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Whether you are a family of 5 or single, The Portuguese Water Dog or otherwise known as a “Portie” or PWD is a great dog for all, especially if you are active and love water activities. Closely related to the Spanish Water Dog or “Cao De Agua” (dog of the water) have a common ancestor with the Standard Poodle.

Breed Description

Originating from the Al Grave Region of Portugal the Portuguese Water Dog is a very intelligent, impetuous, docile, quarrelsome, brave, and obedient dog. They have a low-shedding coat of tight curls and are keen to please with high adaptability overall. PWDs are high-energy dogs with lots of enthusiasm and as their name suggests as well as their webbed feet, they love to play in the water, and their athleticism makes them always ready for exercise and activities. Typically the Portuguese Water Dog will intake roughly 2.5 – 3.5 cups of high-quality dog food daily. Originally bred to be a fisher men’s sidekick including herding fish into fishermen’s nets, retrieving broken nets, lost tackle, and moving things from boat to boat or even to the shore

The Portuguese Water Dog enjoying a boat ride.

General Information

many Portie water dogs.

Breed Coats

PWDs have a single-layered coat that does not shed, making their presence tolerable for people who suffer from dog allergies. People with dog allergies should still ask their doctor before considering the purchase of any dog.

The majority of Portuguese Water Dogs, are entirely black or black and white, brown, and silver-tipped; it is common to see white chest spots and white paws or legs on black or brown coated dogs. Parti or Irish-marked coats, with irregular white and black spots, are rare but visually striking. Parti dogs are becoming more common in the US. In Portugal, the breed standard does not allow more than 30% white markings. Overall, white is the least common coat color, while black with white markings on the chin or milk chin and the chest is the most common color.

The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Revised Standard says this for the two coat types:

Black and white Portie.

Grooming Styles

Without regular grooming, the hair on a Portie will keep growing indefinitely. Problems related to this include the hair around the eyes growing so long as to impair vision, and matting of the body causing skin irritations. For these reasons, it is important to get them groomed about every two months as well as brush the coat every other day.

The coat is usually worn in a “retriever cut” or a “lion cut”.

The lion cut

In the lion cut, the hindquarters, muzzle, and the base of the tail are shaved, with about 1/3 of the tail hair left long, also known as a flag, the rest of the body is left full length. This traditional cut originated with the fishing dogs of Portugal. The lion cut lessened the initial shock of cold water when jumping from boats, as well as providing warmth to the vitals. The hindquarters were left shaved for easier movement of the legs and the powerful tail.

The retriever cut

The retriever cut is one inch long, evenly over the body. This cut is a more recent style and originated because breeders wanted to make the breed more appealing to buyers. Sometimes owners will clip the hair of their dogs very short, especially in the summer months, in modified retriever cut.

Temperament

Portuguese Water dogs are loving, independent, and intelligent and are easily trained in obedience and agility skills. They are generally friendly to strangers and enjoy being petted.

They are working dogs, PWDs are generally okay being at their owner’s side, awaiting directions, and if they are trained, they are willing and able to follow difficult commands. They learn very quickly and enjoy the training, and have a long memory for the names of objects. These traits mean they excel at various service dog roles such as hearing dogs, and mobility dogs. They also make unusually good therapy dogs.

A Portie usually stays in proximity to its owners, both indoors and outdoors. Although very sociable animals, these dogs typically bond with one primary or alpha family member. This intense bonding arose in the breed because the dogs were selected to work in small fishing boats, unlike other working dogs such as herding dogs that range out to perform tasks. In any case, the modern PWD, whether employed as a working dog or kept as a pet the Portuguese Water Dog loves attention and prefers to be engaged in activity. This is not a breed to be left alone for long periods of time, indoors or out.

The PWD’s retrieving instinct is strong, which can give some chewing tendencies. Some PWDs may walk, hop, or dance on their hind legs when greeting or when excited. Some will stand upright at kitchen counters, especially if they smell food above. This is known as “counter surfing” and is a characteristic of the breed.

