Ancient history of PWD

As far back as 1200 BC and continuing through 500 AD, medium sized, long-coated dogs were brought to Tiro, Athens and Rome, as well as other port cities along the Mediterranean coast, by Canaan tribes of Semitic origin from parts of Central Asia that included the Lost Valley and the Himalayan Highlands.  

The migration of these tribes from East to West across the Euro-Asiatic continent was consistent with the larger movement of people taking place during that same period. The natural convergence was toward the Mediterranean countries, which comprised the world known as civilized. Over the years, these migratory paths (both land and sea) developed into well-defined trade routes that further linked the different worlds and their different cultures.

Eventually, the medium sized, long-coated dogs became commonplace in Turkey, Greece, Italia, the North of Africa (Cartage), the South of France, Spain and Portugal. Each civilization bred the dogs for specific traits and the dogs developed into well defined, distinct breeds. In Turkey, the breed was known as Turkis Canis. In Greece and Italia, the dog was known as Leo Canis.

Over time, the dogs were further specialized by their breeders and adapted to their owners, surroundings and tasks. As these refinements were made the dogs became more and more distinctive to the region they called home. Some of today's breeds that are easily traced to the original medium sized, long-coated dogs are, the Barbet, the Puli, the Polish Lowland, the Spanish Waterdog and the Portuguese Waterdog to name only a few.

ONE OF THE PUREST BREEDS IN THE WORLD

For centuries the Algarve, which was only accessible by sea, was free from the influences of the outside world. The people and dogs living here were able to develop a very distinctive character, which was quite different from the the rest of the Iberian Peninsula or, for that matter, the rest of Europe. The Portuguese Water Dog (Cao de Agua) was allowed to develop and be developed into a hard working breed of dog devoted to the fishermen that relied so heavily upon the dogs skill and courage. Every village on the coast of the Algarve and, as time passed, further North was heavily dependent on the fruits of the sea. These dogs were frequently called upon to match their lives with the elements of the sea and assist the fishermen (who could not swim). They were called upon to carry messages from boat to boat, herd the fish into nets and rescue overboard tackle and fishermen from the water. The Portuguese Water Dog is ideally suited for all of these tasks.

Modern history of the Portuguese Water Dog began with Vasco Bensaude, Conchita Cintron, Castelo Branco and Deyanne Miller.