This site is dedicated to 

VASCO BENSAUDE
ALGARBIORUM

Vasco Bensaude is the one responsible for the revival of the Portuguese Water Dog in Portugal and for the beginning of the modern history of the breed.

Vasco Bensaude had the expert advice and the help of his two friends, the famous Portuguese veterinarians Dr. Francisco Pinto Soares and Dr. Manuel Fernander Marques.

As early as 1790 Vasco Bensaude's ancestors of Jewish origin arrived in Azores from Rabat in the north of Africa. They started a shipping line connecting the Islands of Azores with the main land. Tabaco, tea and pineapple were also some of the industries that made the firm one of the richest in Portugal.

All his life, Vasco Bensaude loved the presence of dogs and through the years, owned quite a few in his house in Lisbon and in S.Miguel in the Azores where he normally spent the summer with his family.

Responsible for the kennels was Fausto Pereira Dos Santos who became an expert in training the Portuguese Water Dogs.

First Vasco Bensaude was introduced to the breed by his friends Fernandes Marques and Pinto Soares when they brought from Sezimbra two older working PWDs to be shown at the Lisbon Dog Show in 1934.

From that moment on Vasco Bensaude was so impressed with the breed that he decided to look for suitable specimens to breed and select PWD. Finally in Lagos, Fernander Marques found a beautiful male Lećo which was brought to Lisbon, followed by Dina from Sezimbra. Two further specimens joined the kennels from Algarve - Nero, a curly male and Venesa, a wavy female. In 1937 the first litter was born (Lećo x Dina). The beginning of the Algarbiorum saga....

 

CONCHITA CINTRON
AL-GHARB

For many years Vasco Bensaude bred successfully PWDs and when in 1968 he felt that his end was near, he presented Senhora Conchita Cintron De Castelo Branco the remaining 17 PWDs and all his archives.

Conchita Cintron, a brilliant personality, breeder of Portuguese Pointers, carried on the task of breeding PWD in her Quinta Do Indio, in Feijo, south of Lisbon.

Due to Conchita Cintron tenacity a few dogs were placed in U.S.A. where this wonderful breed has reached immense popularity due to the commitment and efforts of another great personality - Mrs. Deyanne Farrel Miller.

 

DEYANNE FARREL MILLER
FARMION

Deyanne Miller, the 1st lady of the PWDs in America, is the one responsible for the popularity of PWDs in the U.S. of America and world wide.