Today's Breeder - Issue 107 - 14

Outstanding Achievers
both tractability and trainability, you also get an extreme
desire to please. Both breeds are fabulous athletes and
easy to transfer from one person to another. "
The foursome - Mary, Bill, and Mike and Leslie Wills,
amateur competitors who have owned Watermark retrievers
for 17 years - takes to heart this early-season training.
Their mutual goal is to develop retrievers that deliver a
high-drive, memorable performance without losing the
breed's natural charisma and companionship.
" The desire, temperament and trainability make Watermark
retrievers exceptional dogs. Not only do they like to
work in the field, but they are great house dogs as well, "
says Mike, who recently transitioned to field trials after
years of doing hunting tests. Mike and Leslie enjoy training
at Mary's and benefit from Bill's training tips and help
with setups for their 4-year-old black male Labrador,
" Crash " (Watermarks Crash Gordon).
" Bill's style is good for dogs and people, " adds Leslie,
walking their latest addition, a 3-month-old black male
Labrador puppy, " Chev " (Watermark's Chevalier). " It's
about building a relationship with a young dog. Dogs
and people respond to that. "
Besides having bred and co-owning Shadow with Bill,
Mary is the breeder of two National Field Champions. " Emmit "
(NFC-FC Watermark's Running Back MH), the 2011 National
Open winner, was owned by Cynthia Tallman, and " Legend "
(NAFC-FC-AFC Coolwater's Hawkeye Legend), the 2016
National Amateur winner, was owned by Alex Washburn.
In 2015, Mary was named the AKC Breeder of the Year for
Retriever Field Events, an honor recognizing her long-term
commitment to the sport and the breed.
Bill's insights identifying and developing a dog's potential
and Mary's commitment to producing top competitors are
hallmarks of the program. " It was a very nice breeding that
produced Shadow, and Bill said, 'We can make this dog
great,' " Mary says. " Shadow is a powerful dog and very
strong in the water. "
The Watermark family is a close-knit community. Nearly
50 percent of puppy buyers are repeat buyers, and many
are amateur competitors in various sporting venues. Mary,
a veterinarian, advises puppy buyers throughout the dogs' lives.
Co-breeders and co-owners with whom Mary has partnered
on dozens of Field Champions contribute to Watermark's
success. Bill has co-owned several Watermark retrievers
with Mary through the years. Pros like Danny Farmer work
with Bill and Mary on some of the dogs, and pro trainers
Tim and Lauren Springer ready some of the dogs for hunting
tests. An avid competitor herself, Mary has titled many
Labradors in amateur field trials and Goldens in hunting
tests and working certificates.
Although semi-retired, Mary is excited about her latest
veterinary endeavor. Along with veterinarian Sarah Burbridge,
she is opening the Watermark Veterinary Hospital
in fall 2022 in Brenham, Texas. " We will have a breeding
center that will include frozen semen breedings and OFA
and PennHIP certifications, " Mary says. " I will oversee
the breeding program. "
Mary's beginning with retrievers was in 1977 with a Golden
bitch named " Amiga " (Mans Buena Amiga CD), whom she
bought from an ad in the Houston Chronicle. With help
from her father, she bred her first litter out of Amiga four
years later.
" I just wanted to train dogs, " says Mary, who put an
obedience Companion Dog title on Amiga. " Goldens are
a wonderful, willing breed. I competed in conformation
and obedience. Then, I was introduced to working certificates
and hunting tests, and so began my passion for
hunting tests and field trials. "
Today, about 70 percent of Watermark's litters are
Labrador Retrievers and 30 percent are Golden Retrievers,
a flip from the beginning when most were Golden litters.
Bill prepares to cast " King " (Watermarks King Of Hearts).
14 | ISSUE 107
Keeping up with puppy requests is virtually impossible.
" Goldens really started all of this, " Mary reflects.
Today's Breeder - Issue 107

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Today's Breeder - Issue 107
