View as Webpage

Vol XII, Issue #1 - Winter Edition, 2026

Location: Jumping Chollas Agility

Trial Secretary: Lauren McDermott

You can find out all about Fetch at: https://www.akc.org/fetch/ 

RSPWDCAZ 2026 Phoenix Concurrent Specialty

SAVE THE DATE!

Phoenix Concurrent Specialty

January 31, 2026

• Sahuaro State Kennel Club at the Heart of the Desert Classic, January 30, 2026 - February 2, 2026
• Arizona State Fairgrounds, Phoenix, AZ
• Event Chair: Lynn Nelson

• January 17, 2026, at 3pm (MST) via ZOOM
  Annual RSPWDCAZ Membership & Board Meeting

On Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Pima County Fairgrounds we had...

• Great Judges! Breed: Dr. Eric Liebes, Sweepstakes: Ms. Brytt Boyle
• Wonderful trophies!
• Regular & Best of Breed Classes!
• Puppy & Veteran Sweepstakes!
• Non-Regular Veteran, Working, Stud Dog, & Brood Bitch!
• Hospitality & So Much More
• Rio Salgado Portuguese Water Dog Club of Arizona also supported all Rally and Obedience PWD entries at the All-Breed show, Sunday, November 16th!

Thank You!

"Just a few photos the fun and great turnout for our Annual Holiday Party!

Lots of fun and CGC/TRICK testing, too!

Thank you, Gail, for hosting at your beautiful home and to everyone who brought food to share! What a favorite gathering of our club!"

-Lynn Nelson

HOW TO PLAY ADVANCED WATER WORK

By Kathy Groschupf, RSPWDCAZ Member, 'Salty Dog' Co-editor

“Water Work” is a misnomer because it really is a sport or a game you do with your dog, and like all games playing it should be fun. In the Autumn 2025 RSPWDC Newsletter were the elements for beginning the “Water Game”, now let’s break down the elements for the advanced levels (ages 9+) and see what you need to prepare for a PWDCA sanctioned Water Trial.

1.    After playing the beginning levels, soon you will be hooked on the game, and you will want more playing pieces. You will need another fender, a float line, a buoy ball, and a gear bag to hold everything. You can buy parts from home improvement or marine stores to assemble your own (which I recommend because you can color-customize them), or you can buy them already made from 4MYPWDs (www.4mypwds.com). One of the last pieces you will need is a fishing net which you have to buy, or inherit from someone. All the playing pieces and their specifications for each level are in the PWDCA Water Trial Manual. Read the section on equipment carefully.

2.    An important part of the game is the playing field. For starters, it could be inside your house, but soon you will need a larger area, like the backyard. Before you know it, you are ready to hit the water. Water? Where is that? It can be a plastic play pool, your backyard swimming pool, a puddle, a slow-flowing stream, a lake, an ocean – whatever is available to you. Sometime you might have to travel a far distance to find any type of water. Or, you might get lucky if you find out your neighbor has a swimming pool.

3.    If you are having trouble playing the game, you should ask for help from someone who has played before and who is knowledgeable in the rules, training, equipment, or whatever you find difficult. Several members of the RSPWDC have passed many of the levels of the “Water Game”, and they assuredly are willing to assist you, and your assistance in everyone else’s training is reciprocal. Their contact information can be found in the RSPWDC Membership Directory.

Remember that “Water Work” is a game or a sport, and is designed for you and your dog to be teammates. Although you will be playing with other people and their dogs, it is not competitive. You will be helping and cheering each other. Everyone is a winner. Once you start playing the game, I guarantee that you will be HOOKED on participating in PWDCA sanctioned Water Trials.

Useful Links:

Now that is a problem I can easily relate to, one I have experienced multiple times over the past 40 years during my life with Portuguese Water Dogs! And typical of me, I made the task even more difficult by coming up with the decision that all of my dogs names would start with the letter “L” ! Don’t ask, I have no idea why, perhaps it was because my kennel name starts with “ L”, but honestly I do not know. In any event, over the years at times it was a major stumbling block trying to be creative selecting a Portuguese name for the new one.

So, if you’ve had multiple family group discussions, involved friends, neighbors, breeders, and as a last effort resorted to Facebook friends and people you don’t even know, but still are searching for that perfect name, I may have some help for you.

The American Kennel Club (AKC), each year makes a list of the most popular Girl & Boy Names for dogs taken from the AKCs huge registry of pure-bred and mixed –breed dogs, here is their list for 2025:

Still nothing you like? Well, never fear, your ever resourceful, vastly experienced, staff at your favorite PWD newsletter THE SALTY DOG, has a list for you:

Nan's Choices

Favorite Girl Names: 
(Other than Siā & Béla)

• Zoë
• Minha

Favorite Boy Names:

• Máximo
• Gustávo

Kathy's Choices

Favorite Girl Names: 

• Buccaneer
• Pearl

Favorite Boy Names:

• Doubloon
• Woof

Janis' Choices

Favorite Girl Names: 

• Liza
• Lolita

Favorite Boy Names:

• Larry
• Leonardo

Many dogs love to play in a winter wonderland, leaping along in the snow or catching falling snowflakes. Before you spend time outdoors in the snow, you'll want to take a few precautions. Here are some important tips to ensure your dog has fun and stays safe while enjoying the snow.

• Dog Jackets and Sweaters
• Dog Booties
• Paw Wax
• How Long Can Your Dog Play in The Snow?
• Is It Okay for Dogs to Eat Snow?
• Winter Hazards To Watch Out For
• Snow Day Dog Safety Tips

Just like humans, our furry friends are also susceptible to catching diseases in winter. However, knowing about the common winter illnesses, their symptoms and preventive measures can help in making the most out of winter without falling sick! 

Read on to know the 5 most common winter illnesses in dogs and how you can avoid them.

• Frostbite
• Hypothermia
• Flu and Pneumonia
• Kennel Cough
• The Sniffles

Great insight and a reminder when the primary goal becomes to have the youngest dog to achieve a title and to have the most titled dog of its breed at any cost, we have lost the essence of the relationship with our companion.

With Dawna's permission, here is her article in it's entirety.

"In this day and age of dog training and competing, I think it is easy for us to lose sight of the dog and just focus on the competition. As humans we have goals, and sometimes they are BIG goals. I think goals are great since they give us focus and motivation in our training. However it is easy to lose sight of the dog in front of us and how they are feeling about the whole training journey.

Dogs know nothing about titles, scores, or judges opinions. Nor would they care about these things if they did. They only know about you - their partner in this amazing game they love to play. They know if you are happy, frustrated, angry or stressed.

As I watch people competing I often see dogs who are moved up in levels they are not prepared for because 'Why not? What have I got to lose?'

I watch dogs who are being asked to do things they don't have skills for and have no idea what we are asking. I watch handlers being frustrated and angry with their dogs for 'Not listening'. I watch dogs who are stressed, confused, trying desperately to figure out what his handler wants and how to do it.

Dogs want nothing more than to please us but they can't do that if they don't have proper training and don't understand their job.

As you are on this journey with your dog - PLEASE keep sight of the dog in front of you. Keep your relationship first, competition second. Our goal should be a calm, confident, happy trained dog in the end, not a title.

When we focus on the relationship, take time to move through the levels when our dog is ready and confident in his job, the titles will come, the championships will come, and it will be easier than you think.

Titles are about the ego, relationships are about the heart. Don't sacrifice the dog for the title. In the end it will be worth it!