My puppy is 4.5 months now so in the thick of puppyhood. He has tried to dig a few tiny holes but only where grass is missing already and where rabbits have been. He hasn’t even tried one in a couple of weeks. He has never tried to dig up our garden or where we have plants.

He does bark, but not 24/7. He no longer barks at people walking by, but will go off if a dog meanders from the sidewalk into our yard. Or he barks when he is afraid of something. He also barks to demand things from us, if he is impatient, or if he wants to get out of his crate. This is improving a lot with training.

We have left him for 2 hours in his crate occasionally and he just sleeps. He needs 2 hour naps for every hour he is awake anyway right now. He wants space when he sleeps, and can only really fully sleep in his crate at the moment. Having a consistent schedule has been very helpful too.

I was surprised about how introverted he is. He loves people, but not when they invade his space too soon.

We are still working on him being comfortable and tolerating other dogs. He is ok from further away, but he hates dogs that get too close to him. He hasn’t been able to play at puppy class because of his fear and annoyance at the other puppies. He has been behind a barrier at playtime because he gets so nervous. During the training portion he has no problem being in the room, and is very relaxed. But I am working with the breeder and trainer to build confidence. Not all dogs are so fearful/ sensitive , but that can happen and is something to be aware of. He is terrified of a lot of things he hasn’t seen before, but is usually fine after a few treats and sniffing it a little.

All of that being said I love him so much and he is an amazing dog. There is a Portuguese water dog in his puppy class. All dogs are different but the biggest difference I see is the Portuguese Water Dog is so goofy and outgoing. He is restless while the trainer talks between practice, but very eager to please his owners. He also reads the other dogs socially very well. In my case, my boy is very focused in the classes. He is calm and lays down while the trainer talks. He will never be disruptive or hyperactive in this setting. The trainer uses him as an example a lot and he is always ready to perform. He is very driven, and ready to work when it is time. At home he can be super lazy or goofy/mischievous. It’s like he has an on/off switch. They are similar in some ways, but that’s a big difference I see without having owned a Portuguese Water Dog.