More than 30 years ago, our family began breeding Airedales on our country acreage in Pennsylvania. Raising animals was always a family affair, and our children played an important role in caring for them. When our kids left for college, we decided it was time for a break from breeding and had our three girls spayed.
Looking back, we truly believe that growing up with animals helped our children become responsible, compassionate, and caring adults. We have always encouraged families to give their children the opportunity to nurture and love animals. There is something incredibly special about the lessons animals teach us.
Our family has always loved animals of all kinds. Over more than 40 years of marriage, we have shared our lives with many wonderful dogs, as well as horses and their foals, a sweet and gentle mule, goats, sheep, chickens, parrots, and many other animals. At different times in our lives, we were even foster parents to both children and racehorses—all while running a manufacturing company with 200 employees.
Planning for Retirement
As we began planning for retirement in our mid-fifties, we realized just how much we missed the joy of having puppies around. After all, puppies don’t stay puppies forever! We decided it was time to return to breeding and bring that special happiness back into our lives.
Well, actually, Michael thought breeding puppies would be a nice little hobby to keep me busy and out of trouble!
We spent a great deal of time researching breeds known for wonderful temperaments, intelligence, trainability, loving personalities, and non-shedding coats. We ultimately discovered the Portuguese Water Dog and quickly fell in love with the breed. We knew we had found exactly what we were looking for—and, in our opinion, the best breed in the world.
Because of these amazing dogs, our days are filled with more happiness, laughter, and entertainment than we could have ever imagined.
At Sea Dog Kennel, we raise healthy, playful, happy, and occasionally mischievous Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) and Bernese Water Dog (BWD) puppies. Our puppies grow up surrounded by sunshine, fresh country air, exercise, playtime, and—most importantly—lots and lots of love.
We carefully combine European and American bloodlines with the goal of preserving and nurturing the wonderful temperament, intelligence, and qualities that make these breeds so special.
To learn more about the Portuguese Water Dog, visit the American Kennel Club’s Portuguese Water Dog page.
Family Involvement
Our family continues to be a big part of life at Sea Dog Kennel.
Our son Brendan and his beautiful wife, Oana, who is from Romania, share our love of Portuguese Water Dogs and enjoy raising PWD puppies on their farm in Butler, near Pittsburgh. They are fortunate to have 11-year-old Duke and 13-year-old Regan to help with all the puppy chores!
We love watching children grow up around animals. Caring for dogs teaches patience, responsibility, compassion, and an appreciation for life. We truly believe that every child should have the opportunity to experience the special bond that comes from growing up with a dog.
Our daughter Pauli and her husband, Jeff, live right here on the property in their own home and are always available to help and house-sit when needed. We are incredibly blessed to have a full-time puppy person on our team, along with Pauli, whose love for animals is greater than anyone we’ve ever known.
With so much love, attention, and hands-on care from our entire family, we believe each puppy has the opportunity to reach its full potential.
For us, Sea Dog Kennel is much more than a place where puppies are raised. It is our home, our family, and a way of life that brings us tremendous joy every single day.
You can find our current and upcoming litters here: