COLD HARBOR Portuguese Water Dogs
Lorna Coloccia
2203 Ruritan Lake Road
Scottsville, Virginia 24590
434-760-4793
coldharborpwd@gmail.com
Puppies Diet and Schedule
My puppies eat PEDIGREE PUPPY LARGE BREED PUPPY FOOD sometimes I add a hard scrambled
egg, yogurt, and vegetables (cooked or raw). Just leave the food down for 15 minutes and remove any
leftovers to the refrigerator to be fed again next meal. Remember a puppy alone at home does not have
competition or encouragement to eat that it had when it was a member of a litter. It may well be a little bit
picky - but don't let it start being fussy now. BE FIRM!
Fish is an essential part of your Portuguese Water Dog's diet and should be fed on a regular basis once or
twice a week. Buy canned mackerel, frozen cod or pollock or whatever ocean fish is on sale. Poach it in
water and save all the juice to pour over the food. I use water-packed tuna in a pinch. A little fish goes a
long way. Just put a couple of tablespoons of fish and a couple tablespoons of juice on his food at dinner
time. Add fish after a few weeks and when your dogs stools are firms.
Feed your puppy three times a day until he is four months old and then cut out the midday meal. Begin with
about half a cup of the dry food and a couple of tablespoons of the extras mixed with juice or water. Let
soften about 5 - 10 minutes before feeding. Do this three times a day and increase the portion as your
puppy's growth demands. If you notice that the puppy is getting fat, either give him more exercise or cut
down on the size of the meals you feed.
Always have fresh water available at feeding times. PWDs drink a lot of water. While you are in the process
of housebreaking, schedule out your water – no water after 6-7 PM. Once housebroken, he can have water
anytime he wishes. All PWD puppies like to swim and play in whatever water is available . . . be prepared!!
Elevated Water Bowls may be your best bet - (Toilet bowls are not off limits in their heads!! – REMOVE ALL
CHEMICALS FOR CLEANING TOILETS – NO BLUE STUFF OR OTHER CLEANERS)
We do not recommend “free feeding”, meaning leaving the bowl of food all day for the puppy (or an adult
dog) to eat whenever he wants to. We put the food down, and whatever remains after 15 minutes is put in
the refrigerator to feed at the next meal. If there are leftovers, feed less next time. We would rather feed an
"extra" meal for a hungry puppy than leave the bowl down. Lots of small feedings are better than one big
one, and we have found that "free" feeding leads to poor appetite and fussy eaters.
Food supplements and Vitamins
Please give the pup daily Multivitamin, Vitamin C and E. The multivitamin will ensure your puppy is getting
all the necessary vitamins and minerals essential to good growth, even if he is off his food. The Vitamin C
can promote good bone growth, essential to the Portuguese Water Dog. Multivitamins: I have used Pet
Tabs with Iron and zinc or Nutra Tabs (available through vets). Any good pet multivitamin.
Vitamin C -- is available from most health food stores, buy Sodium Ascorbate. Ascorbic acid, the more
common type of vitamin C is on the acidic side and might cause some initial minor heartburn or stomach
upset. If unable to buy the powder form, use the tablets but see if they can get you the powder, it's cheaper.
Amount to feed: first six months, 500 mgs per day split up for each meal. Start at a low level of about 100
mg a day and increase gradually up to 500 per day, increasing to about 1000 mg at 1 year.
I use Mega C Plus that can be purchased from Orthomolecular Specialties, San Jose CA 95111 (408) 2279334. It is a powder Multi Vitamin and Mineral with Vitamin C.
THIS IS THE TIME WHEN YOU MUST ADD GLUCOSAMINE TO THE DIET AS A SUPPLEMENT. During
the next several months the BONE are growing and GLUCOSAMINE will help to keep joints fluid. You can
determine the dogs HIP quality at 5 months of age with a PENN HIP X-ray – This is the BEST determinant
for HIP HEALTH and is done for all of the AVIATOR CORE BREED STOCK.
Adult Diet
Increase the amount of food you feed the dog to control the desired weight. Remember When you switch
food it should be mixed with new food over a week gradually increasing new food percentage in the mix
Puppy Schedule
The puppies are probably on a similar schedule that may be adjusted slowly to meet your convenience.
6:15 – 6:45 a.m.
Outside for morning elimination and exercise
6:45 - 7:15 a.m.
Morning feeding and fresh water. Then outside for elimination. Leave
food down for 15 minutes only.
0730 a.m.