Because of their intelligence and working drive, they require regular exercise as well as mental challenges. They are gentle and patient—but not couch potatoes, and boredom can cause them to become destructive.

cute portugese water pup.

If you’re a parent you can easily recall the worry you felt when bringing home your new baby. You wanted to make sure everything was perfect, but more importantly, safe. Your puppy will be that same feeling! Your new puppy will bring so much excitement and joy when coming home for the first time. But with anything new, there are worries. All the “what if’s” or “can they have’s” can cause stress. We just want the best for them after all.  We want our pets to live like Kings and Queens! We want them to have the comfiest bed, the most fun toys, and the healthiest of foods. We love to spoil our furry friends with treats and scraps from the table. But, did you know… not all human foods are safe for your pets?

Many people have heard that when it comes to human food chocolate is a big NO. But, did you know that so are coffee and caffeine? Some foods that we think are great and are fine for us, could be life-threatening for your doggo. This blog will give you the knowledge you need to calm the questions of the “what if’s” and “can they have” on the human food list. 

1. Avoid the 3 C’s – Chocolate, Caffeine & Coffee

As we said before, chocolate is never a good idea, but neither is caffeine and coffee. These are often referred to as the “Three C’s of Toxic Pet Food”. They contain a component in the cocoa seed called methylxanthines- try saying that five times fast! If ingested this can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, seizures, and even death. While you may not be able to live without your midnight chocolate snack or your morning cup of joe.. your fido certainly can. Be sure to keep these foods out of reach of your friend.

2. Alchohol

A bit of a no-brainer here… While some may find it amusing to give dogs alcohol, it is no laughing matter. Much like in humans, alcohol can cause some serious issues. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, breathing problems, tremors, coma, and in some cases, death. This includes alcoholic beverages and food that may contain alcohol. 

3. Avacado

Avocados may be a superfood for humans but it’s super bad food for dogs! They contain persin which is not only poisonous to dogs but also, to birds and rodents. Persin can cause breathing difficulties, and fluid build-up in the lungs, and often results in death.

4. Grapes

Grapes are considered choking hazards for young children and also for your dogs. To add to that, they can cause kidney failure in canines. There’s always that one grape that falls to the floor while cleaning them and if your dog is there, they will more than likely beat you to it. If they ingest and begin vomiting, get them to a vet immediately. Even one single grape or raisin can be deadly!

5. Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are another that even in a small portion can cause big problems. Even just one can cause tremors, vomiting, elevated heart rate, and paralysis in the hind legs. Do not wait for these symptoms to occur, if you saw your doggo ingest a macadamia nut get them to the emergency vet ASAP!

6. Yeast Dough

If you’re a bread maker or enjoy baking, you know that yeast is the rising agent. Yeast dough will continue to rise in the intestines if ingested causing them to rupture. Fully cooked yeast products should not cause alarm, but still, be aware because the dough is a big “no-go”.

7. Pitted Fruit

Not only are the pits in fruits a choking hazard, but pits of peaches, plums, and apples contain cyanide! Obviously, that is dangerous. Before giving your friend some fruit, be sure to slice your fruit and discard the pits properly.

8. Salt

Too much salt isn’t good for humans, so it’s natural, that it won’t be any better for your pet. Salt can cause a life-threatening disease called sodium ion poisoning. Be sure to be cautious of how much salt is in the human food you may sneak under the table and always keep it out of reach from your pets!

9. Dairy Products

Before ordering a Puppuccino (whipped cream in an espresso-sized cup) know that dairy products can cause a severe upset stomach. Animals are only equipped to handle dairy from their own species. So, milk, cheese, and ice cream are not the best idea. There are many specialty-made dairy products for your pet to enjoy!

