Portuguese Water Dogs are an active breed. Before we got him, hubby and I did lots and lots of research. We got him, primarily because it was one of the few dogs that hubby was not allergic to. But, we also knew that they needed lots and lots of exercise. Needing a lifestyle change, hubby and I decided to kick start our healthy habits and pretty much use the dog to get healthier.
Dogs need to be walked. They don't care if it's sunny, rainy, snowy, or if it's the end of the world...they have to go out. Therefore, hubby and I knew we could never use the weather as an excuse not to get out there. Actually, in the 10 months that we've had our puppy, we can honestly say that we've spent just as much times outdoors, as we do indoors. Our TV consumption is down to a minimum, we wake up early...and as a consequence, go to bed early. Hubby had lost 30 lbs, suits that I bought 10 years ago fit me perfectly, and 14 year old son now plans walks with his buddies (as opposed to sitting n front of the TV playing video games)
Pup is still in a pain in the butt, though. Anyone that has been following my blogs for the last 8 months will know all the trials and tribulations I've gone through. For the most part, pup is starting to calm down...with one exception. He JUMPS!!!
Once again, hubby and I had done plenty of research before settling on a PWD. Everything we read stated that this particular breed is very agile, and, it likes to jump. In fact, that is one of the primary traits of this dog. At home, we've trained him not to jump on us or the furniture. When people come over, he does run to them, but once we've instructed our guests to ignore pup for the 1st few minutes, then pup just walks away. The big problem is when we're out walking the dog (which in our case is very, very often). He'll see some poor unsuspecting jogger and run to the end of his leash, all the while trying to jump on them. Because he's over 55 lbs now, the momentum of his run and jump also propels me forward towards the jogger. I usually get very dirty looks from the joggers because from their point of view, it looks like I'm actually steering my dog towards them and encouraging the jump!!
He doesn't only jump at joggers. He also jumps at other dogs. Not so bad when the other dog is taller...but a bit of a disaster if the other dog is shorter. A taller dog will be able to take my pup's weight...but a shorter dog kind of turns into a pancake. They get angry and start biting at pup's tummy. This gets my pup excited and then he wants to play!! The other dog, however, having been flattened, wants to kill!! Not the best combination for play-dates!!
Pup also jumps at little old ladies..maybe because he can smell their frail bones. I've had many a dirty look from these ladies that think I'm sicking my pup on them on purpose in order to rob them!!! The worse, of course is other dog owners. Let me explain. We don't give our puppy treats, but there are legions of dog owners out there that carry bags and bags of treats. Well let me tell you, one whiff of those bacon, chicken, liver treats is enough to send my pup into a frenzy. He's constantly jumping on these poor unsuspecting dog-owners. I try to get him off them, but the leashes always end up getting tangled and pup's nose is usually right up the other dog-owners pocket!!
Yesterday, he jumped up on a 5 year old girl. They were the same height when pup was on his hind legs. He kind of put his paws around her so she couldn't move away, and then he decided to take advantage of his position by proceeding to "hump" her. I spent the next 15 minutes trying to explain to her father that my 11 month old pup was neutered and really had no idea what he was doing!!!
I've looked up ways to get pup to stop jumping up. Advice ranges from putting your knee up while he's in mid-air, to grabbing his front paws and walking him backwards. Yeah,...now I'm trying to figure out a way to tell that to the joggers as they run from me, or the little old ladies who are trying to swat me with their purses!
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Our PWD is almost 2 and has not calmed down from the puppy stage. Eats everything, but in her defense we do not walk her like we should. Energy build up is most likely the cause for eating everything in the house. That being said, even when our girl is walked she can still be destructive... I attribute this to being a puppy. Do they calm down more and more as they age?
ReplyDeleteWell, puppy is now almost 7 years old :) This breed has the energy of a puppy well into their senior years. He has calmed down somewhat, however he still eats everything in sight during our walks, and he does jump on people (but only if they have a knapsack full of food!)
DeleteEnjoy your little girl...they are wonderful, loving, companions.
We have a 6 month old pwd. He's a great little dog. Generally is very good on walks. He's very jumpy on our kids especially our 7 year old girl. Does this tend to go away at all. Or do you possibly have any training tips.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely have a tenancy to jump. We found that moving out of the way, or putting our knee up makes him stop. As they get older, they will jump less, however, it does come back if they get really excited. I would suggest you be patient and diligent during the walks. It will subside somewhat. I've had my portie for 9 years now. They tend to like to get away with mischief.
ReplyDeleteHi, our little guy is 3 months old and he's the life of the party. However, he's a biter. Any tips for getting him to stop biting everyone's ankles. We have two boys, 9 and 7. They can run him around and play with him until he drops so I know he's getting his energy out. He just wants to bite everyone. I don't think it's out of meanness or anger. Did you have similar issues and if so did the biting stop?
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely had the dame issues. They are a very mouthy breed. Mine is 9 years old now, and a toy still only lasts 10 minutes with him. They will stop biting people eventually. They are very kind and gentle so the will get the hint that they are hurting you. Just be patient with them and give them plenty of sturdy toys to play with, such as a black kong. Good luck.
DeleteOwned a wonderful Portie for 12 years, the best dog ever! Yes, they are energetic, but 3-4 walks/d around 2 blocks and 90% + are perfectly happy(they require time and devotion, like anything else that one loves). As the first reply noted, it will make YOU healthier and happier to get outdoors for 45 mins/d.......insignificant when you reflect on the time spent online, watching cable, etc. And NOTHING can replace their total devotion, love, affection, intelligence. Oh, to stop/minimize jumping, do as Caesar Milan suggests...ignore, no eye contact, no touching, no talking, until dog is perfectly behaving. Re nipping the ankles etc...mouthy indeed since they are a Working Dog, retriever. Correct by having the 'nippee'asert him/herself as dominant, not subordinate ie notice they are smart enough to avoid this with the alpha figure in the family...love them with all your heart, fore they pass on way to quickly!!
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