Overview
We live about 10 miles outside of Park City, Utah, a lovely tourist destination just twenty minutes up the mountain from Salt Lake City, sitting at an elevation of 7,000 feet. If you visit in the winter, then studded snow tires are recommended, and if you visit in warmer weather, then a hand-held canister of oxygen from our local Walmart is a recommended companion for long hikes. We are a family of four, not including our wonderful furry companions, who we would love to introduce you to.
Our goals and current dogs
Our main goal is to bestow upon you the same love for Portuguese Water Dogs (PWDs) that Cinder gave to us. To achieve that, we strived to be the best PWD breeders we can be to bring healthy and well-rounded PWD puppies into this world, and into your heart and home. As of late 2025, Jackie’s ‘pups,’ Hera and Zeus, are expecting their first litter near Thanksgiving, with Athena looking forward to her own first litter once she’s of age in 2026. This marks the beginning of Burntwood Kennel’s Gen 4 chapter, with Hera, Athena, and Zeus! There may also be a possibility of Bali having more puppies in the future as well, we'll be sure to keep you posted.
Our history as PWD owners
Our Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) family began while we were still living in Michigan. Eight months of research went into the decision to purchase our first PWD, as we had never spent so much money on a dog prior to this one and wanted to make sure this breed was the one that best suited our family and lifestyle. Our first PWD pup, Cinder, quickly became a family focal point. She was smart, loyal, full of personality, and a shadow to everyone in the family. Our dear first pup remains in our hearts to this day, not just as the start of our love for PWDs, but as the honorary source of our ‘kennel’ name: Burntwood
Our history as PWD breeders
Decades later, here we are. We had no idea then that choosing a Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) would develop such a passion and strong loyalty in us for these wonderful dogs. While Cinder was our first pet, we did not add her to our family with any ambitions to breed her. That part of our journey began with India, and there is more info regarding her and our previous pets in the About Our Dogs section.
As PWD breeders, we have learned a tremendous amount about the whelping, rearing, and training of PWDs over the decades, and that extends far beyond the mere basics. Even for a family pet, Brenda Hedden was adamant about quality. She visited many breeders throughout the Midwest and Arizona, getting to know the breed's overall personality quirks and fun stories, but also filtering for desirable whelping situations and breeders who loved their dogs and put time, money, and pride into their pups. She intensely studied the breed, as a whole and down many bloodlines, and their genetics, prior to purchasing our first breeding PWD. We wanted a line that was free of not only diseases, but free of any carrier heritage as well. With such an investment, we wanted no stone left unturned and as healthy of a line as possible to continue to improve upon. Her hard work paid off, and after over a decade of occasional litters of precious puppies her daughter, Jackie Hedden, kept two girls from her last two litters (between Captain Jack Sparrow and Bali), Hera and Athena, and purchased a male, Zeus, to continue the family passion into its fourth generation.