10. Animal Bones

Christmas is the time of giving. What’s a better gift for a dog than a bone? While there are safe options, it is important to note there are some very serious dangers in certain types of bones. You should avoid bones that splinter easily, such as cooked bones. So, any raw bone would be fine then? Not necessarily. You should also avoid pork bones, rib bones, or any bone smaller than your dog’s mouth that they can swallow. If there are splinters or broken pieces they can cause mouth lacerations and internal lacerations as well as, choking, broken teeth, vomiting and diarrhea, severe constipation, and intestinal blockages. Be sure to use caution when throwing your dog a bone! 

Ready to find your friend for life?

At Gold Star Pups, we like to educate our new owners so that they will feel confident and have their minds at ease when bringing home their new fur friend. We are always open to questions and will gladly help you gain knowledge! If you haven’t selected your pet and are just doing research that’s AWESOME! We commend you! If you feel you’re ready to add your new furry member, click the button below!

There are many dangers in a home that may not seem obvious to humans. It’s important to educate yourself to be able to provide a safe environment for your pet. If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate event where your dog may have ingested these items contact your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. You can find an additional list of toxics if you click the button below.

Additional Toxins

Contact us Today!

The adorable French Bulldog resembles the larger English bulldog in miniature, except for the large, erect “bat ears” that are the breed’s trademark feature. Their head is large and square, with heavy wrinkles rolled above the extremely short nose. The body beneath the smooth, brilliant coat is quite compact and muscular.

Bright and affectionate, a Frenchie is also quite the charmer. Dogs of few words, Frenchies don’t bark much – but their alertness makes them excellent watchdogs. They easily adapt to life with singles, couples, or families, and do not need a lot of outdoor exercise. They get along very well with other animals and enjoy making new human friends as well. It is no wonder that people fall in love with this amusing and companionable breed.

Affectionately known as “Frenchies” they are bred primarily as pets. Frenchies are remarkably intelligent and can actually serve as watchdogs as well…

The breed was developed in the mid-1800s when a small-sized Bulldog found favor in some English cities. This was at the height of the Industrial Revolution in England. The lace-making industry was among the “cottage industries” that were increasingly threatened. Many in the industry relocated to Northern France and brought along their toy Bulldogs who had become somewhat of a mascot for lacemakers and the little dogs became quite popular in the countryside.

Over a span of several decades, the toy Bulldogs were crossed with other breeds. Probably terriers and Pugs along with other breeds. Along the way developing their now-famous bat ears and were given the name Bouledouge Francais.

Paris eventually discovered the breed and before long was associated with Paris cafe life and Parisian dancehalls. By the end of the 20th century, The Frenchie’s popularity had spread across Europe and to America. The breed was a tough sell in England where the English Bulldog was a national symbol and many Englishmen were insulted that their long-time rivals, the French were trying to change the breed into something else.

American devotees in the early 19th century contributed to the breed by their insistence that the bat ear and not the “rose ear”, a strain that had persisted for a while, was the correct Frenchie type. This feature is what makes the Frenchie instantly recognizable the world over.

The ever-popular Bernedoodle is a designer breed resulting from the crossing of a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle. They were first intentionally bred in 2003 though a hybrid of these 2 breeds may have happened by accident before then. Happy, gentle, goofy, and playful, a lot of people have found the breed to be the perfect companion and family pet.

Most of the time a female Bernese Mountain Dog is bred to a male Poodle, rarely is a female Poodle bred to a Bernese Mountain Dog male.

Sizes

Bernadoodles come in several sizes. Standard, Mini, and Micro Mini. The size is normally determined by the size of the dad of the puppy. The Bernese female can be bred to either a Standard Poodle or a Miniature Poodle. Obviously, if the male is a Standard Poodle, the puppy will be a Standard Bernedoodle and can be expected to be around 55 – 70 lbs. If the male is a Mini Poodle, the puppy will be a Mini Bernedoodle and will be around 30 – 40 lbs as an adult.

Both of these would be called an F1 Bernedoodle. An F1 cross-bred puppy is a puppy that is the result of 2 purebred dogs of different breeds being bred together. If you take an offspring of the 2 different breeds of dogs bred together (an F1) and breed it back to a dog of the same breed as one of the parents, the result will be an F1B puppy.