Back to crate to rest. Puppies usually sleep after meals. Whenever the
puppy comes out of his crate, make sure you take him outside
immediately. If possible, carry him. Never leave a puppy unattended
outside (because you won't know if he does his duty or just plays). A
puppy should also be trained to collar and leash and taken for walks.
Noon - Take puppy out to eliminate. Always try to get your puppy to do his business in the same
spot or area. This will help to teach the puppy when outside, where he should eliminate. I have my
dogs taught that when I say piddle, that means go potty. Feed lunch, water and exercise before a
nap.
1:30 - 2:00 P.M. Take out of the crate, then outside to piddle. Once the job is done, it playtime.
6:00 P.M.
Dinner time, fresh water, outside and then play time. If you take your
puppy to same area every time, they learn that is the spot for their business.
7:00 P.M.
Outside for walk. No more food or water after 8:30 P.M.. This is to help
nighttime housebreaking. Sometimes when it's really hot, I give them an ice cube or two to play
with in the evening.
9:30 P.M. Bedtime My dogs usually start to settle down and nap about 9 P.M. The older
ones can stay up, but I usually put the babies to bed in their crates about 10:00 P.M..
Crates
Confine the puppy at night and when he sleeps during the day. Confine the puppy whenever you leave the
house even for a short time. Yes, even 10 minutes. I strongly believe in crate training. Most breeders start
this when puppies are five weeks old. They put a small crate in the x- pen without the door so they can go in
and out anytime. Once they see that every puppy is used to it (about seven or eight weeks), they start
dividing the puppies two to a crate.
Crates are the safest protection for a curious, active puppy. It will become his "safe" place where he can go
and not be disturbed by anyone. (Make sure that you start training the humans that no one is to play with or
disturb the puppy while he is crated.) The crate should be 30-36" long, 22" wide, and 25-27" high. Don't
make a big deal out of either going in the crate or coming out of the crate. Usually I give them a chewie or a
doggie bone when getting into the crate, and definitely a toy to play with.
On coming out of the crate, I usually open the back door to outside and then open the crate door and
immediately take them outside (carried for the first few times). I usually don't even talk to them until they are
outside. Then praise them heavily after doing their potties. If they cry, carry-on, whimper or barks in their
crates IGNORE THEM!!!!! They should settle down in a few days. They never want to miss anything and
only want attention, if you give it to them, it will get worse.
When you’ve been gone and come home, the crated pup will fuss and cry demanding your attention
immediately. I make it a point to not speak to them immediately and to do something in the kitchen for a few
minutes before I go get them. It won’t take them long to get used to NOT getting your immediate attention.
My reasoning on this is that some days you may be carrying groceries from the car, or the phone may be
ringing, or there is just something else you have to do before you devote time to the pup. If the pup is used
to not getting all of your attention immediately, it will make it easier on both of you.
Sleeping
You are probably going to discover that the puppy will cry less, and you will sleep better if you let puppy
sleep crated in your room where they can see you and hear you during the night. They do not like being left
alone.
Housebreaking
Portuguese Water Dogs are clean dogs and don't like to dirty where they sleep (if the area is small). If you
follow the schedule, withhold food and water after 7:30 p.m., and walk him immediately after awakening,
giving him lots of praise and patience, you can expect a good degree of housebreaking by 12 - 14 weeks.
Learn to observe your puppy's "signals". Often circling or sniffing around, looking anxious and moving
quickly side to side a lot means that he is going to eliminate. Rush him outside. Give him lots of praise when
he performs correctly. We don't believe in rubbing noses in mistakes. We do, however, bring the puppy (do
not call it) to a mistake, show them what they did and say "NO". We don't believe in spanking them for
mistakes. Never let a PWD puppy out of your sight, and unattended . . . they will be in trouble!! Do not
expect perfection from puppy until he is 5 - 6 months old. Sometimes a puppy exuberance will distract him
from the call of nature, so he will run to the door too late. Don't be too hard on the puppy when he is 8 - 16
weeks old, as his bladder is not completely under control.
Teeth
In the PWD, you should watch the canines. Permanent teeth begin coming in at four months with the
incisors (the front teeth). My vet calls it the “4 - 5 - 6" rule - first the incisors, then the canines and finally the
molars. Make sure that the permanents showing by five months. If not, please have your vet take a look. In
our show dogs – it is not uncommon for baby teeth to be pulled to ensure a proper adult bite – please call us
with any question – some VETS with limited show animal practices are not “up” on this practice.
We used to advocate the “Sterile Hollow Bones” but have had too many adults with CRACKED TEETH
from the trauma of biting these HARD Substances – Therefore – use the HOLLOW HARD BONES only is
really needed.
