Portuguese Water Dogs

A "forever" home means that you want the pup long term. It means you are prepared to put the work into the pup. If you only want a pup for the first few months, and then intend to dump it as someone else's problem, then do not contact us for a pup. We'd suggest you don't contact anyone for a pup. Unfortunately, it appears, that those people with a higher disposable income are spending less time thinking about what they really want, and are more interested in a short term fashion accessory.

If you're not a doggy person, this does not make you a bad person, at all. Not everyone loves dogs. But getting a dog to evaluate if you are a doggy person, is not an experiment we want you to enter into with us. Only serious dog lovers need apply for one of our pups. Luckily, there are many of those people around!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This is such an important message, so let me repeat it: do not contact me for a pup unless you are going to:

• train the pup the right way - you need to put in time every single day (5-10 mins a day is usually plenty!)
• feed the pup the right diet - there are no exceptions to this
• provide a long term home for the pup, and have all members of the household agreeing to the long term care of a dog
• provide a loving home with appropriate parameters
• follow our requirements and guidelines (which really are not all that hard)

Usually the following conditions mean a pup placement will not work. If any of these conditions apply to you, be honest with us when you contact us. Attempting to fool us or yourself usually means a disaster is about to happen. This is not a finished list. So before you fill out the puppy questionnaire, sit down at home with the members of your family, and talk through the items below. Unless you have a strategy for dealing with these issues that upset you, one of our pups is not right for you:

• You don't want a dog inside. Ever.
• The leather on your car seat is completely unscathed and you want to keep it that way
• You really don't like the idea of picking up after your dog
• You see grooming as a pain
• You're really not all that interested in training your dog
• Your friends have a cute dog and you want one too
• Your kids are teenagers and their social, sporting, and school life will always come before a puppy and older dog
• You think that having a pup will teach the kids responsibility (it never does and teaching a kid responsibility is the human's job, not that of a canine)
• Your gardens are immaculate and the thought of a dog doing any damage to them causes you stress
• Your husband/wife/partner/kids/parents (and any variation thereof) really doesn't want a dog in the house
• You like to go away regularly but cannot/will not take a pup or dog with you

We have a new rule in place now that if you are dumping your pup because you've got more important things to do in your life, the pup must come back to us, and you must pay the transport, and you must provide us with a $500 re-homing fee. This fee will be larger if you have failed to put any training into the pup and we need to put the pup into rehabilitation. We want you to think carefully about a pup before you buy it. This must be a well thought out process by you and any family members.

Previous puppy pictures!

Puppy Application Form:

And some other things....

Updated: our page on temperament. Check it out by clicking here, essential reading for anyone getting a Portuguese Water Dog.