hair not fur, strong swimmers with webbed feet. 

PWD's have hair not fur and thus are hypoallergenic and do not shed.  Black, white and chocolate in any combination. 

Just like us hair needs to be combed, conditioned and cut regularly.

There were only 25 PWD's in existence at one time

Nearly extinct the breed was said to be saved by a Portuguese business man, Vasco Bensaude, in the 1930's.  After seeking the breed from a fisherman a breeding program began. Due to his efforts the once rare breed has been rebuilt and today families like the Kennedy's and Obama's enjoy their companionship.

Portuguese water dogs as a breed 

Portuguese Water Dogs also known as Porties, PWD's or Cao de Agua were officially recognized in 1983 by the American Kennel Club. 

It is not exactly known were the ancient PWD comes from.  The first written description was in 1297 by a monk's recount of a sailor being saved from the sea by his black curly haired Water Dog.  It is believed the modern day Poodle, Kerry Blue Terrier and Irish Water Spaniel are all ancestors.

intelligence sensitivity and ability to master complex commands

Officially known as a working class dog, they are now used in a variety of service settings including predicting owners epileptic seizers, autistic children, hearing impaired, therapy, hunting and of course a boaters best friend.

Originally fisherman trained PWD's to retrieve tackle, nets and heard fish and as a messenger from ship to ship and ship to shore.  Guard dog and companion these seafarer's pulled their weight.