Let’s say the dad of the F1 was a Mini Poodle, making the puppy an F1 Mini Bernedoodle, that puppy grows up and is bred to a Mini Poodle, the puppies resulting from that would be an F1B Micro Mini Bernedoodle, the smallest of the Mini Bernedoodles.

Let’s Talk about Temperament

Both the Poodle and the Bernese Mountain Dog have very friendly temperaments and love interacting with people and also with other animals. The Bernese can be very energetic and playful but they also love to just relax and chill. The Poodle is a little more high-strung and craves and loves constant attention.

Blending these 2 personalities together makes for a very people-friendly puppy that generally has a great attitude with a streak of goofiness and orneriness. The F1B puppies will tend to be even more energetic and playful since they are 3/4 Poodle and 1/4 Bernese Mountain Dog.

What About Coloring

The classic Bernedoodle has the same markings as a Bernese Mountain Dog… Mostly black with a white stripe from nose to forehead, white chin, chest, and belly. They also have white on their feet and lower legs. A classic trademark of the breed is the “rust” spots on their cheek, eyebrows, and lower leg where the dominant black coat meets the white feet. These rust-colored spots really add another dimension to their beautiful coloring.

Depending on the color genetics that the male poodle (the father) carries and passes on to the puppies, they may sometimes be a merle color or have more black and not as much rust coloring. An F1B puppy will be more likely to have less rust color and more black or even more likely to be merle colored than an F1. Finding an F1B with the classic Bernese Moutain Dog markings is sometimes harder than you would think.

No matter what color puppy you end up getting, you are sure to be pleased the with playful nature, trainability, and eagerness to please.

Table of Contents

If you are here and reading this now that must mean you’ve narrowed it down and picked out a puppy that you want to bring home. Here is the point in the process of buying a puppy, that you may not be sure on how to continue. 

First things first, when you initially choose and purchase your puppy, a deposit of 20% of the price is paid by you. When receiving your puppy, whether that means you coming to pick it up or we bring it to you, at that time we ask for the remainder of the balance to be paid in full with cash. There is, however only one exception, when we don’t have ground transportation available to your area and need to fly the puppy to you. In this case, we will send you an invoice for the final payment that needs to be paid before we ship the puppy to you. 

Visit Our Home Page


Home Page

Contact Page


Contact Us!

Shopping Cart

On Goldstarpups.com, when you click into the puppy that you choose there is a “reserve me” button, If you click on that link it will add the puppy to your Shopping Cart.

Once in your shopping cart, you will have the following options to follow,

  1. On the left side, you will see the puppy you have chosen, as well as the price, quantity, and subtotal. The right side of the form will display your basket totals including, subtotal, delivery calculations, and the total.
  2. Delivery/Local pickup: Local pickup is the default transportation, if you would like to go to the breeder’s place to pick up your new puppy you are welcome to. If you click on the shipping calculation it will bring up a menu to fill in your address and shipping info to have your puppy shipped to you. you will know it is on local pickup if there is no shipping fee applied.
  3. You can “continue shopping” if you have a second puppy that you fell in love with and you wish to reserve that one as well.
  4.  You can lastly click the “proceed to checkout” button continuing the process of buying a puppy and to go to the payment and personal info page.

Checkout Details

Upon previously clicking the “Proceed To Checkout” you are now in the “Checkout Details” tab where you will fill out the payment and personal info forms.

Buying a puppy on blog post.

Reserve Your Puppy

Once you’ve entered all the info on the form, simply click on the “Reserve Your Puppy” button and the deposit will be made. You will receive an email confirmation that you made the deposit and will also tell you the cash balance that is still remaining. If for some reason your payment doesn’t go through, check that you filled out all the info on the required fields and that the info is correct. You can always click the button below to give us a call! 

Questions & Concerns


Call today!

