Producer of Merit


The Producer of Merit Award recognizes members who are striving to produce outstanding pets. The dogs awarded with a POM reflect the AKC Standard of the Portuguese Water Dog which includes type, desirable temperament and intelligence, the working ability to perform in the water plus other performance venues, and additionally have all pertinent recommended health credentials for the parents. The Courier breeding related advertisement requirements regarding health credentials at the time of the breeding will be the standard referenced. Details of health testing requirements are available in the document Health Testing Requirements for OBAA and POM. Recipients of a Producer of Merit Award will be recognized at the annual PWDCA National Specialty Awards Dinner.

To qualify for nomination, each nominated producer MUST have:

  1. Produced a minimum of six titled get from one or a maximum of two litters.
  2. Titles earned by the get must come from all three areas of competition: conformation, performance, and water trial.
  3. Each of the titled get MUST have at a minimum a PWDCA water title (JWC does not qualify)
    • OR
    AKC performance title, including Obedience (at CD level or above), Tracking, Scent Work (Combined Element titles only at Novice or above) or Agility (at Novice level or above). Rally does not qualify.
  4. At least four of the six required titled get must also be an AKC Champion of record.
  5. At least two of the titled get must have a water title, and at least one must have an AKC performance title.
  6. Each individual get counts as only one titled get, regardless of the number of titles.

In summary:

The POM-nominated producer must have produced at least six titled get from not more than two litters. Producers who have more than two litters are still eligible for the POM Award, but the qualifying titled get can come from no more than two of those litters.

Each of the titled get must have a working title (i.e., from water or AKC performance venue). Of those working titles, at least two must have a PWDCA water title, and one must have a title from a performance venue (AKC Agility, Obedience, Scent Work or Tracking). In addition, at least four of the six titled get must also have AKC Championships.

The litter(s) must also meet The Courier breeding-related advertisement requirements regarding health credentials in effect at the time of the breeding. Those requirements are detailed in the document Health Testing Requirements for OBAA and POM.

Nomination for the Producer of Merit Award is to be made by the owner of record who must be a PWDCA member in good standing.

The following are qualifying titles and venues:

  • Conformation (AKC Championship and higher)
  • Water (PWDCA or PWDCC AWD, WWD, WWDX, CWD, CWDX, MWD)
  • Obedience (AKC CD, CDX, UD, UDX, OTCH, not including CDV)
  • Tracking (AKC TD, TDU, TDX, VST)
  • Agility (All AKC Novice and higher, not including ACT)
  • Scent Work (AKC Scent Work Combined Element titles only, Novice SWN/SWNE and above)

Nomination for the Producer of Merit Award is to be made by the owner of record who must be a PWDCA member in good standing. The member is responsible for submitting and documenting all information necessary to the Awards Committee for review and consideration.

  1. The POM applicant completes the POM Nomination Form and mails or emails it to the designated Awards Committee Member ("ACM") along with photocopies of all relevant title and health certificates. Be sure to include current email address and phone number for communications from the Awards Committee related to the application.
  2. If all the health information from the Nominated producer and its mate are recorded in the PWDCA HLL, health testing certificates are not required to be submitted. Details of applicable breeding health testing requirements can be found in the document Health Testing Requirements for OBAA and POM.
  3. If the POM application includes get from two litters, each litter must be submitted on a separate form.
  4. Supporting documents for titles earned may be in the form of PWDCA or AKC title certificates, or title lists from AKC or PWDCA websites.
  5. The ACM verifies the applicant’s PWDCA membership and the application documentation—litter health clearances and title certificates from the titled get. The applicant will be notified if additional information is required or if there is a problem with the application. The POM award designation may be used in advertising upon recipient's receipt of written confirmation of the POM award from the ACM.
  6. The POM Nomination form and supporting documentation may be sent by mail, or electronically via email. If you prefer the application form as a Word document instead of pdf for email transmission, contact Amanda Ford.
  7. Send all POM nomination documentation to:  Amanda Ford (amanda_a_ford@hotmail.com), Awards Committee Member

In the event that any titled get counted towards POM qualification is later stripped of a title (by the awarding registry), or it is discovered that incorrect or falsified documentation was provided to the Awards Committee, the Awards Committee and/or PWDCA Board of Directors retains the right to revoke a POM award. Any dog/recipient that has a POM award revoked shall be listed in two future PWDCA club publications.