2. Portuguese Water Dog (Average Puppy Price: $2,500 – $2,800)
Known as Cao de Agua in Portugal, this breed is strong and well-muscled. They are capable of working in and out of water for long periods. Hence the name “water dog”.
These excellent swimmers were developed from working dogs in Iberian Peninsula. They used to help fishermen out in the sea, such as catching fish or retrieving broken nets. Some of them were even trained to carry messages from one ship to another or to the shore.
As technology improved, these dogs were not needed anymore. Hence their population declined. But Vasco Bensaude, a wealthy Portuguese, came to the rescue. He started the breed’s breeding program.
Today, these quarrelsome and impetuous dogs can even be found in the United States. A Portuguese Water Dog puppy is sold somewhere around $2,500 and $2,800.