Our office hours are:

8 AM – 5 PM Monday – Friday,

8 AM – 12 PM on Saturdays

Sunday: Closed

(All times are EST)

     One question we get asked quite a bit is “why we require your driver’s license”? The explanation is simple we were running into the problem of people filing claims with their credit card company saying they didn’t authorize the deposit payment they had given us, so our web developer suggested we require a valid driver’s license to be entered when making the deposit.

We never share your driver’s license number or personal info with anyone besides the transportation company that delivers your puppy which is Route 62 Pet Transport. We also give them the name, address, and phone number of the people that will be receiving the puppy.

We hope this has made your process of buying a puppy go smoothly and also has helped make your experience  with us one to remember!

Let’s talk about Puppy transportation! So you chose Gold star Pups as the source for your next furry friend, but it’s too far for you to drive to North-Central Ohio to pick up your puppy, so now what? Most likely we have the solution already in place.

Who’s Our Trusted Carrier?

We work closely with Route 62 Pet Transport to get the puppies to their new homes. Route 62 Pet Transport is a locally owned professional pet transport company that takes puppy care and customer service to the next level! They are the go-to pet transporters when we need a puppy transported.

The puppies ride in style in a customized coach outfitted especially for this purpose. Each puppy has their own individual crate where they stay during the ride to its new home. They are supplied with food and water during the duration of the trip so don`t worry, your puppy will not suffer from lack of food while en route. And of course, their vehicles also have ample heat and air conditioning (depending on the season) to keep your puppy as comfortable as possible.

The Process Of Meeting Your Puppy!

We will place the transportation order with Route 62. At that time you will receive an automated text from them confirming that they received the order to transport your puppy. In that text, it also says that they will be in touch later with more details. 

Once Route 62 has your address, they will find a suitable location based on their puppy delivery route. The puppy delivery routes change on a weekly basis. The location to meet must be a public business with plenty of parking and must have security cameras. Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s right off the highway are the type of places we typically look for. They offer ample parking and always have cameras in the parking lot.

Delivery Route Maps

Route 62 picks up your puppy and takes him/her to the vet for a final physical exam to get the travel papers. Before they start their route they call you to give you the approximate time they will meet you. They then start on their route to your area and you will meet them at the designated spot to receive your puppy. They will stay in touch with you concerning any time changes that may occur because of traffic etc.

At the time of arrival, you will give whatever amount you still owe to the delivery driver that brings you the puppy and you will receive an invoice stating that the puppy is paid in full. We do ask that you pay that final balance in cash. You are then ready to go home to love and care for your new puppy for the rest of its life!

Hi there, my name is Jamin Schrock. I along with my beautiful wife own and operate Gold Star Pups LLC. We have been married for 3 years and are enjoying life among the rolling hills of Holmes County, OH. So far we don`t have any children but we are hoping God will bless us with some in the future.

So what do we do here at Gold Star Pups?

We are a sales agency representing puppy breeders. There are quite a few Amish breeders in our area that are raising Quality Puppies but in order to uphold the values of their culture, most of them don`t have access to the internet. So we help them out by posting them online and finding new homes for their puppies.

A lot of people ask us “so you`re the broker”? No, a broker would be someone buying and re-selling the puppies. We are simply the sales agency representing the breeder. Similar to what a real estate agency does, if you will.

Where does your puppy come from?

Since our goal is to provide our customers with happy, healthy puppies that have gotten a great start in life, we work only with breeders who follow the state and USDA guidelines for raising puppies.

If a breeder is unwilling to let a customer visit their home to pick up a puppy because they are afraid of what the customer will see, we will not work with them. If they need to hide something, they aren`t the type people we want to be working with.

To me its about more than just the puppies, I want to work with honest, trustworthy people that I would be comfortable getting a puppy from.

Getting your puppy if you are out of state

You can choose to take advantage of the quality transportation service provided by Route 62 Pet Transport or depending on where you`re located, you can come out to pick up your puppy yourself at the breeder`s place. I will write more about our transportation options in a later article so stay tuned.

God Bless, Jamin

Potty training your pup is all about patience, staying positive, and keeping the same routine. Your puppy will be in a strange new environment and it will take some time for him to adjust. It can seem like a large task at first but don’t fret. This process can promote great habits and create a long-lasting connection between you and your pet.

