Portuguese Water Dog: A Pantsless Pup?

Where are that dog’s pants?

This was my first thought when I saw this year’s Best of Group winner, representing the Working Group in the ring at this year’s Westminster dog show. She was a Portuguese Water Dog named Luck Be a Lady.

The name seemed a bit ironic to me. It seems like any true working dog would tell you that to win Best in Group takes more than just luck.  To beat out the competition, a dog has to exemplify the characteristics of his or her breed and group. Plus, it must possess a little something special to make it stand out in the crowd of just dogs. So maybe that’s the luck that the name invokes.

But lady? She’s not wearing any pants—or calças, as they say in Portuguese.

Portguese Water Dogs, or Porties as they’re affectionately known, are styled with heavy top that looks like a plush wooly sweater of thick black curly fur—and bare shaved smooth bottoms.  The cut is designed to protect the dog’s upper body when it initially hits the cold water, but it leaves the back legs free for swimming (Porties also have webbed feet that make them excellent swimmers).

Still, the juxtaposition makes them look not only inadequately dressed, but actually a bit indecent. As if there had been some kind of wardrobe malfunction that had gone viral throughout this entire breed.

The type of dog may sound familiar because this is the same breed that Sasha and Melia Obama received, as promised by there father in his 2008 acceptance speech.  Bo, the First Dog, however doesn’t sport the traditional cut.

My guess is that the current administration decided if a dog had to be in the White House, he’d better keep his pants on.

If you missed it last earlier this month, you can watch Paolo Dondina of Monterchi, Italy judge the final round here.