Kiss
CH Burwell Kiss Me in Centerfield at Marina of Hope
May 3, 2022
Kiss is a wavy black and white 51 pound female who whelped 10 “L” litter puppies, who we affectionately called “the biscuits”, in June of 2025. We anticipate Kiss will have her second and final litter in 2027. Her health testing information is available here.
Show
Kiss loves to show and travel the country with her AKC registered handler, Dave Slattum. Kiss is flashy in the ring, and thinks everyone is clapping for her, win or not.
Serve
Kiss is a happy girl, and she’s an example of the results of a breeding program focused on temperament and soundness of structure. Like our other dogs, Kiss has contributed her DNA to breed health studies, and we expect her best contributions to the breed will come through the whelping box and the puppies she will produce.
Shine
We didn’t choose Kiss, she chose us. At just six weeks of age, she would make her way out of the puppy area by leaping from the to slide and over the fence to make her great escape. She always made her way to one of the humans in the kitchen. Maybe it was FOMO but we like to think it’s because she knew who she wanted her family to be. This act embodies her personality to a tee - determined, willful, funny, and fiercely loyal to both her human and fur siblings.
Maija
CH Burwell Keep Sailing in Majorca at Marina of Hope
May 3, 2022
Maija is a moderate-sized wavy brown and white 47 pound female who we anticipate will have the “M” litter of puppies in spring, 2026. Her health testing information is available here.
Show
Maija finished her AKC championship quickly, a testament to her sound structure and her drive in the ring. Maija has an exuberant personality and embodies the breed with her desire to work, both in and outside the ring.
Serve
Like her sister Kiss, when the breed was trying to understand more about CDDY and IVDD in the breed, Maija was one of the PWDs who gladly participated in the research being completed by UC- Davis.
Shine
Maija has an enthusiasm and love of all things in her life, especially her family. She’s a natural in the water and has taken to water retrieval tasks with ease. She’s a fantastic family dog to her two toddler siblings and loves to play with her PWD brother from Hope Kennel’s “J” litter.
Lovey
Lovely Enchantress at Marina of Hope
June 22, 2025
AKC Championship in Process. Currently Lovey is at 4 points with one major.
Lovey is a black and white 50 pound female with impressive bone and a nice chest. She has a love of life that is contagious to everyone she meets. Lovey is one of the girls we are considering breeding from the “L” litter. Her health testing information is available here.
Show
Lovey made a successful show ring debut at just 6 months of age, alongside her sisters, earning two Reserve Winners in a major line-up. Like her mama Kissy and daddy Ryder, she’s a natural in the show ring. Lovey will also begin work “in the water” this summer, with a goal of earning her Junior Water Dog title later this fall.
Serve
Lovey has an exceptional temperament; she is intelligent, charismatic, and always happy. She has an exuberant personality and a strong bond with people. Lovey is an excellent example of what sound breeding practices can produce - fantastic structure and exquisite movement in the show ring, alongside a confident temperament. Like her mother, aunts, and other siblings, Lovey has contributed her DNA to breed health studies, specifically ongoing research at PennVet. We are excited to have her as one of our possible future Hope Kennels dams.
Shine
Lovey has enthusiasm for life, her family and the outdoors. Living on the lake, Lovey was introduced to the water early. She loves riding in “her” boat and hanging out on the dock with her family. Whatever Lovey does, she does it with her signature “love of life” and enthusiasm. She simply has embodied her name “Love” from the day she was born.
Libby
Liberty Forevermore of Hope
June 22, 2025
AKC Championship in Process. Currently Libby is at 14 points with three majors.
Libby is a 48-pound athletic, flashy black-and-white Portuguese Water Dog with strong breed type. She blends the breed’s characteristic drive and loyalty with her own mix of sunshine and silliness. Her health testing information is available here.
Show
Libby is a happy, goofy girl who loves to show. She can be found tail-up, prancing around in the show ring with her junior-handler owner. Together, they are having a great time learning about the world of dog showing and this world has been exciting for them so far. Their first weekend out, Libby got a 4-point major from the 6-9 month puppy class and an Owner-Handler Group 4; their second time out, Libby followed that up with a 5-point major during the PWDCGC specialty weekend. Then, on a special third weekend out, Libby went best of breed over beautiful specials to secure a five-point major, then won the Owner-Handler Working Group and finally, received an Owner-Handler Reserve Best In Show. Additionally, even with Libby’s spunky attitude and puppy wiggles, they secured three first-place junior handling wins, qualifying them to move up from the Novice Senior class to the Open Senior class.