Potty training your pup with puppy and toilet

Long Term Goal

Expect the whole process to take at least six months, however in some cases it can be up to a year. There are a few things that can affect how long it will take to potty train your fluffy companion. How big is your dog? What was it like in their old home? Are you able to keep a strict schedule? The smaller the dog, the smaller the bladder. He will require trips to the bathroom more often. Breaking old habits is very difficult and can require more patience. The time you put in and the schedule you keep also has a big impact on how quickly your pup learns.

Make sure you set your expectations. There will be setbacks in the process. If you continue to enforce a schedule where you let the dog out as soon as he shows signs and reward him with treats when he does go to the bathroom. You’ll have success.

When Should I Start?

A good time to start potty training your dog is sometime around 14 weeks old. This is where he will be old enough to control his bladder.

If your puppy is 3 months old and has already developed bad habits such as going to the bathroom in his cage or not learning how to hold his pee, then expect the road ahead to take much longer and be much more difficult.

Potty Training Tips

  1. Give your dog his own personal area whether it be a crate or his own room. As your puppy learns to go outside to do his business, you can slowly give him more freedom to explore around the house.
  2. You must not let the puppy free eat and keep him on a meal schedule that is consistent every day.
  3. Take the puppy out to go to the bathroom in the morning and then once every 45 minutes or so. Always take him outside after eating. Make sure he goes out the last thing at night before bedtime.
  4. Try and take the dog to the same spot every time you take him out. This helps him build a routine.
  5. Keep him company outside to make sure he does his business.
  6. When your puppy successfully goes to the bathroom outside, praise him and reward him with a treat.

Using A Crate

A crate can be a great tool for potty training your puppy. It helps teach him how to hold it and helps you keep an eye on him so he doesn’t sneak off and go to the bathroom somewhere in your house.

Ensure the crate is large enough for the puppy to stand, turn around, and lie down, but not big enough for him to use a corner as a bathroom.
If you are using the crate for an extended period of time, make sure the puppy has water to drink. If you can’t be home during the house training period, try and arrange someone else to visit and let him out to help him build his routine.
It is not recommended to use a crate if the puppy is regularly expelling inside. This could have several meanings: he may have brought bad habits home, he may not be getting enough exercise, the crate may be too large or he may not be old enough to begin the training process.

How To Know He Needs To Go

Constant whining, pacing, barking, scratching at the door, are all signs he needs to go. If he exhibits these behaviors you should take him out immediately.

Accidents

Accidents happen very frequently with new puppies. The puppy is in a new environment and is very confused. It takes a long time for them to adjust.

When your puppy does have an accident have patience. Keep your consistent training schedule. Only then if it still doesn’t seem to be working, ask a veterinarian to rule out a medical issue.

General Rules

  1. Never punish your puppy for having an accident. All that results in is them being afraid of you.
  2. If you catch your puppy in the middle of an accident, make a loud noise like clapping to let them know they’ve done something wrong. Then take him outside immediately by calling him or taking him by a leash.
  3. If you found the accident but didn’t see the dog go to the bathroom, don’t react angrily by yelling or rubbing his nose in it. Puppies aren’t intellectually capable of connecting your anger with their accident at such a young age.
  4. Staying outside longer with the puppy may help to curb accidents. He may need the extra time to explore and get everything out.
  5. Clean up accidents with an enzymatic cleanser rather than an ammonia-based cleaner to minimize smells that might attract the puppy back to the area. If the puppy continues to smell feces in that spot he will continue to go to the bathroom there and assume it’s ok.

Commitment

Potty training a puppy takes time and commitment. Try not to lose your patience or get upset. When you feel your pet is having trouble, return to the basics. Stick to your plan and develop a routine. With positive reinforcement and love, your dog will begin to form proper habits and leave your living room floor mess-free!

Want to see what we’re up to? Check out our Facebook page or contact us today.

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