It is important not to play tug-of-war with the dog ever(!!) because this can cause shifting of the teeth and a
hard mouth. You may start right away on getting your dog used to brushing his teeth. You can purchase dog
tooth paste (they like the taste) and dog tooth brushes from any supply house or most pet shops. Never play
hand games with your puppy; i.e., slapping at their feet, etc. Always have something between your hands
and the puppy's playing mouth. It helps to make them realize that they are not supposed to bite human skin.
There are a lot of good hints to keep a PWD puppy from their natural biting . . . if you have problems in that
area, call us.
Hips (VERY IMPORTANT)
Be careful that your dog does not do a lot of jumping, sliding on hard floors, or excessive running up and
down steps. This is very hard on the soft, growing hip bones and pelvis. Never force your dog to jump
over his shoulder height until he is 12 - 18 months old nor let your young dog JOG on pavement or
concrete; when you take your dog for long walks, make sure he has grass or dirt to walk on which is kinder
to the maturing growth plates. You can occasionally bike the pup for 1/4 mile, but not often and not for a
longer distance until the magic 18 month old number, and not prior to a preliminary hip z-ray. You can
familiarize your pup to Agility apparatus, but do not let him do the jumps until he is much older and has had
the prelims. Swimming is a great exercise for young dogs!
Treats
You will find that PWDs love crisp vegetables: carrots, broccoli, lettuce, beans, cauliflower. Celery is too
stringy for them. They are better for your dog than doggie junk food. Carrots are great for puppies that are
teething. Rawhide chewies are nice for teething puppies if not fed too many. Some dogs devour them rather
than chew on them -- use your discretion. They love Pig Ears which can be a laxative. They love HOOVES which smell - buy thick ones and remove them when they get small and start to splinter. Use a handful of
their puppy chow - given as treats, they love it - make sure you deduct the amount you hand fed from their
meals.
Grooming
Our mother’s desire is that you will (several times a day, put your puppy on the grooming table and brush
him for 1 - 2 minutes). Make it fun for him and make him start to behave. Increase the amount of time you
have him on the table, telling him "table" whenever you place him upon it.
Also give "Puppy Massages" while resting on the couch or floor in the evenings. Think about anything a vet
would ever do to him and anything a groomer would ever do to him and start "massaging" those areas every
night to get him used to being touched. Especially FEET and MUZZLE
Although the puppy’s nails are clipped every other day beginning at birth, some owners are hesitant about
clipping black toe nails. Just be careful and take only the ends off. It’s a good idea to have some SUPER
GLUE to work as a coagulant on hand in case you clip too close. If you do, don’t make a big deal of it, just
dab the toe into the GLUE and keep going on with the other nails, and be a little more careful. It’s something
the pup is going to have done his whole life and you want him to be as comfortable as possible. If you make
a big deal of it, the pup will learn that he can get away with being bad. You and the groomer will have a
terrible time from then on, and he may have to be sedated to clip his nails.
If you’re handy and want to use a “dremel” automatic nail filer, find a loose weave fabric (I use an old
dishcloth) and stick the pup’s nails thru the weave prior to turning on the dremel. The reason is that the
nails stick through and the fir doesn’t, allowing you to zip off and cauterize the nail tips without getting hair
wrapped up in the dremel. Slightly squeeze his toes during his massages to desensitize him; have him
"Show Teeth", play with his private areas, etc. These things take about a second each and will make him
more comfortable when those doctor/groomer times come.
Brush your dog entirely out twice a week. This means removing all MATS and at the end – you should be
able to COMB through the dogs hair without having to Stop for a MAT – The Comb should be placed at the
HAIR near the SKIN and be combed out - moving the comb through the shaft of the hair – make sure you
GET TO THE SKIN - Brush your dog out before a giving a bath and remove any mats. If you do not the
MATS multiple after a bath. Use Conditioners and detangler products.
You can use a slicker brush or a pin brush, depending on his coat type. I recommend trying out the brush on
your own scalp to see what it feels like; then you'll know how softly to brush. We usually brush the coat and
follow it up with a greyhound combing.
Bathing, when mats are in the coat will make the mats worse. Mats are difficult to remove. While the dog is
dry, you can use cream rinse on the mat and comb out the mat starting at the end of the hair and work
toward the skin. If your dog swims a lot, check for mats more often - they are easy to notice. When a dog
gets wet and air dries, and gets wet again, we have noticed mats form quickly.
We have found that you can more easily work out the mats if you have a “stand dryer”. At night, just set up
the grooming table in front of the TV and use the dryer to blow and separate the hair. You’ll see the mats
easily and can work them out into little mats which are then easily removed with your greyhound comb.
