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Water dogs
Portuguese water dogs on Cape Ann: New England's boat dog
This is a dog bred to work off fishing boats, and it behaves like one in a fishing town. It wants a job, it wants the water, and it wants you within reach. On Cape Ann that combination is easy to serve from October to April and takes some planning in July.
The playgroup
A working dog's energy needs a group that plays hard and a handler who ends it
A water dog plays with its whole body. It bodychecks, it grabs a ruff, it drops into the pool and comes out to do it again. At the free evaluation our handlers put a Portuguese water dog with the athletic medium and large dogs, a circle of 7 to 10 that includes retrievers, doodles and the occasional shepherd mix. The group has to match the intensity or the water dog runs it.
What our team manages is the switch-off. This breed does not self-regulate well in a group; it will play until it is over-aroused, and then the play gets mouthy. Handlers break the group for water and a settle every hour, and a water dog who is still winding up gets a few minutes on a lead by the fence before it rejoins. Owners see the difference at 5 PM: a dog that sleeps, rather than a dog that paces.
For most water dogs a plain daycare day is exercise without a job, and this is a breed that wants the job. An Academy day at $89 adds a training session, a treadmill block and the sniff room, and the report card tells you what the trainer saw. Owners who alternate Academy and daycare days tend to get the calmest dog at home.
- Placed with the athletic medium and large dogs, never the gentle circle
- Play that turns mouthy means a break on a lead, then back in
- Alternate Academy days at $89 with daycare days at $42 for a dog that wants a job
This coast
Cold water is the point: the legal swim months, beach by beach
A Portuguese water dog will swim in November water that would send a Lab back to the car. The beaches open at the right time for it. At the time of writing, Wingaersheek takes dogs on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30, Good Harbor on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31, and Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea from October 15 to April 14 for licensed, vaccinated dogs, two per person, with a walk-on fee while staff are on duty. Check each town's page before you drive.
The cold catches up with a wet dog on the walk back, not in the water. The AVMA's cold weather guidance is plain about it: a wet coat loses heat fast, and a dog that was fine swimming can be shivering at the car. Towel the dog hard on the sand, put a dry layer on for the drive if the wind is up, and rinse the salt out at home before the coat dries. The webbed feet collect sand between the toes; check them after every swim.
Summer is the hard season. A black water dog in a full coat absorbs the sun, and Cape Ann's July humidity slows the panting that cools it. On the hot days our groups run early, the pools are full, and the indoor floors take over after noon. A retriever clip before June, an inch all over, makes the whole summer easier.
- 01
Pick the beach by the date: odd days at Wingaersheek, even days at Good Harbor, October to spring
- 02
Swim first, then walk; a wet dog standing still in the wind chills quickly
- 03
Towel hard on the sand and check between the webbed toes for sand and shells
- 04
Rinse the salt water out with fresh water at home before the coat dries
- 05
Dry the ears, then dry them again
- 06
Clip to an inch before June so the summer coat carries less heat
The coat
One coat, no undercoat, and a clip every six to eight weeks
A water dog wears a single coat, curly or wavy, with no undercoat to shed out in spring. That is the good news for the furniture and the reason the groom is not optional. The hair grows continuously and mats where it rubs: under the collar, behind the ears, the armpits and the tail base. Our groomers see two clips on this breed. The retriever clip takes the whole dog to about an inch and suits a Cape Ann dog that swims. The lion clip, hindquarters and muzzle shaved with the front left full, is the traditional look and needs more brushing to keep.
The interval is six to eight weeks for either clip, with a bath and brush-out between if the dog swims a lot. Prices follow weight: a water dog under 50 lb is $65 for a bath and $85 for a full service clip; a big male over 50 lb moves to $75 and $110. Dematting is $15 per 20 minutes, and a sanitary trim at $10 between clips keeps a swimming dog comfortable. Bring a photo of the clip you want; our groomers cut to it.
Health notes
Ears, hips and eyes: what our team watches on a water dog
The ears hang, the coat grows inside them, and the dog swims. That is the recipe our handlers see for ear trouble: a dog that shakes its head at pick-up, or a groomer who finds the ear canal wet and sour a week after a beach weekend. We tell you the day we notice. Cleaning after swimming is a vet conversation; ask your vet what routine fits your dog, and how the ear hair should be handled at the groom.
This is a heavy-playing, deep-chested athlete, and our team watches the way it moves after a hard day: a bunny-hop on the stairs, a stiff rise from the cot, a dog that stops playing to sit. Any of those goes in the report card and the front desk mentions it at pick-up. The AKC's expert advice pages list the joint and eye conditions the breed is known for; the screening and the answers belong to your vet, not to us.
- Head shaking or a sour ear after swimming
- A stiff rise or a bunny-hop after a hard playgroup
- A dog that sits out of play, which this breed does not do without a reason
Dogtown for water dogs
The week that works: Academy, daycare, a clip on a daycare day
The pattern our team suggests for a young water dog is two Academy days at $89 and one daycare day at $42 a week, with the six-to-eight-week clip booked into one of them. The free evaluation comes first, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, and it is where the group is chosen. Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella must be on file, along with a current city dog license from your town hall.
An overnight suite is $78 a night and a water dog does well on the Deluxe bundle at $15 more, which adds a daily treadmill or enrichment block to the playgroup day. If you only need a walk, ask for the 60-minute at $55; a 20-minute walk does not touch this breed. The Pup Van runs at $10 each way in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, which matters on the mornings the commuter train leaves before our first window ends.
At Dogtown
What a water dog uses at Dogtown
A hard-playing group, an Academy day with a trainer for the dog that wants a job, and the clip every six to eight weeks.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do Portuguese water dogs shed?
Can my water dog swim at Gloucester beaches in winter?
Which clip should I ask for, and how often?
Is daycare enough exercise for a Portuguese water dog?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Start with the free evaluation.
A weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30, a temperament test and a few hours in a group, so we can put your water dog with the dogs who play like it does.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
