Lets start by having a look at this beutiful dog. The Portuguese Water Dog are a breed of water dog similar to the poodles. Portuguese Water Dogs were once found along Portugal's long strip of coastline, where they were taught to herd fish into fishing nets, to retrieve lost equipment or broken nets, and to act as delivery dogs from ship to ship, or ship to shore. Portuguese Water Dogs sat in bobbing fishing trawlers as they worked their way from the warm Atlantic waters of Portugal to the frigid fishing waters off the coast of Iceland where the fleets caught fish to bring home.

With a similair appearance to the poodle the Portuguese Water Dog has a thick curly coat that is most commonly either solid black or a black & white mixture, however brown coated breeds to exist. An unusual feature of the breed is that the dogs have webbed toes to aid in their swimming, only a couple of other breeds have this feature and makes the dog all that bit more special.

The dogs have vey dark eyes, a large padded nose that is fairly flat as they don't use need pointed snouts for hunting like some breeds. The black portions of Portuguese Water Dogs have a bluish tinge to their skin that may be hard to notice underneath their black hair. Predominantly white areas have pink skin underneath and are more sensitive to exposure to the sun than black or brown areas. White hair is finer than black.

Portuguese Water dogs make excellent companions. They are loving, independent, and intelligent and are easily trained in obedience and agility skills. Once introduced, they are generally friendly to strangers, and actively enjoy being petted, which, due to their soft, fluffy coats, is a favour that human beings willingly grant them.

Because they are working dogs, PWDs are generally content in being at their master's side, awaiting directions, and, if they are trained, they are willing and able to follow complex commands. They learn very quickly, seem to enjoy the training process, and have a long memory for the names of objects. They are generally considered too small to be used as service dogsor guide dogs for the blind, but they make unusually good therapy and hearing dogs.

Yes, they are wonderful dogs that are full of life, are easy to train, safe and loving towards children, loyal and most noticeably look gorgeous. I'm sure the Obama family and especially Malia and Sasha.

Good luck Barrack this dog could well beat you in the coolness rating, even if you are the President of the USA.