Puppy Care

Socializing

Fear periods are part of a dog's developmental stages. The more your dog is exposed to stimuli and learns there is nothing to be scared about, the more confident he will be in the future when he will encounter anything intimidating. 

First Fear Period 8 to 12 weeks Second Fear Period 8 to 14 months

How to Make Things Better:

· Continue socializing as much as possible but without exposing your dog to overwhelming situations always working to build trust      

· Create positive associations through counter-conditions           · Build confidence through training and confidence building sports and exercises                                · Avoid traumatic experience during this delicate phase

GROOMING

A PWD will need to be combed through once per week to prevent remove loose hair and reduce the risk of matting the coat. Toenails should be manicured once per week. Once your dog reach age 2 the regular chewing slows and teeth brushing should commence once per week.

Health

The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America maintains health committees in the event you have an issue please go to www.pwdca.org for a resource.  Attached is an article by UC Davis about the risks of early spay / neuter.

Feeding

How to properly feed a dog continues to change. We use a high quality kibble as a base and to this add up to 1/4 of the daily feeding as protein sources including eggs and various meats, pulverized vegetables (especially cole crops like broccoli) including training treats.  Power foods include kelp, pro and prebiotics, among others. If you select a raw diet, a pup can be transitioned at about 8 to 9 months.