WHO WE ARE:

Aviator kennel was founded in 1987 with a goal of producing dogs who are healthy, consistently high-quality and are placed with homes where dogs are treasured and loved. Aviator has produced Dalmatians since 1987 and Portuguese Water Dogs since 1995. Well over 600 dogs have been placed in the United States and around the world including England, Denmark, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, China, and Canada.

In 2021, Aviator Kennel was named by the American Kennel Club as the Best Working Breeders in the U. S. They had previously been named the Best Breeder All-Breed at the Santa Barbara Kennel Club competition among 300 breeders from all over the world. They placed second in 2011, the same year that GCH Ladybug won Group 1 at the Westminster Dog Show in New York.

Aviator has produced over 220 AKC Champions in both breeds with multiple National Specialty and Regional Specialty winners as well as 55 Best in Shows. Aviator Kennel is an AKC Breeder of Merit -- Platinum (over 150 AKC Champions) and is still actively breeding champion Portuguese Water Dogs in 2025!

Cathy Dugan is an AKC Judge for Dalmatians, Portuguese Water Dogs, Rottweilers, Boxers, and All-Breed Junior Showmanship. She is in the process for approval for judging another dozen breeds. Mike Dugan is the author of over 70 articles in national dog magazines.