Marilu Novy
1. My name is Marilu Novy. I live in Columbus, Georgia, with five Portuguese Water Dogs, and I have been breeding for almost 25 years. My kennel started out as Overlook Portuguese Water Dogs. Over the years, and a merger with CJ Favre, our breeding program now goes under the kennel name Overlook Lisiji.
2. In selecting puppies for Conformation, we watch them closely over the first eight weeks of their lives. We look for balance, movement, drive, and a good temperament. At eight to nine weeks, we have an outside person come and evaluate the litter. Hopefully, they see what we see. When evaluating a Performance puppy, we follow the same procedure. If a puppy is not conformationally correct they will not be able to work in the sports that we ask them to do. With Portuguese Water Dogs, we need good conformation to give them the capability to swim and function effortlessly in the water.
3. Over the last several years, the breed has improved in several areas such as a well-developed chest and a better underjaw. Where we still need improvement is the rear assembly. The rear movement needs to be watched. It truly will assist your dog in the water and will allow effortless movement in the show ring.
4. As we are bringing new judges into the sport, we need to continue to stress that they need to get their hands on the dogs. For Portuguese Water Dogs, they should never be faulted on hair type. Currently, the trend is towards more curly coats. These are very easy to sculpt the dog you want. Thus, back to putting your hand on the dog. You can find what is under that coat. Also, judges, do not take your hand over the top of the head upon introduction, go from the side. It will relax the dog for a better examination.
Concerning shows, clubs are doing a great job of working with exhibitors and trying to make shows an enjoyable experience. They are working to put on a show that is for all dogs, drawing in more “pet” dogs for events such as Dock Diving and Barn Hunt as well as so many more. For improvement, they need to evaluate their judging panels to have a judge who will bring in the entry. Then, assure that there is ample space for a larger entry.
Concerning shows, clubs are doing a great job of working with exhibitors and trying to make shows an enjoyable experience. They are working to put on a show that is for all dogs, drawing in more “pet” dogs for events such as Dock Diving and Barn Hunt as well as so many more.
5. Social media is both harmful and good for the sport. Brags and congratulations are wonderful and promote certain shows and judges. However, on the other side, one bad apple can cause people to believe that an entire show was awful based on one comment. People put too much faith into what is put on social media.
6. In order to grow, more clusters need to be developed. It is easier to stay in one spot over several days rather than a two-day show. Back-to-back shows at a single location will also help. The other side is that we need to do a better job at mentoring our younger exhibitors as well as the newbies to the sport.
7. The changes that have been made on allowing Regional Specialties have brought the entry numbers up in some breeds. Efforts to form good club alliances has also made entries move up.
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