Water dog trials
The Portuguese Water Dog, past and present, is a working breed. As a working crew member on Portuguese fishing vessels, tasks included retrieving overboard objects, carrying messages, swimming fishing floats into place, and guarding the boats, nets, and catch when in port. The successful completion of these tasks required teamwork between dog and owner. The PWDCA water trial program provides a context in which to record our present efforts to preserve the past and insure the future of this noble working water dog.
In order to preserve these qualities and maintain the future of the breed's natural instincts, the PWDCA designed a series of water work exercises, which reflect the historical working background of the Portuguese Water Dog. These exercises not only showcase the dog’s working abilities, but also enhance the working relationship between dog and owner.
In order to preserve these qualities and maintain the future of the breed's natural instincts, the PWDCA designed a series of water work exercises, which reflect the historical working background of the Portuguese Water Dog. These exercises not only showcase the dog’s working abilities, but also enhance the working relationship between dog and owner.
obedience
Obedience training is the process of teaching a dog a series of commands, such as "come", "sit", "stay", and "heel". Most obedience trainers use a variety of very positive techniques to stimulate a dog to learn a command. These positive techniques serve to make each training session fun and rewarding for the trainer and the dog.
All Portuguese Water Dogs need basic obedience training to be good companions. Basic obedience gives every owner the tools to train his dog to be well-mannered at home or away, and with people of all ages, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. In addition to teaching the dog to learn basic skills, obedience also helps the dog to learn focus and helps to promote a strong bond between owner and dog.
After learning basic obedience, many owners enter AKC or UKC Obedience trials to demonstrate their skills and to earn titles. The dog and handler teams are judged on how accurately and quickly they perform the required exercises.
All Portuguese Water Dogs need basic obedience training to be good companions. Basic obedience gives every owner the tools to train his dog to be well-mannered at home or away, and with people of all ages, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. In addition to teaching the dog to learn basic skills, obedience also helps the dog to learn focus and helps to promote a strong bond between owner and dog.
After learning basic obedience, many owners enter AKC or UKC Obedience trials to demonstrate their skills and to earn titles. The dog and handler teams are judged on how accurately and quickly they perform the required exercises.
Rally
Think of an AKC Rally event as any team sport: You and your dog navigate a course, side-by-side, as you steer him through a course of 10-20 different signs. Each of these signs provides instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. The dog and handler move continuously throughout the course with the dog under control at the handler’s left side. There is a clear sense of teamwork between the dog and handler both during and between the numbered signs. Although each performance is timed, having a good race time is not the goal; it’s all about working as a team while performing the skills, with the dog under control.
Agility
Agility training and competitions offer exciting, challenging exercise for the minds and bodies of Portuguese Water Dogs and their handlers. Working together to navigate jumps, tunnels, weaves, and other obstacles, PWD and human teams work together to move quickly and accurately through courses of varying degrees of difficulty, achieving different titles at different levels.
With their exuberance and athleticism, PWDs have proven to be excellent agility dogs. Many have achieved advanced titles in high levels of competition. Several PWDs have earned the AKC Master Agility Champion (MACH) title and beyond!
With their exuberance and athleticism, PWDs have proven to be excellent agility dogs. Many have achieved advanced titles in high levels of competition. Several PWDs have earned the AKC Master Agility Champion (MACH) title and beyond!
Barn hunt
Dogs of many breeds (including PWDs) are capable of performing the tasks to search for rats; don't let terriers take all the glory for hunting vermin!
Dogs and their handlers work as a team to locate and mark rats (which are always safely held in aerated tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales. Can your dog do Barn Hunt? As long as your dog can fit through an 18″ wide bale-height tall tunnel, he’s eligible! Barn Hunt is designed to test the nose, speed, agility, and surefootedness of the competitors.
Barn Hunt events include a pass/fail instinct class for owners who want to familiarize their dog with the test. Advanced courses are made increasingly difficult by adding more obstacles, additional diversions, and more rats to find.
Dogs and their handlers work as a team to locate and mark rats (which are always safely held in aerated tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales. Can your dog do Barn Hunt? As long as your dog can fit through an 18″ wide bale-height tall tunnel, he’s eligible! Barn Hunt is designed to test the nose, speed, agility, and surefootedness of the competitors.
Barn Hunt events include a pass/fail instinct class for owners who want to familiarize their dog with the test. Advanced courses are made increasingly difficult by adding more obstacles, additional diversions, and more rats to find.
Conformation
Conformation is what most people think of when they hear "Dog Show." Conformation events are important for evaluating dogs for future breeding to preserve the standard of the Portuguese Water Dog. Attending a dog show is a wonderful way to learn more about the breed and to meet breeders and handlers who are dedicated to showcasing quality Portuguese Water Dogs. To find a show in your area, contact your local PWD Club.
Scent Work
The sport of Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scent Work, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge.
In so many dog sports the handler is in control but this isn’t true in Scent Work. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog, and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scent Work, it is the canine who is the star of the show.
In so many dog sports the handler is in control but this isn’t true in Scent Work. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog, and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scent Work, it is the canine who is the star of the show.
Search and Rescue
Search and Rescue Sport (IPO-R) is an FCI sanctioned sport that has many similarities to IGP (Schutzhund) and is an ideal supplement to that as well as AKC tracking, obedience, and agility. Trials consist of two phases – a search phase and an obedience and dexterity phase. There is no bite work.
The sport has 3 levels, an introductory level (V) and the more professional levels, A and B. At each level, you can trial and earn titles in all the different search options. Furthermore, you can do only search work or only obedience and dexterity at a trial if you prefer.
The sport has 3 levels, an introductory level (V) and the more professional levels, A and B. At each level, you can trial and earn titles in all the different search options. Furthermore, you can do only search work or only obedience and dexterity at a trial if you prefer.
Tracking
Tracking takes the concept of canine search and rescue and creates a performance event for our dogs. Undoubtedly you’ve seen movies with dogs following an escapee or lost person. These tests allow dogs to demonstrate their ability to recognize and follow human scent in various environments.
Fast CAT
Fast CAT® – which stands for Coursing Ability Test – is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs run one at a time, chasing a lure. It’s over before you know it — and it’s nothing short of awe-inspiring to watch your dog run at top speed, ears back, eyes focused, legs strong.