About Us

We are Ray and Linda Yates and live in Northeast Georgia on beautiful Lake Lanier.  We are a blended family of 7 children, 6 grown and one in high school.  We have 3 amazing grandchildren and 3 precious dogs. Our kids grew up on the water and all have a real love

for all-things water sports related.  Our love for the lake

is what first drew us to consider a Portuguese Water

Dog.  Researching the breed and visiting PWD water

trials, we found ourselves so blessed with many

wonderful new friendships.  PWD people are

passionate, protective, and adventurous! We knew we had found our

breed and our people!

Our adventure with this breed began when we

wereentrusted with our very first puppy, Maggie, from Afortunado PWDs in Central Wisconsin. Only 4 weeks after the beginning of the Covid pandemic, we left Georgia to drive north to finally meet (in person) our new fur baby and her breeders, Bob and Shelley Plucker.  Little did we know at the time, the amazing adventure we were about to take with Maggie and the Pluckers!  We are forever grateful that they trusted us with this precious girl!!

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Read more about Afortunado PWDs and the many, many generations of excellence in their breeding program here- http://www.afortunadopwd.com/about-us.html  

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Attending puppy training classes and hanging out with other PWD

humans, we quickly realized that all the advice and research was

completely right! This breed is smart and loves to be challenged to

think and not just move.  We joined the USSPWD Club (United Sunshine

States Portuguese Water Dog Club) and started attending water

camps to learn about how to train in the water.  Along with all the fun

of just training at home, our Maggie thrived and matured as an

amazing, loving member of the family.

 

Then we were blessed to add our wonderful Grace to the family. 

Whoosh Grace in Motion. Robin and Gregg Ilchuk of Whoosh PWDs had already become some of our favorite people. Now, with one of their beautiful puppies, we consider them family!  Like the Pluckers, they are amazing mentors to us in the breed!