Featured photo: BISS CH ROBEL ABRAHAM OF HIGHWOOD MAOM #1 PWD 2000 and my son’s first Service Dog. Owners, Elizabeth Volz and Colin Rogers
Elizabeth Volz
1. I am Elizabeth Volz from Lugoff, South Carolina. I have been involved in many dogs sports, showing and breeding since I was seven years old; first in German Shepherd Dogs, and from 1985, in Portuguese Water Dogs. PWDs are my passion and always will be. My kennel name is ROBEL. I am considered one of the “old guards” in PWDs now, which to me is kind of funny because I don’t feel “old.”
2. My process for selecting show puppies is rigorous. At seven weeks, I do their eye exam, health check, etc. I then do temperament testing according to the Volhard Puppy Temperament Evaluation and a complete structural evaluation. My “show potential puppies” must be the top 2-3 puppies in all of these evaluations. I also use the PWD Breed Standard written in 1942 as part of my process. It is a very in-depth, precise description of a PWD. The remaining puppies are placed in service homes, performance homes, and family pet homes according to which puppy best fits that person or family’s needs.
3. First of all, Deyanne Miller and Carla Molinari are two of the major breeders who brought back the PWD from almost becoming extinct. Many other breeders were also involved, including myself. Because of this, the PWD is a breed that has excelled in dealing with their health issues. We have DNA testing for almost all of the issues in our breed. Conscientious, careful pedigree study and knowledge of our breed—what their job was and is—years of learning from other Breed Mentors, and breeding to the AKC Standard of the PWD has taken our breed to a level many thought could not be achieved with the small number of dogs we started with. We have a few things still to work on, but by and large, we are doing a good job of preserving our breed.
4. My thoughts on the sport of showing dogs as a preservation breeder today are as they were 40 years ago. You are showing your breeding program in the Conformation ring. Every generation should be consistent and better than your last generation. I always strive to show the best of my breeding program that exemplifies the PWD Standard in every way. I want judges to think when judging my breed that PWDs work a lot in the water; oceans, lakes, rivers etc. Think to yourself, could that dog save me if I was drowning? Could that dog do Search and Rescue work? Be a Service Dog for a veteran with PTSD? The PWD is the Michael Phelps of the Working Group, not the Arnold Schwarzenegger, and not a long-distance marathon runner.
5. Social media has its pluses and its minuses. It is a wonderful tool; however, it is not the be-all and end-all. Used appropriately, it is a huge help in disseminating knowledge and teaching people worldwide. Too often, however, it is being used in totally inappropriate ways that do not help or teach. We need to work on more positive avenues of social media, of which there are so many, and cut down on the negative.
6. The biggest challenge for our sport today is instant gratification. Everybody wants instant gratification. Well, you can’t pick up a tennis racket at Dick’s Sporting Goods and win the U.S. Open. It takes work, coaches, dedication, and plenty of stumbling blocks along the way. It takes time, but when you work hard, listen, and learn from the Great Mentors of our sport or your breed, along with other things, you CAN win at Westminster or your breed’s National. I know, I’ve done it. It felt even more awesome because I put in the time, dedication, and hard work to achieve it.
I do think there are too many dog shows. Too many circuits, too long, too big, and they are diluting the quality of dogs at dog shows. Big, long, powerful circuits are squashing smaller breed clubs and make it harder for them to compete. There is no time off anymore. It is taking a toll on all the clubs, competitors, judges, and dogs. Every sport has an off-season, why can’t dog shows? One month off, say, in July when it is hot and miserable, is not a terrible idea—or something like it. I think everyone would benefit from something along those lines.
7. I love this question! There are so many great, positive things that have happened in the sport over the past decade. Inclusion and diversity are at the top of the list. So many diverse people from so many different backgrounds, ethnicities, colors, orientations, etc. Women, for example, have come so far in this sport. The sport of showing dogs is for everybody now, not just the few. It is much more welcoming, encouraging to all. We do not judge; you can be you at a dog show!
