Our History
Our Woolly Dogs come from the personal homes and kennels of two of the foremost Spanish Water Dog champions in the world: Antonio Garcia Perez, from Ubrique, Spain and Craig Pope, from Chesapeake, Virginia.
Antonio and his perros de agua
Antonio Garcia Perez
Antonio is considered the "Father of the Spanish Water Dog," an honor that he feels he inherited from his ancestors. His family utilized these athletic, woolly-coated dogs for over 300 years for herding sheep and goats in the rugged countryside of Southern Spain. It was Antonio who wrote the first breed Standard which was accepted in 1985 by the Spanish Kennel Club. His entire life has been devoted to protecting and promoting this breed. This is where our dogs have come from. In fact, in April of 2018 we flew to Spain to bring back Nico from Antonio's kennel. This is how serious we are about our bloodlines.
Craig, Bill, and Lucy
Craig Pope
Craig and Bill grew up together in a small town in Southern Illinois. They spent their youth hunting and fishing in the rivers and foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Craig first met Antonio while living in Spain in 1997. They quickly became close friends. When Craig returned to the States, he owned 4 out of the 20 Spanish Water Dogs that existed in all of North America! In 2001 Craig founded the first SWD breed club, "The Spanish Water Dog Association of America," and served as the Club President until 2005. It was Craig who drafted the first American breed Standard which was fully recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2004. Craig also established the first health directory for the Spanish Water Dog with the Canine Health Information Directory (CHIC). The dogs that come from de Chesapeake Kennel are bred for work, intelligence, and beauty. We could not be more pleased with Bella, Lucy, and Bhumi, who all came from Craig's kennel.
Bill and Bella
Bill & Ginny Hughes
It is upon the rich history of this breed that we have founded the Woolly Dog Ranch. Our focus is to insure the genetic diversity, as well as the vigorous health and character of this rare breed. Our dogs are raised as cherished members of our family in order to assure that each one is healthy, happy, and well mannered. These Woolly Dogs are truly from the stock of Champions. Their high breeding is clearly demonstrated by their alert disposition, sharp intellect, and their loyal devotion to their owners.