water dog
Americannoun
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a dog that swims well or is trained to retrieve waterfowl in hunting.
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Informal. a person who feels at home in or on the water.
noun
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a dog trained to hunt in water
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informal a dog or person who enjoys going in or on the water
Etymology
Origin of water dog
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sonny, the star Portuguese water dog, went nosing around for a girlfriend when he was supposed to be attending to press obligations in the Long Island living room of his professional dog-show handler, Kimberly Calvacca.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026
Books have also been written about President Barack Obama’s white-chested Portuguese water dog, Bo.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 27, 2024
Barack Obama had Bo, the Portuguese water dog who made good on the promise Obama made to his daughters after the 2008 election and was emblematic of a young family’s arrival in the White House.
From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2021
Sisters, friends and pastors drop by regularly with food, water, dog food, eyeglasses and McDonald’s gift cards.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2019
And Cha-Cha, the water dog, bustled over carrying a sloshing bucket in her mouth.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
