Grooming cost reference
Portuguese Water Dog grooming prices
What it actually costs to groom, board, and train a Portuguese Water Dog - a medium-sized breed with a curly coat, groomed biweekly.
- $77–$119
- Full groom Above-average cost
- $49–$77
- Bath & brush Above-average cost
- $17–$25
- Nail trim Above-average cost
- 35–60 lb
- medium · curly coat
AKC coat cost desk
Sheet PORTUGUESE-WATER-DOG · Portuguese Water Dog
- FREQ-BIWEEK Biweekly cadence
- RANK-UPPER #52/140 AKC
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.00× Poodle
- ANNUAL-$2548 ~$2,548/yr groom
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 fields
Nearest coat/cost peer: Poodle (+ 0 coat-complexity points)
Mid-pack AKC sheet: check the stamps against what a salon quotes before treating this desk as a price.
Coat/cost neighbourhood around Portuguese Water Dog
Portuguese Water Dog care affordability score
This 0-100 score rolls up Portuguese Water Dog's national standing across 4 of 4 tracked cost/complexity measures -- grooming, boarding, training cost, and coat & care complexity. Any measure without data simply drops out, with its weight redistributed rather than the score deflating; every measure is on file for Portuguese Water Dog on this build, so that redistribution never triggers.
21/100
Percentile-weighted across 4 of 4 measures
- Grooming cost
- F $98
31st percentile nationwide (higher = more affordable/easier care)
- Boarding cost
- D $45/night
ranks at the 39th percentile across all tracked breeds (higher = more affordable/easier care)
- Training cost
- F $75/session
ranks at the 0th percentile across all tracked breeds (higher = more affordable/easier care)
- Coat & care complexity
- F 1.40×
nationwide percentile 0 for this measure (a higher number means easier, cheaper care)
Each measure is benchmarked against every breed that reports it in PlainPetCare's current price model. This is a cost/complexity score, not a veterinary or health rating -- weighted grooming 35%, boarding 25%, coat/care complexity 25%, training 15%.
What this means: Portuguese Water Dog sits in the 61st percentile of modelled grooming cost depth across published breeds. This reflects coat complexity and service scope, not a quality or virtue ranking.
Portuguese Water Dog vs all breeds by full-groom midpoint
Where this breed's modelled full-groom midpoint sits among every published breed (price depth, not a virtue ranking)
$98 54th of 140 higher than 86 of 140 breeds
Breeds, banded by modelled full-groom midpoint
Each bar is a $0.001K-wide band; taller bars hold more breeds. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainPetCare grooming price model · 2026
Mid-pack groom board for Portuguese Water Dog (medium · curly)
| Service | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Bath & Brush | $49-$77 |
| Overnight Boarding | $35-$55 |
| De-shedding Treatment | $56-$91 |
| Flea Bath & Treatment | $49-$77 |
| Full Groom | $77-$119 |
| Nail Trim | $17-$25 |
| Teeth Brushing | $14-$21 |
| Training Session | $50-$100 |
Grooming guide: Portuguese Water Dog
Hypoallergenic coat needs regular professional grooming.
In practice that means a biweekly grooming cadence for most Portuguese Water Dog owners - frequent enough to keep the curly coat's shedding and matting in check without paying for a professional groom every week.
Placing Portuguese Water Dog on the national groom ladder
Among 42 medium breeds, Portuguese Water Dog is #17 by weight and #17 by AKC popularity. Coat multiplier 1.40× versus a band average of 1.22, about 0.18 above peers, so finishing time and de-matting risk sit on the expensive side of this size band.
Continue with the breed cost guide or the grooming-price walkthrough when you need cadence context beyond this AKC sheet.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Portuguese Water Dog rank among PlainPetCare breeds?
According to the American Kennel Club popularity rankings used on /breeds, Portuguese Water Dog ranks #52 of 140 published breeds (most popular first). That ordinal matches the /breeds table (popularity_rank ASC). See methodology for corpus placement.
How much does it cost to groom a Portuguese Water Dog?
A full groom for a Portuguese Water Dog typically costs $77-$119. The exact price varies with coat condition, local market, and which groomer you choose. Portuguese Water Dog dogs are medium-sized with a curly coat.
How often should a Portuguese Water Dog be groomed?
Portuguese Water Dog dogs should be groomed biweekly. They have a curly coat. Hypoallergenic coat needs regular professional grooming.
What grooming services does a Portuguese Water Dog need?
A Portuguese Water Dog typically needs Bath & Brush, Overnight Boarding, De-shedding Treatment, Flea Bath & Treatment, Full Groom, Nail Trim, Teeth Brushing, Training Session. As a medium-sized breed weighing 35-60 lbs with a curly coat, regular professional grooming keeps their coat healthy and manageable.
How much is a bath for a Portuguese Water Dog?
A bath for a Portuguese Water Dog typically costs $49-$77. This usually includes shampooing, drying, and basic brushing. Prices vary by groomer and location.
Related breeds
Nationwide breeds with similar coat work or AKC rank
Near-mean coat peers · 1.40× here
Similar AKC popularity · #52 here
Every figure on PlainPetCare is rendered directly from AKC breed data and industry pet-service pricing surveys, no number is typed in by an editor. Portuguese Water Dog's sheet models size/coat against national grooming-rate tiers (#52 of 140 · curly), not metro BLS indexes. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
Sources: AKC breed standards for Portuguese Water Dog; BLS regional cost-of-living (verify →); published national grooming-chain surveys. Methodology · grooming-price guide.
Disclaimer: Portuguese Water Dog figures are modelled national estimates for budgeting only, not a salon quote or veterinary advice. Confirm with a local provider before booking.