Yes, this. They are not “dumb” but they aren’t “pleasers.” Golden retrievers are actually ranked as fairly smart dogs but one of the main reasons they are “smart” is because they WANT to please the owner. They aren’t exceptionally intelligent, compared to other breeds like border collies. They just want to please.
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i’ve known two afghan hounds owned by horse folks. And a third that someone brought to a search and rescue training…(that was shorn btw). A horse breeding farm had several dogs, and the ONLY dog that was kept in a kennel most of the time was their afghan.
The one that came to training, the shaved one, was trainable certainly, but i found him to be ‘distracted’. He wouldn’t actually gaze off, but i could tell by his eyes that his mind was out-there/elsewhere. To get him to respond, one constantly needed to get his attention…Like preface a command with his name first, then the command. He didn’t work out mostly because he just didn’t have the right kind of agility for working on rubble…(long legs/high center of gravity…and kinda lack of attention to his foot placement). I liked him/sweet fella, just not right for the work we do.
PWDs are perfectly suited…agile like no other, even labs (which are ubiquitous in my field) PWDs…They can levitate. (traditionally folks in my breed have a running joke about them being ‘counter surfers’ because they jump up on kitchen counters and grab food–though i have NEVER had this happen…because my dogs are all trained dogs)
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If you want general PWD stories/info (as with all SM, some good, some sketchy), you can check out Portuguese Waterdogs world wide on FB. Lots of posts on there from people contemplating getting one. There are some very good breeders on there but it’s mostly regular people. There are a few other horse people on there too.
My parents had an Afghan hound. He was given to them by my sister, who received him as a pup as a gift from one of her patients. He was getting in all sorts of trouble in her village (escaping her yard and stealing food from window sills, etc) and when she got an anonymous note saying the dog would be shot on sight “next time”, she packed him up and drove him to my parents 600 kilometers away.
That dog was GREAT for my aging parents. He had a big, enclosed yard to play in, but my Dad always kept him on the leash otherwise. He was quiet, could sleep all day if there was nothing else to do, didn’t bark, was very friendly to people outside the family. They took him everywhere even to the restaurant where he parked himself under the table and never moved until it was time to leave. They LOVED that dog.
After having mutts from the SPCA most of my life (some great, some not so great dogs) , I am now partial to Std poodles. My first one was a gem and my 
dog. I never had the feeling I was training her, she was just so attentive and responsive. She was the ideal dog for me. I could take her to work with me, on trail rides, whatever. She obeyed my very thoughts. She’s been gone almost 10 years and I still miss her every day sniff
My current dog is a Std poodle on her papers but more of a Moyen (medium) size, which is a great size. She had been a breeding dog for a local Goldendoodles breeder for 3 years before I got her, so her training is not as good as my previous one - but then I think I am setting the bar too high. However, she is a very good dog. Is now obedient enough. Very social, easy going, but has a thing for fowl and chicken etc. if you’re not always watching her she will chase and kill them.
My next one I will make sure is a puppy 
so I can train her correctly from the start.
I see many PWDs when walking my dog on local trails, and they are friendly and well-behaved.
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I’ve had Standard poodles for 17 years now, never own a different breed. They are absolute characters.
Here is our latest. He is a tennis-ball fiend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6wFBrMsfvc
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My family has always had afghan hounds. My sister currently has two as well as my mom…for that you are describing you want in a dog I would not recommend an Afghan. Ours show in conformation and coursing. My sister’s can go off leash in certain situations (well watched, our land, with treats often); my mom’s cannot because she never worked with them. But they are not reliable off leash dogs. I have ridgebacks and I can call them off a deer-afghans not so much. Plus the coat care! My sister baths and grooms hers weekly, but if they go out hiking and such, they have to be groomed right away and it takes hours. If you kept them shaved then the coat care would be less, but changes the look a lot.
My mom’s has had several female afghans that do not do well with other dogs; but my sister’s are great with other dogs. However, they are with different dogs daily at work. They are all social, but can really take or leave non family members in general. They can be goofy but generally on their own agenda.
Afghans and PWD have very different personalities.
I vote standard poodle as they are one of my favorite family/do everything dogs! I grew up with standard poodles and had one myself. I just adore them. If they didn’t have to be groomed regularly I would own another. Just a happy, easy dog that did whatever I asked, loved everyone, and just easy.
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After sharing the insights with SO I think standard poodle will likely be the route we go! He prefers them slightly over the PWD and I could go with either. Having seen them in action at the training center really drew me initially 
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Hot tip: Learn to clip them yourself. It is pretty easy and pays back the outlay in saved grooming costs. Get yourself a table to save your back, and a few blades so you can swap them out during the clip (they get hot!)
I do a body clip with a #10 and face/feet/base-of-tail with #30, then scissor (or clip!) legs, topknot and tail-pom. I use Wahl KM2s, they are just magic.
And please - get one with an undocked tail. A Standard Poodle with a long tail is a thing of beauty. Tail docking needs to go the way of the dodo.
@LaurieB - this is your area of expertise! Come and spruik the joys of a poodle with me!
Oh yeah, get yourself the Melanie Travis series of doggy sleuthing books by our LaurieB. Standards are the main pup-tagonists.
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100% planning on this! Between learning to trim my horses hooves and keeping his fjord mane trimmed up…future poodles clip might not be pretty at first, but I know I will get the hang of it. Im sure doing it at home pays for itself fast, the self hoof trimming certainly has even with using hoof boots on trails. I didn’t realize their tails are docked, I would definitely opt for not having it docked 
I’ll have to check out those books! It’s going to be at least a few years before said poodle comes into our home, but it’s fun to have in the back of your mind 
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I’ve been following this thread and it seemed to me that Standard Poodle lovers had been doing a great job of singing their praises. Everyone who’s ever had a Standard Poodle knows how perfect they are.
That being said, after 20+ years of breeding and showing them, and 30+ of Poodle ownership, the only reason I don’t have a Poodle now is because I really needed a break from grooming. So I get why some people think the coat care is a problem.
Now I get my Standard Poodle fix by writing about them. (Thanks for mentioning the books!)
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Spitting image of how I clip mine.
He gets 80s leg warmers in autumn/winter (Puss in Boots boots in the back), ankle feathers in spring, and butt nekkid chicken legs in summer. But the top half is always the same.
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I love my Poodle! I can’t say enough positive things about the breed and their varieties.
Sheilah
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I also love my poodle. He’s sort of a miniature (I just measured him and he’s 15 1/2" but he came to us as a mini). He’s 11 now but hasn’t slowed down a whit. I want to get another (I’d love about the same size or an inch or so larger; he’s somehow the perfect size for us). The only thing I don’t love about him is his color (very light cream and I’ve fought tearstains for years. Angel Eyes no longer works so I have to wipe them daily). I do get him groomed but I’ve clipped him myself successfully (if you can clip a horse you can clip a poodle!) and I just bathe him and do quick touch-ups in between. We have a lot of property and he does get into burrs from time to time so I keep him fairly close-shaven, but I like most of the cuts.
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I don’t mind taking my poodle to the groomer’s every 2 months or so. I ask them to do a “natural” clip and leave her moustache Then I trim her face whenever she needs it.
It beats finding dog hair everywhere!
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We had a Whippet, a sight hound like the Afghan hound. He was a total love bug but 100% hound brain.
I have a poodle cross now and he’s the happiest, easiest dog to live with and take anywhere so I agree with the Standard Poodle idea. I worked in vet clinics for years and never, ever met a mean Standard poodle. Great breed!
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