Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever vs Portuguese Water Dog

Compare the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever to the Portuguese Water Dog. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers and Portuguese Water Dogs.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog are good choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog are great with children.
Grooming - The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is easy to groom while the Portuguese Water Dog has moderate grooming needs.
Barking - Both breeds will bark frequently, but the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever has the highest tendency to bark between the two.

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Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever vs Portuguese Water Dog

Breed Name	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Portuguese Water Dog
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	Yes
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	10-14 yrs.
Height	17-21 in.	17-22 in.
Weight	35-52 lb	35-60 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	Canada	Portugal
Origin Year	1945 AD	1297 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Very Good	Good
Personality
	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Stubborn Willing To Please	Enjoys Attention Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	No	No
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	No	No
Medium Yard	No	No
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	30°F to 70°F	40°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	Very High	High-Very High
Exercise Required	Very High	High-Very High
Top Running Speed	22 mph	22 mph
Strength	Medium-High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Low	Medium-High
Shedding	Medium	None
Dander	Medium	None-Low
Drool Amount	None-Low	None

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Portuguese Water Dog
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	Yes
Independent	No	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	Yes	No
Average	Yes	No
Focused & Patient	No	Yes
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Average	Below Average
Chasing	Average	Below Average
Follow Commands	Very Low	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Below Average
Guarding	Below Average	Below Average
Herding	Very Low	Very Low
Hunting	High	Below Average
Protection	Below Average	Average
Remove Vermin	Very Low	Very Low
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	Average	High

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Portuguese Water Dog
Lifespan
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	10-14 yrs.

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Portuguese Water Dog
Coat
Hair	Yes	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	No
Smooth Coat	Yes	No
Curly Coat	No	Yes
Single Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Shaggy	Yes	No
Straight	Yes	No
Wavy	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Medium	Yes	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Golden Red	Yes	No
Red	Yes	No
Black	No	Yes
Brown	No	Yes
White	No	Yes
White Markings	No	Yes