you can imagine the ensuing drama of running to the store for new (“stupid-left-over”) Valentine cards and whipping them out in record speed in time to hit the first bell ring.
I won’t even mention Easter only to state it usually involves a trip to the Vet for ingesting a chocolate Easter bunny.
By now you are thinking that neither I, nor my family, has any idea on how to train a dog. Wrong! The Standard Poodles, for the most part, are well behaved. The dog trainer recommended a heavy dose of Apple Bitter when Murphy was young. Guess where I finally located the missing Apple Bitter? Low and behold it was buried deeply in the sand box.
Did I mention that Murphy loves toilet papering the backyard? Embarrassingly, the toilet paper in our home has to be hidden. This is always fun to explain to guests. He takes the toilet tissue out of the bathrooms, engages the Poodles in his mission, and takes off through the doggy-door toilet-papering every bush in the back yard.
Oh, and guess what – not every Portuguese water dog can swim. My husband had to jump into Chatfield Lake to save Murphy from drowning!
All this said, and for all the naughtiness, theatrics, and chaos Murphy reeks on our household, I and my family positively adore every fiber of his rotten little wonderful self. He is like living with three year old child – Hilarious, loving and completely uninhibited. He loves to cuddle. He doesn’t run, rather bounces with joy. He provides non-stop entertainment with his constant mission for mischief. He adores company, especially of the kid-nature who are usually packing gum or candy. He loves his family, and his Poodles, who are his second set of best friends.
Just be warned on adopting a Portuguese water dog – you heard it here first.
Michelle A. Potter
Broker Associate
Dog Lover
