Portuguese Water Dog Club of America National Specialty
Rend Lake, Illinois
September 12 - 17, 2009
Rend Lake, Illinois
September 12 - 17, 2009
This year's National Specialty at Rend Lake, Illinois proved to be an unforgettable mix of fun, hard work, renewing old friendships and making new ones. The venue was great and the weather seemed to be tailor made for an outdoor specialty. Sunny and warm each day.
I made the trip with Barb Crowther as I had last year to Rhode Island. This year we needed two cars as we took five dogs with us. My beautiful oldest girl, Toz, and Pirate traveled with me in my van. Barb brought her oldest boy, Aidan, her Bandit and our youngest boy, Mister.
We arrived in time to head down to Rend Lake and practice our water trial skills with Pirate and Mister before the actual trials on the weekend. The practice went very smoothly. We decided we were ready!
I made the trip with Barb Crowther as I had last year to Rhode Island. This year we needed two cars as we took five dogs with us. My beautiful oldest girl, Toz, and Pirate traveled with me in my van. Barb brought her oldest boy, Aidan, her Bandit and our youngest boy, Mister.
We arrived in time to head down to Rend Lake and practice our water trial skills with Pirate and Mister before the actual trials on the weekend. The practice went very smoothly. We decided we were ready!
On Saturday, September 12, we were up bright and early and headed down to the lake for Pirate's Working Water Dog test. Pirate has practiced and performed all the exercises without a problem. Now was the time to show his stuff.
Everything was going great.The first exercise was the gear bag retrieve. No problem! It is Pirate's favorite thig to do, after all. After boarding the boat, I sent him out to retreive the dummy back to me. Perfect jump and quick delivery to my hand. On to the third exercise. I tossed three articles into the water ( a dummy, floating buoy and the long float line). Pirate jumped off the boat into the water and retrieved all three. I helped him back into the boat and we set our sights on the next exercise. This was going great! This next exercise required Pirate to jump into another boat, sit and wait while he is rowed away from me, and then, on command, jump into the water, retreive a dummy and bring it back to me in the first boat.
Pirate had done this numerous times with no mistakes. Unfortunately, this was to be the time he ran into difficulty. After boarding the other boat and starting to row away from me, he heard a whistle and a yell from the other trial area and must have read that as a release from me. He jumped too early and was unable to finish his attempt.
I was very proud of my boy, though, and next spring we will be back in a lake somewhere getting his Working Water Dog title!
Everything was going great.The first exercise was the gear bag retrieve. No problem! It is Pirate's favorite thig to do, after all. After boarding the boat, I sent him out to retreive the dummy back to me. Perfect jump and quick delivery to my hand. On to the third exercise. I tossed three articles into the water ( a dummy, floating buoy and the long float line). Pirate jumped off the boat into the water and retrieved all three. I helped him back into the boat and we set our sights on the next exercise. This was going great! This next exercise required Pirate to jump into another boat, sit and wait while he is rowed away from me, and then, on command, jump into the water, retreive a dummy and bring it back to me in the first boat.
Pirate had done this numerous times with no mistakes. Unfortunately, this was to be the time he ran into difficulty. After boarding the other boat and starting to row away from me, he heard a whistle and a yell from the other trial area and must have read that as a release from me. He jumped too early and was unable to finish his attempt.
I was very proud of my boy, though, and next spring we will be back in a lake somewhere getting his Working Water Dog title!
On Sunday, September 13, Mister was signed up for his Apprentice Water Dog trial. We were up bright and early and off to the water site. Barb was able to watch a few dogs go through their exercises before she was to go in the water with Mister. She thought the biggest challenge of the morning was going to be the bright, low sun that made it very difficult for the dogs to see the objects being thrown into the water. That proved to be difficult, but the hardest part for Mister was to stay focused on his exercises and not run over to play with the other Portuguese Water Dogs in the trial site next to us! Our young boy did a fantastic job and ended the morning with his Apprentice Water Dog title! This National Specialty was off to a great start for Mister.
