• The PWDCA Health and Litter Database (HLD) is for the betterment of the purebred Portuguese Water Dogs breed; to have as much information as possible on the health and lineage of our breed. It is also a source of data, which may be used for any future health research on the Portuguese Water Dog.

• The PWDCA HLD is for purebred Portuguese Water Dogs only. Crosses or mixes are not allowed.
• Dogs do not have to be registered with the AKC or other registry but must be purebred Portuguese Water Dogs.
• Portuguese Water Dogs adopted via a rescue program are eligible.
• Kennel names and websites will not be listed for individuals who breed crosses or mixes.

• Anyone who owns, co-owns, or has bred or co-bred a Portuguese Water Dog may add or update any data on that dog.
• Breeders can submit any data for their own dogs and those they have bred or co-bred.
• Owners or co-owners can submit any data only for dogs they currently own.
• Pedigrees from official sources can be used to input data to make our pedigrees complete.
• Anonymous submissions of data are not accepted.
• For disputes between breeders and owners, the current owner of record where the dog resides is given preference.
• The PWDCA HLD administrators will not be responsible for resolving disputes among co-owners.

• Participating Users: those who agree to enter the health and test certificate information for dogs that they breed or own. Administrative approval is required and will necessitate entry of information for at least one PWD. Participating users will have access to all health and test certificate information for all other dogs in the HLD. Login with a User ID and Password is required.
• Guest Users: anyone accessing the HLD who is not a Participating User. Logging in is not required. Access to only very limited HLD information is available: dog names and physical characteristics, limited pedigree information and breeder and name, but no contact details. Guest users who have a purebred PWD may enter their own dog and update its health and test certificates.

• The information is provided in a file directly by the testing agency, such as the OFA Canine Health Information Center.
• The information is publicly visible on the web site of the testing agency or national kennel club (e.g., OFA or the AKC ).
• The owner or breeder provides us with an un-altered copy of the certificate issued by the testing agency.
• The owner or breeder provides us with an unaltered copy of an examination done at a clinic. (e.g., OFA testing clinics).
• The information is on a certified pedigree from an official internationally recognized registry (e.g., AKC,, CKC, KC or national kennel club).
• Results will not be displayed for DNA tests that are not direct mutation, predictive DNA tests. We will only display the fact that the dog was tested.
• Clear by Parentage is allowed for direct mutation DNA gene tests like EOPRA for one generation. What this means is:

All health/disease information is classified as "anecdotal" until the owner or breeder provides us with an un-altered copy of a written report (diagnosis or pathology) from a professional in the field. Upon receipt of verified documentation, the classification will be changed to "diagnosed." This classification system helps users and researchers evaluate the dependability of the source.

To maintain the integrity of the database, all health information will be verified by a PWDCA HLD Administrator before being visible on the site.

If you have any questions or need assistance in using the PWDCA HLD, you may contact our Administration Team at AdminTeam@pwdcahld.org.

Submission of photos of individual dogs is encouraged. Photos must primarily contain ONLY an image of the dog. Up to four photos are permitted per dog. If possible, at least one of the photos should be a side view of the dog standing. Four photos are allowed so that a dog can be seen through various stages of his/her life, like a puppy photo, a show photo (or side view), a work/play photo and a photo as an older dog.

Photos are there to provide a photographic history of the breed. Such photos are NOT to be used as a replacement for social media platforms like Facebook. Frequent replacing of photos may result in suspending photo submission privileges as it unduly taxes our administrators.

Arranging for submission of copyrighted photos is your responsibility. We will not be responsible for paying royalty fees on photos.

See our Privacy Policy page.

Limited information in the HLD is publicly available without registering to the PWDCA HLD; specifically, dog names, breeder and owner names (but not contact details), dog physical characteristics (color, coat type, etc.), but not health or DNA test certification information and limited pedigree information. Registered users (also called “health participants”) can see all breeder and owner information (to the degree permitted by each), as well as all litter and dog information (health and DNA test certifications).

• Your approved enrollment as a “health participant” will provide you with access to both the dogs you own as well as all other dogs listed in the HLD. This will also include all health conditions. The PWDCA provides the HLD solely for the purposes of individual research of health issues and for breeding decisions.
• Your account credentials should not be shared with other individuals or members of your family. You are the responsible person for complete compliance with the HLD database access database policies.
• The PWDCA disclaims any liability for the accuracy or meaning of any data provided on the HLD. HLD users agree to rely on such data solely at their own risk.
• By accessing the PWDCA HLD you agree to comply with all PWDCA HLD database policies. Data in the HLD is not to be copied or communicated, nor will you harass, threaten or create any defamatory or libelous comments in any public forum or distribute in any social media, such as Facebook.
• Any violation of these HLD database policies will be considered conduct prejudicial to the PWDCA and the breed, possibly resulting in suspension or revocation of access privileges.
• The PWDCA may initiate disciplinary proceedings against PWDCA members who violate these HLD database policies and impose sanctions allowed by the PWDCA Bylaws, including suspension or expulsion from the PWDCA. Civil actions to recover damages from, or to obtain injunctive relief to prevent the use or misuse of the data in the PWDCA HLD shall be governed by the laws of Wisconsin and be brought exclusively in the Circuit Court for Wood County, Wisconsin.

PWDCA HLD is a publicly accessible database. Members of the public are advised that inclusion of a breeder in this database is not an endorsement of that breeder, his or her breeding program, or his or her practices.

Although we do our best to ensure accuracy of data, it is always possible that human errors can occur. If you spot an error, please notify us via email at AdminTeam@pwdcahld.org and we will research the data in question and make any corrections to data we find that is incorrect.

One of our goals is to have pedigrees that are as complete and accurate as possible. We request that owners/breeders send us copies of certified pedigrees to ensure accuracy. For those cases where we do not have a certified pedigree, we can not be certain of the reliability of the information.