Otto and Lotta on a pier, with Poreč behind them
Poreč · Istria · Croatia · FCI · HKS

Portuguese Water Dogs from the Istrian coast

Champion bloodlines, health-tested parents, and puppies raised as part of the family, a short walk from the Adriatic.

Meet Otto & Lotta The current litter
About the kennel

A fisherman's dog, still at home by the sea

For centuries the Portuguese Water Dog earned its keep aboard the fishing boats of the Algarve, driving fish into nets, retrieving lost tackle and swimming messages from one vessel to the next. Our dogs have traded the trawlers for the coves around Poreč, but the instinct has survived the move intact: put Otto anywhere near the water and he will find a reason to be in it.

PWD Istra is a new, small kennel, registered with the Croatian Kennel Federation (HKS) and the FCI, and we build everything on three things: health, temperament and the typical look of the breed.

Portuguese Water Dogs are rather different dogs. They are soulmates for life, bringing daily joy, unconditional friendship and endless love into a home.

Our dogs live with us as members of the family, which means our puppies grow up surrounded by all the attention, love and guidance they need to become wonderful companions. For the same reason, we place our puppies only with families who will treat their dog as a member of the family.

Health
Tested, not assumed
Both parents are DNA tested by Wisdom Panel and clear on 273 conditions, including PRA-prcd, GM1, CDPA, CDDY, EO-PRA and JDCM. Hips A, elbows 0.
Temperament
Calm company anywhere
Intelligent, peaceful and friendly with children, adults and other animals, and loyal first to their family. Equally at ease on a beach, a forest trail or under a restaurant table.
Pedigree
Champions on both sides
Otto is an International Champion and Open Class Winner at the 2026 World Dog Show in Bologna; Lotta is a Croatian Champion. Both come from the Fiapinhos lines.
A word about myself

From diplomacy to water dogs

Jelena Vreš
Jelena Vreš with Otto and Lotta

I grew up with two German Shepherds. Later came a beautiful Newfoundland female, with whom I had one litter. My daughter grew up with her, and that dog gave her a great deal of love and joy; she is a devoted dog lover too, and helps with the kennel as much as her other commitments allow.

For many years I worked as a diplomat. During a posting in the United States we had the chance to take in our first Portuguese Water Dog, and she won our hearts with her intelligence and personality. It was she who persuaded me, after I retired, to begin breeding this wonderful breed.

Our dogs

Otto & Lotta

One lives for the sea, the other for the forest. Between them they cover most of Istria.

Both come from the Austrian kennel Fiapinhos of Mrs. Barbara Vogelmann, who gave me the chance to have two of her wonderful dogs: healthy, of lovely temperament, with top pedigrees and fine results at many shows. Mrs. Vogelmann has long experience as a breeder; she has always supported me, and I am especially grateful for the advice she is always ready to share.

Otto standing in a park
Sire

Otto

born 17.8.2021
Incredible Isidor Fiapinhos
Black with white markings

Otto has an exceptional character, the nearest thing to a therapy dog we have ever known. It shows most clearly in the sea, where he swims at our side and helps us back out of the water. He is supremely confident, which may explain a small stubborn streak, and he is gentle and deeply emotional with children and adults alike.

Titles
World Dog Show, Bologna 2026 – Open Class Winner
International Champion
Champion of Italy and Slovenia 2026
Croatian Champion 2025
Turkish Grand Champion 2023, 2024, 2025
Group Winner many times
Health
Wisdom Panel – clear on 273 conditions
HD-A · ED-0
Parents
Fjellportisen's Eplekjekke Ekko × Lavenia z Kasetek

Lotta

born 20.5.2024
Marvellous Miss Mizzi Fiapinhos
Brown

Lotta attached herself to us at two months old and has never needed a leash. At home she guards her yard with real conviction; away from it she turns a little shy. She is happiest in the woods, running, hiking and putting the local birds to flight, and she proved a natural in truffle-hunting training. She swims, but without Otto's passion: dry land is her element.

Titles
Croatian Champion
Junior Champion of Turkey
Junior Grand Champion of Turkey
Junior Group Winner
Health
Wisdom Panel – clear on 273 conditions
HD-A · ED-0
Parents
Ambereyes Magic High Hopes × Joyous Noomi Claircreek Fiapinhos
Lotta at a dog show
Dam
What they share

Both are intelligent, peaceful and friendly towards children, adults and animals, but loyal first to their family. Neither has ever picked a quarrel with another dog, which makes them easy company in restaurants, hotels and wherever else the day leads.

Puppies · the current litter

Otto × Lotta

[Born: date] · reservations open

A litter from two champions, both fully health-tested, in black or brown and with curly or wavy coats. Each puppy's temperament is assessed before placement, so that every one goes to the family that suits it best, and families follow the litter's progress through regular updates while the puppies grow.

Colors
Black or brown
Coat
Curly or wavy
Registration
FCI · HKS
Price
€2,700
Ask about a puppy
Otto and Lotta, parents of the litter, at the marina
Pedigree
Otto's side
Fjellportisen's Eplekjekke Ekko
DK CH · S CH · Sea Omega Clarity of Napoleon × Atlantisstar Kalypso
Lavenia z Kasetek
Diamante Boa Felicidade × Heureka z Kasetek
Lotta's side
Ambereyes Magic High Hopes
JWW 2021 · Ambereyes' Magic Every Breath You Take × Ambereyes' Magic Carmina
Joyous Noomi Claircreek Fiapinhos
CIB · Multi CH · Claircreek Special Vero × Miranda do Lusiadas
The breed

Cão de Água Português

Nearly lost in the 1930s, when motorized fishing made it redundant, the breed was rescued by a handful of Portuguese enthusiasts and has since won admirers far beyond the Algarve. It remains what it always was: a working dog with a sense of humor, happiest with a job to do and water nearby.

Built for water
Webbed feet, a powerful rudder of a tail and a muscular, medium-sized frame make it a tireless swimmer and diver.
Coat
A single coat of hair, not fur, in curly or wavy varieties. It sheds very little but keeps growing, so it needs regular brushing and clipping.
Character
Intelligent, eager to learn and devoted to its people. It wants daily exercise and something to think about; boredom is its only real vice.
Size & lifespan
Males 50–57 cm, females 43–52 cm at the shoulder. A long-lived breed, typically 12 to 15 years.
Contact

Would you like your own Portuguese Water Dog?

Write or message us. Tell us a little about your family and your days, and we will tell you everything about ours.

Email jelenavres@gmail.com Phone · WhatsApp +385 99 311 7282 Instagram @istra_pwd_hr
Facebook Pwd Istra
Kennel Jelena Vreš · Poreč, Istria