Monday, September 14 was a busier day for us. Pirate, Toz and Aidan were in Veteran Sweepstakes and Barb had entered Aidan, Bandit and Mister in Agility. Pirate and Aidan were first in the Veterans ring in the 7-10 year dog class. Aidan had a wonderful time and Barb was very proud of how her old boy showed off. Pirate never missed a beat. He was gorgeous. The class was very strong and in the end, Pirate took a fourth place finish behind three former National Best of Breed Champions. Bravo!
Toz was entered in the 13 years and over class. My old girl was really on her game. She had a ball. The hardest part for me was trying to keep her calmed down. She thought this was the best game she had played in a long time. She won the first place ribbon in her class. Way to go, Toz!
Agility was a lot of fun for Barb and her boys, but no qualifying runs. Just a lot of great photos thanks to Amy Ewald.
Toz was entered in the 13 years and over class. My old girl was really on her game. She had a ball. The hardest part for me was trying to keep her calmed down. She thought this was the best game she had played in a long time. She won the first place ribbon in her class. Way to go, Toz!
Agility was a lot of fun for Barb and her boys, but no qualifying runs. Just a lot of great photos thanks to Amy Ewald.
Tuesday was a day full of Conformation showing and performance. Pirate was in Veteran dogs, but unfortunately did not place that day. Aidan, Bandit and Mister all ran agility once more, but again with no successful qualifying runs. Mister had his Rally Obedience trial and earned his second Advance Rally leg. Whoo!Hoo! Mister!
Our evening was spent at a wonderful banquet provided at the host hotel and ended with the Parade of Seniors. My Toz got another chance to strut her stuff and she did not disappoint. She had a ball in front of all the guests and received a beautiful big ribbon for her participation.
Our evening was spent at a wonderful banquet provided at the host hotel and ended with the Parade of Seniors. My Toz got another chance to strut her stuff and she did not disappoint. She had a ball in front of all the guests and received a beautiful big ribbon for her participation.
Wednesday, September 16, was the day for all bitch classes including regular Veteran bitches, so Toz was primped and ready to show off one more time! She once again had a great time playing to the gallery and the judge. She had some wonderful old girls in the class with her. I was very happy to receive her third place ribbon and another beautiful trophy for my mantel.
Barb had Mister entered in Novice Obedience. This was a very difficult task for all the Novice dogs. The morning was breezy, sunny and cool. Perfect portie playing weather! Mister's nose was wiggling the whole way through his test, but thanks to a wonderful long sit and long down, he did enough to earn his second leg towards his Novice Obedience title. One more qualifying leg for him and Mister will have yet another title.
Barb had Mister entered in Novice Obedience. This was a very difficult task for all the Novice dogs. The morning was breezy, sunny and cool. Perfect portie playing weather! Mister's nose was wiggling the whole way through his test, but thanks to a wonderful long sit and long down, he did enough to earn his second leg towards his Novice Obedience title. One more qualifying leg for him and Mister will have yet another title.
Thursday was the last day of our Specialty. Mister was entered in the Best of Breed competition in a field of over 100 dogs. He did a great job on his first time around the ring, but failed to make the cut, so Barb's day was cut rapidly short. However, she did get to sit with us and watch the rest of the truly wonderful dogs that were representing our breed that day.
The specialty ended with an Awards Banquet where we were able to visit one last time with all the great friends (old and new) from all over the country and even abroad who we are only able to see at Specialties and make plans to meet up at the next Specialty in California in 2010. Once again we had a memorable week. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
The specialty ended with an Awards Banquet where we were able to visit one last time with all the great friends (old and new) from all over the country and even abroad who we are only able to see at Specialties and make plans to meet up at the next Specialty in California in 2010. Once again we had a memorable week. I would do it again in a heartbeat!