11/22/2023
Here is what I wrote about the Marketplace photo contest. Breeders please show the AKC that this is not ok.
Hi Gina,
I am writing about the Marketplace photo contest. I am a breeder of PWD and have been breeding since 1994. I support health testing and the PWDCA. I have been paying for Marketplace since its inception. I don’t need it. I never sold any puppies from it. I do it to support good breeding and the AKC. When you feature a “breeder” who started breeding this year and does not do health testing it is a slap in the face to all reputable breeders. When I click on the featured PWD kennel I see a puppy for sale that needs BAER testing because it has a white head and ear. This puppy has had no health testing. Then there is this statement that makes it look like this is a good breeder. Orchard River Water Dogs
BREEDING SINCE 2023
Our family is in Maryland where we work and play in the outdoors with our portie Maggie. We selected the Portuguese Water Dog due to the breed's intelligence, friendliness, and hypoallergenic attributes. They are truly wonderful family dogs and we seek to keep the breed standard for other families to enjoy.
AKC proudly supports dedicated and responsible breeders. We encourage all prospective puppy owners to do their research and be prepared with questions to ask the breeder. Make sure you are not only choosing the right breed for you, but also that you’re getting it from the right individual.
Instead of writing a disclaimer that all breeders listed here may not be up to standards you make it look like you endorse this breeder and you should choose one you endorse. This is a travesty. If you wanted it to be just a photo contest you should have simply listed the name of the person submitting the photo. Instead you made my job as a preservation breeder harder.