When washing, use a good shampoo and scrub the skin of the pup. If the puppy’s skin is clean, the pup will
also be clean. Go easy when rinsing, use your fingers as a comb and try to keep the hair straight. This will
help to minimize the mats. Be sure to rinse the dog well - until water runs clear and then more – Shampoos
left in the coat will CAUSE horrible MATTS. Gently towel dry and comb out while the hair is wet, or put him
on the table and use your dryer. In warm weather the dog can dry naturally, but in colder weather, blow dry.
Use cotton in dogs ears when blowing dry with a human hair dryer, the sound tends to scare them.
Shampoo
While your puppy is small, your puppy can get bathed regularly once or twice a month. But do not hesitate
to bathe him when he is dirty! I use All Systems Super Conditioning Shampoo. If the pup is extremely dirty,
shampoo him twice or three times. All Systems can be obtained at most of the mail order houses, and can
be used on puppies more than five weeks of age. I usually dilute it a lot – a few “glumps” of shampoo to a
gallon of water. #1 All Systems makes the coat shiny and easily managed, and they smell great. I used to
use Bio-Groom products, but I feel they dry out the hair. Make certain that any shampoo you use can be
used on puppies -- tearless is nice. Do not use a human shampoo, the pH is different. I do use Baby No
tears shampoo with puppies and on adults around the head and eyes. You can use All Systems on human
heads, but do not use a human shampoo on dogs. Never prevent you not having SHAMPOO to Bath your
dog – use anything but once you get the Dog Shampoo – bath again
Training
Do enroll in a puppy kindergarten obedience class by the time your puppy is 12 weeks old. Age is not so
much the factor as timing of the second immunization shot – no socialization or contact with other animals
can occur until 21 WEEK AFTER the 2nd immunization shot. Sit in on obedience classes to find the right
one for you and your dog. PWDs learn more and retain more if the obedience classes are praise and/or food
motivated. Do not be afraid to use treats, you can wean him from them later on. If you can enroll in a Clicker
Training Class, do so. Clicker Training is wonderful and getting very popular. Do not be afraid to change
class instructors if you feel that the one you are using is too harsh. PWDs do not need to be "yanked and
pulled", they thrive on praise and kindness. If you need assistance with documentation to get into a class
please call LORNA -DO NATO GIVE RABIES JUST ATO GET IN – I can call and discuss with the
Instructor
These dogs are eager to please! They are WORKING DOGS! You and puppy will be much happier if you
give them something to do!! I also recommend Ian Dunbar's Sirius Puppy Training video tape (if you can find
it) immediately. It takes very little time, but a lot of consistency, to have a wonderful happy canine good
citizen.
Words to teach
OUT
Anything in dogs mouth - spit it out.
WAIT
The dog must wait until told OK to go outside or get in the car- good for
lots of things.
STAY
NO SNIFF
Don't move at all until I come back to release you.
Don't sniff at any dog or at anything on the ground.
OFF
Off the couch, Off of people - meaning get your feet off
DOWN
Means lay down, not off
POTTY
To go potty outside
KENNEL (OR BED)
Go into crate
STAND
Stand on all four feet without wiggling. Good at vets or groomers.
COME
Self explanatory
STOP
quiet.
Means stop whatever you are doing and instantly lie down and be
QUIET
Stop Barking –
Be careful not to use your "free" word (mine is OK) when you mean stop barking or stop being noisy. When
our dogs hear something and start being noisy, we say "TV" -- We used to say OK, but that word told them
that it was OK to be barking. "TV" settles them down. I almost think they understand that the noise they
heard was actually on the TV set.
The dogs are great!! Anything you do to teach them to live more comfortably with you and your family while
he is small will help you when he is older. Boys do not become “boys” until they are about 15 - 20 months
old. Some breeders will tell you not to curtail their puppy dominance "humping", especially if the dog may be
used for breeding. I personally can't (and won't) stand it and I will not let my puppies hump each other or my
leg or the neighbor or anything else. A severe reprimand isn't necessary, just a gentle "no-no" or "off" works.
When time comes for breeding, the boys will know what to do and it will never cross their minds that you told
them it was wrong when they were puppies.
The Peter Vollmer Super Puppy book is a great training aid and will help you raise the best dog you'll ever
have. We also recommend Dog Training for Dummies by Wendy Vollhard – this is a super book!
If you ever have any questions - even in the middle of the night -- call us. We'll be here to help you in any
way we can and at any time we can.
Lorna Coloccia
434-760-4792 CELL