Serve
Libby is her young owner’s constant companion and brings joy and love to everyone she meets. To share Libby’s sunny disposition with even more people, they are looking forward to working towards a CGC and therapy dog certification over the summer, so they can bring light to people who need it.
Shine
Libby is owned and handled by the daughter of Hope Kennels’ founder. During the summer when the “L” litter made its debut, the mother-daughter duo helped to whelp the puppies remotely from vacation in France. When the hot pink-collared girl was born, the daughter named her Liberty, and their deep bond began, bringing the family that started Hope Kennels back to the PWD world. Fate brought Libby to where she was meant to be and she loves spending time with all of her family: human, dog and even bunny. Libby radiates happiness; she wants to try everything and meet everybody. She loves to play fetch, tug-of-war, watch TV, run outside, and dip her toes - and sometimes her whole body - in the Minnehaha creek near her house.
Laura
Laura’s High Tide Kiss of Hope
June 22, 2025
AKC Championship in Process. Currently Laura is at 7 points with one major.
Laura is a 50 pound black and white female with a remarkable head and backskull and excellent rear assembly. Like her sisters, she is fun-loving but likes to sit back and take stock of a situation before she engages fully. Laura is one of the girls from the “L” litter that we are considering breeding in the future. Her health testing information is available here.
Show
At just nine months of age, in her very first time in the show ring, Laura earned a Reserve Winners in a major line-up. In the words of her AKC handler, Dave Slattum, “Looks like you have a show dog on your hands!” Laura never does anything “half-way”; her drive in the show ring is an example of this. Laura loves life and lives up to her working dog heritage both in and outside the show ring.
Serve
Like her mother, aunts, and other siblings, Laura has contributed her DNA to breed health studies, specifically ongoing research at PennVet. As she ages, Hope Kennels is committed to continuing their service to the breed through ongoing research studies; we anticipate Laura will “lead the pack” of her sisters in this area.
Shine
Laura’s stable temperament, combined with her fun-loving nature, has made her a wonderful companion to both her humans and fur siblings. When Laura was a puppy, we used to joke that she would "teleport" in the whelping box - we could never find her! As she has aged, you definitely know her presence and when she’s in the room! She loves to play fetch (by herself and with her humans), loves to watch squirrels from the family room windows, and by far, one of her most enjoyable activities is flushing birds out of the bushes! Oh Laura…. We can’t wait to see what you do in the water. She’s going to be a fun one!
Skyler
Lights Out and Away She Goes of Hope
June 22, 2025
AKC Championship in Process.
Skyler is a 50 pound black and white female with fantastic rear assembly and legs for days. We call her the “super model” of the litter. She was the “diva” of the “biscuits” - always first to go after her mom’s tail; first to pick a “fight” with one of her littermates, but also first to be brave and explore the newest toy in the whelping box. These personality traits exist to this day but you also see her extremely sweet side as she interacts with her humans, especially her eight-year old human boy. Her health testing information is available here.
Show
Skyler was the first puppy to enter the conformation show ring as a puppy, at just 4 months of age! And just like her great grandpa Kirby, she knocked it out of the park - winning “breed” in back-to-back days, as well as earning TWO group placements in her very first weekend showing! Her diva-like spirit, as well as her strong working dog heritage, shines through when she shows; she’s an absolute joy to watch in the ring. We expect big things to happen in her “show” future.
Serve
Like her sister Laura, Skyler was the one of the first to step forward in the litter to have genetic testing completed through PennVet. Her human mom works at a veterinary office and is always the first in line to support health research for the breed we all love. At Hope Kennels, we are fortunate to have families that are dedicated to supporting the health of the breed.
Shine
Skyler’s exuberant personality is evident to anyone that meets her; she literally smiles every minute of the day and loves her people, her Uncle Brother Stitch, her mama Kissy, and all her littermates. In fact, we don’t think there is a person she doesn’t love; she just puts her own “diva-like” spin on things. We think her happy, yet persistent attitude will translate nicely not only in the conformation show ring, but in Fast Cat, agility, water work, and fetch; her junior handler has BIG plans for this little lady.