Portuguese Water Dogs Stroll and Swim in Portimão, 20th April, 2008

ON Sunday 20th April Portimão will host Portuguese water dogs beauty contests and water trials.

The beauty contest will take place in Portimão’s Praça Manuel Teixeira Gomes (near the Riverside Area) from 10AM.

The water trials will take place in the afternoon at the beach by the marina and will consists of 3 different practical tests:

- Swimming ability, Retrieval of an object thrown into the water & Diving and retrieval of a submersible object (where the dog dives to retrieve a sunken object).

A wonderful event & show for all dog lovers and admirers of these beautiful dogs!

Note: Outside this event please make your way to Olhão (east Algarve) and to the Environment Education Centre of Marim. The Centre has a kennel specializing in the Portuguese Water Dog! And is well worth a visit.

Tel. 965 827 149; www. http://www.caodaguapt.org/
Location: The Centre is located between Olhão & Tavira on the EN 125 sign posted “Ria Formosa”

Portuguese water dogs (Wikipedia)
'Water dogs were taught to herd fish into Fishermans' nets, to retrieve lost tackle or broken nets, and to act as couriers from ship to ship, or ship to shore.'

'Portuguese Water Dogs rode in bobbing trawlers as they worked their way from the warm Atlantic waters of Portugal to the frigid fishing waters off the coast of Iceland where the fleets caught saltwater codfish to bring home.'


Links:

Portuguese Water Dog (Wikipedia)

Portuguese Water Dog Kennel in Ria Formosa

Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (in Portuguese)
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For a memorable stay at Praia da Rocha, Algarve !