How often should I groom my Portuguese Water Dog?

Portuguese Water Dogs should be groomed every 6-8 weeks. Consistent grooming keeps their wavy or curly single coat (no undercoat) healthy and prevents painful matting.

How difficult is Portuguese Water Dog grooming?

Portuguese Water Dog grooming is rated "Hard". While experienced owners can manage at home, professional grooming assistance is beneficial for Portuguese Water Dogs.

What type of coat does a Portuguese Water Dog have?

The Portuguese Water Dog has a wavy or curly single coat (no undercoat) coat. Brush the coat two to three times per week with a slicker brush and finish with a metal comb — while the single-layer coat is less mat-prone than Poodle or Doodle coats, the curly or wavy texture still tangles, particularly in the armpits, collar zone, and behind the ears.

What are the most popular grooming styles for Portuguese Water Dogs?

Popular Portuguese Water Dog grooming styles include: Lion Clip, Retriever Clip, Teddy Bear Clip. Each style has different maintenance requirements.

All Breeds

Hard

Portuguese Water Dog

The Portuguese Water Dog — the Portie — is an ancient working breed from Portugal's fishing communities, bred to herd fish into nets, retrieve lost tackle, and carry messages between boats. Their coat is one of the most distinctive in the herding and working group: a single-layer coat with no undercoat that comes in either a wavy or a tightly curled variety, both of which are low-shedding and often considered hypoallergenic. The coat grows continuously and requires regular clipping or trimming, but its single-layer structure is less prone to severe matting than double-coated curly breeds.

Coat Type

Wavy or Curly Single Coat (No Undercoat)

Groom Every

Every 6-8 weeks

Styles Available

3 cuts

Cuts & Styles

Grooming Styles

Lion Clip

The traditional working clip for the breed — the hindquarters are clipped close from the last rib to the tail, and the tail tip is left with a small tuft. The front of the body, head, and legs are left in full coat. This distinctive clip historically allowed the dog to swim more powerfully with the less-resistant hindquarters.

Retriever Clip

The entire coat is scissored to one inch all over the body, giving an even, sporting silhouette. The most common pet clip for Portuguese Water Dogs — practical, neat, and much easier to maintain than the lion clip.

Teddy Bear Clip

A softer, rounded version of the retriever clip where the coat is scissored to a consistent length with rounded shaping on the face and a uniform fluffy finish. Popular with pet owners who want a softer, more casual look than the traditional retriever clip.

Expert Advice

Care Tips

Brush the coat two to three times per week with a slicker brush and finish with a metal comb — while the single-layer coat is less mat-prone than Poodle or Doodle coats, the curly or wavy texture still tangles, particularly in the armpits, collar zone, and behind the ears.
The Portuguese Water Dog's love of water is their defining characteristic, but a wet coat that isn't thoroughly dried can develop mats and skin irritation under the curls — always dry completely after swimming, paying particular attention to skin contact zones.
Trim the hair around the ears and clean the ear canal regularly — Porties are heavy swimmers and the combination of water, earflap hair, and warmth creates ideal conditions for ear infections if ear hygiene is neglected.
The curly variety of Portuguese Water Dog coat is more mat-prone than the wavy variety — if your dog has a tight curl pattern, increase brushing frequency and consider a shorter clip length to reduce maintenance burden.
Portuguese Water Dogs are highly intelligent and can be taught to accept and even enjoy grooming — investing time in positive reinforcement grooming training from puppyhood creates a dog that is easy to groom for life.

Recommended Tools

What you'll need

Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush

Brush

The gold standard for poodles and doodles. Features long pins that penetrate deep into dense coats to remove tangles and fluff the hair.

$60 - $75

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Miller's Forge Quality Nail Clipper

Nail Care

Used by professional groomers worldwide. Made of high-quality Italian stainless steel with a heavy-duty spring for clean, sharp cuts.

$10 - $15

Buy on Amazon →

Bio-Groom Ear-Fresh Medicated Ear Powder

Tool

Helps keep ears dry and reduces odor. Makes hair pulling easier for breeds that require ear plucking.

$10 - $15

Buy on Amazon →

*As an Amazon Associate, Groomas earns from qualifying purchases.

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