Portuguese Water Dog FAQ

What is the Portuguese Water Dog like as a family dog?

The Portuguese Water Dog is a medium-sized working breed from Portugal, where it helped fishermen retrieve fish and nets. The FCI breed standard (No. 37) describes it as exceptionally intelligent, easy to train and resistant to fatigue. We love the breed for its intelligence and joyful spirit. It suits active families who can offer daily exercise, training and company.

How much exercise does a Portuguese Water Dog need?

A lot. This is an energetic working breed: plan for daily walks and active play, ideally with swimming or retrieving, plus training or games that keep its mind busy. A bored Portuguese Water Dog will find its own entertainment.

Are Portuguese Water Dogs hypoallergenic?

No dog is completely allergen-free. Portuguese Water Dogs have a coat with no undercoat that sheds very little, so many people with mild dog allergies cope well with them. Allergens are also found in saliva and skin flakes, though, and reactions differ from person to person. If anyone in your family has allergies, spend time with the breed before you decide and talk to your doctor.

How much grooming does the coat need?

The coat keeps growing, so it needs brushing several times a week to prevent mats, and regular clipping. The two traditional clips are the lion clip (hindquarters and muzzle clipped short) and the retriever clip (about 2.5 cm all over). The breed standard recognises two coat types: long and wavy, and shorter and curly.

How big do Portuguese Water Dogs get, and how long do they live?

According to the FCI breed standard, males are 50–57 cm at the withers and weigh 19–25 kg; females are 43–52 cm and 16–22 kg. The Portuguese Water Dog Club of Canada gives an average life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.

When is your next litter?

Our next litter is expected in January 2027. Join our waitlist through the contact form and we will keep you updated.

How does your waitlist work?

We accept applications all year round: send us a message through the contact form, by email or on WhatsApp and tell us about your family. Once a pregnancy is confirmed, a deposit holds your place on the waitlist for that litter. We match puppies to families based on a Volhard temperament test at 7 weeks of age.

At what age do your puppies go home?

Puppies from our last litter (born 25 December 2025) went home from 1 March 2026, at about 9 weeks old. For families abroad, travel rules can mean a later date: see the travel questions below.

How do you raise your puppies?

Our puppies grow up in our home, with our family. In the first weeks we do Early Neurological Stimulation: short daily handling exercises (the Bio-Sensor programme) that are usually done between days 3 and 16. Every day we handle the puppies and introduce them to new people, sounds and surroundings, and at 7 weeks we do a Volhard temperament test to find the right family for each puppy.

Are the parents health tested?

Yes. Arthur and Riva are DNA-tested for inherited diseases known in the breed, including GM1 gangliosidosis and prcd-PRA. You will find every result on our dogs page, most with a plain-language explanation.

How much does a puppy cost? What is included, and what are the deposit and terms?

Please contact us. We explain the current price, the deposit, what comes with your puppy and our terms personally, so you can ask all your questions.

Can we visit you?

Yes, by appointment only. We live in Sofia, Bulgaria, near Vitosha mountain. Get in touch to arrange a visit.

Is Stella Maris a registered kennel?

Yes. Stella Maris is an FCI registered kennel, No. 166/2024. In March 2026 the Bulgarian channel AGRO TV told our story and described Steli and Mitko as the creators of the first Portuguese Water Dog kennel in Bulgaria.

Can I take a puppy from Bulgaria to another EU country?

Yes: puppies from our litters already live in Portugal and Spain. Under the EU pet travel rules, a dog travelling between EU countries needs a microchip, an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination. The first rabies vaccination can be given from 12 weeks of age, and you must wait at least 21 days after it before travelling, so in practice a puppy can travel from about 15 weeks old.

These rules are only for private journeys, without a sale or change of owner. Taking home a puppy you have bought from a breeder in another EU country is a commercial movement, and it has its own requirements under EU animal-health law (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688). Talk to us about the paperwork and the timing, and check the current rules of your country with your vet before you plan the trip.

What about the UK and countries outside the EU?

One of our puppies lives in the United Kingdom. Rules for Great Britain and for countries outside the EU are different and change from time to time; some countries, for example, require a rabies antibody blood test. Check your government's official pet import rules before you plan, and we will gladly talk the timing through with you.