Portuguese Water Dogs rally for competitions

This year's Portuguese Water Dog national specialty competition will begin Sunday in Rhode Island. The competition events will unfold at venues in Warwick and Lincoln Woods through Friday.

The competition is organized by the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, and it attracts the many lovers and owners of this robust and likeable dog.

The Portuguese Water Dog was once a working dog, a rugged and adept swimmer of the seas. Called Cao de Agua in Portugal, this was a dog that could dive and fish.

The dog is medium-sized, with a wavy or curly coat. It stands 20 to 22 inches and weighs 42 to 55 pounds. It has a fluffy mop of hair around its head and a long, curled tail. It can be black, brown or white, or a mixture of black and white, or brown and white. It looks like a cross between a poodle and an Irish water spaniel. Its personality is spirited yet obedient. It is a congenial dog that loves its "crew mates."

Portuguese Water Dogs were first developed along Portugal's Algarve coast.

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The dogs were owned by fishermen who trained them to retrieve damaged fishing nets or tackle that had fallen off their boats. The dogs learned to guard these fishing boats, as well as carry messages to shore, or from fishing boat to fishing boat. This was a time when there were no radios or any other communications. The dogs knew how to stand watch on board ship and were able to warn fishermen of the dangers of upcoming fog. They were also capable of herding schools of fish towards the fishermen's nets.

The importance of the dog to the Portuguese fishermen declined with the advent of radios and radar communication. Because they were gradually replaced by modern marine technology, they became almost extinct. In recent years, they have made a comeback in this country because of the efforts of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America.

Jane Freeman, the president of Nutmeg, the club's New England organization, said that she expects 400 dogs to participate in the Providence event, coming from all over the United States, from Canada and Great Britain.

The dogs will compete in water trials, which will take place Sunday and Monday.

"These tests replicate the work they did on boats," said Ms. Freeman. The courier level test is the most difficult, a testimony to the time when the dogs swam to carry messages from one fishing boat to another. The dogs will also compete in retrieving items in the water. Stamina and endurance are ways that they will be judged.

Lincoln Woods, with its lake, its sandy beach and its exercise fields, is the venue for the water trials. The other events (agility, conformation, obedience, etc.) will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. All the events are open to the public, with no admission charge.

For the Lincoln Woods water trials drive on Interstate 95 North out of Providence. Take the exit for Route 146 north. From Route 146, take the exit marked Lincoln Woods State Park and follow the signs to the park and trial site.

For the other events, taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick Take Interstate 95 South from Providence. Take Exit 12A. The Crowne Plaza is at the intersection of Route 117 and 113, just off the exit.

The water trials will take place from 9 a.m. to approximately — p.m. Sunday and Monday.

For information regarding the other events, call the Crowne Plaze Hotel, (401) 732-6000.