WORKING GROUP BREEDERS Q&A
mentoring and breeders of knowledge who will mentor new people who are willing to learn. Listening is a skill few new people seem to start with. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing I’ve ever expe- rienced with a Working Dog? Amusing. For whom? The dog? The handler? The watching population? Okay. “Tracer” was a Big Boy whose IQ matched that of a goldfish. He was very good at obedience—for food. He really liked food. A lot. I took him to a fun match where they had a “fun class.” Little kids, barely taller than the dogs, were entered in a hot dog eating contest for their pets. One boy, about five years old, didn’t have a pet and was quite distressed. I explained to the mom and “judge” that this big, hairy beastie was well-trained and that I’d be outside the ring to rescue the boy if anything bad happened. Okay. So, they had all the kids enter the ring with their dogs and have the dogs SIT beside their kid. I told Tracer to SIT, and he did… politely. He was at the back of the line, so I positioned myself by the fence and got prepared. I wasn’t well enough prepared. The judge had a bag of hotdogs. Her plan was to go down the line, give each kid a hotdog, then stand in the middle of the ring, start the contest, and declare the first dog to finish the hotdog as the winner. Right. She started at the back of the line and handed Tracer’s boy a hotdog. She turned her back and went to the next kid to hand out a hotdog. She proceeded down the line of maybe 10 kids, all the while the noise from the parents was getting louder! And kids yelling. And dogs getting excited. Tracer’s kid didn’t guard the hotdog well, so Tracer calmly took it and swallowed it when the kid waved it in front of him. His kid reacted and yelled at him, so Tracer got up and went to the next kid in line. Repeat grab/swallow. By the time the judge reached the last kid, Tracer took the hotdog right from the judge! All the kids were now gathered around the judge, yelling about Tracer taking everything! The adults outside were laughing too hard to care (myself included), and some probably had to sit down. Bless the judge. She dragged Tracer back to his position and told him to STAY, and she got all the kids back in line. This time, she delivered hotdogs from the front of the line. Tracer and his kid still won. The kid got a ribbon. Tracer still wanted dinner that night. The kids said he cheated. MARILU NOVY Where do I live? How many
#1 Bitch in Breed during 2019. Honey is the dam of “Hope,” GCH Overlook Lisiji Everything Will Bee Alright, our new star. She is showing great promise to follow those who came before her. Which have been my most influential sires and dams? The granddam of our brood is “Bee,” GCHB Aviators Blackjack Drama Queen at Overlook CD RE NAP OJP OFP WWDX CGCU TKI GROM. Bee has excelled in every ring she has entered, conforma- tion and performance. She is our beautiful foundation bitch, and the daughter of “Ladybug,” GCH Aviators Luck Be a Lady. Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Where are my puppies whelped? How are they raised? All of our Portuguese Water Dogs are raised in our homes. They receive the best care and they are introduced to different environments as they grow. For the first few weeks, they are in the nursery with supervision 24/7. It is so much fun watching these wee things grow from wobbly weevils to strong pups. What is my “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do I make my decisions? We temperament test all pups and review their structure at eight weeks. At that point in time, you have a brief glimpse of what they will look like as adults. We have spent so much time with the pups, watching their movement, temperament, and attitude, that picking a show dog is relatively easy. Having a partner in breeding is an asset, since we can evaluate each other’s litters as they grow. Our pups go to their new homes at 8-9 weeks old. They go home somewhat potty trained, leash-broken, and crate-trained. Are Performance and Companion titles important to me as a breeder? Are parent club titles? In breeding, all dogs should have some titles at one end or the other of their name. In our house, all of our dogs are trained to do what they were bred to do. We fully believe that a PWD is capable of doing just about anything. As you can see from above, they do have titles at both ends. Conformation is so important in showing that the dogs are bred to the Breed Stan- dard, and performance shows that they are capable of doing what they are bred to do. A poorly made dog cannot swim easily and has a hard time at other dog sports. When a person requesting a puppy asks for a pet puppy, they need to understand that they really want that show dog. They are the best dog for them because they are built according to their Breed Standard. As breeders, we strive for an entire litter of show puppies. Are they all placed in show homes? Of course not, but they are placed in great homes. After all, even a campaigned show dog is first a loving house pet! Is my breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own my breed? Portuguese Water Dogs are as won- derful as they can be, but they are not for everyone. They are defi- nitely not for the first-time pet owner. Naturally, there are excep- tions, but they are head-strong as puppies with the goal of wrapping you around their finger. They are for active families, as they need a job to do. Ninety percent of all water dogs are not couch potatoes. They are the rulers of your home. Always work with a breeder in water dogs who is willing to mentor a family through their first months at home. We are with the puppies throughout their lives. Do I feel that my breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? There are many great breeders of Portuguese Water Dogs. We are working to improve the breed through health, structure, and movement. It is important to recognize the entire dog. The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America and the Portu- guese Water Dog Foundation are continuing to strive to improve the health of the dogs. The unfortunate part of our breed is the surge of Internet breed- ers. These are not preservation breeders and do not follow the guidelines of the PWDCA on health, breeding underage dogs—all for a profit. They are not helping the breed. Always go with repu- table breeders through word-of-mouth, the Breeders List on the PWDCA website, and recommendations from PWD owners. A well-bred dog will be your companion for many years.
years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? Currently, I live in Colum- bus, Georgia, with four Portuguese Water Dogs, an antique Border Col- lie, and an antique Husband. I have been in purebred dogs for 22-plus years and breeding for 20 years. What is my kennel name? How many dogs do I currently keep? I
have bred under the kennel name of Overlook Portuguese Water Dogs. In recent years, I have changed to Overlook Lisiji Portuguese Water Dogs, as CJ Farve and I have formed a partnership with our breeding program. Which show dogs from the past have been my noteworthy win- ners? We have been fortunate to have had a number of top PWDs that came to us at the guidance of our mentors, Colville and Ann Jackson, including “Jackson,” BVIS GCH Belaluna Ferncliff Jack- son RA JWD AOE AOM. This beautiful silver boy reached #3 Breed and All-Breed in his show career. Jackson was awarded an Award of Merit at Westminster. He is the sire of “Honey,” GCHP Overlook Lisiji Meant to Bee DN ACT1 CGC AOM, who reached
194 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022
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