Kennel April Design

I am Elina Pitkänen and I live in Rantasalmi, Eastern Finland, with my partner and our pack. We have 7 dogs and 2 cats living with us at home. In our breeding we focus on Golden Retrievers and Spanish Waterdogs.

I got my first dog in 2000 when Ada (SE TR CH Karvin Hulabaloo) came to our family from Helena & Heidi Karves, kennel Karvin. I got into the dog hobby and we started attending trainings and dog shows at an early age. Helena even gave me a job as a kennel girl the year after and since I was living only at the other end of the lake I spent all my spare time with their dogs. I learned a great deal about the breed and everything that comes along.

I passed the Finnish Kennelclub's breeder course in autumn 2007 and in April 2008 I was given my affix. April Design comes from my first dog Ada who was born in April although I never decided to breed with her.

My first broodbitch Sara (Se Sh & Tr Ch Dream Max Shirley Clamp) I imported from Sweden, owned by Veronika Caris, kennel Gingsjön and bred by Kjell Nielsen & Jennie Andersson, kennel Dream Max. A few years earlier Jennie had accepted me to work for her for one summer and I stayed at there place giving a hand where ever they needed it. I was lucky to recieve all the support and knowledge they had to offer.

Spanish Waterdogs arrived in my life a few years ago. I fell in love with the breed and now we have been able to start breeding Spanish Waterdogs as well. Our broodbitch Alli (Ch Zorrazo Pantera) is close to our ideal PDAE in temperament with the great working mentality and never-giving-up attitude.

Our dogs live inside our house with us and they also have their own yard. Also the puppies grow up inside in the middle of our life and they get to be outside in their own yard.

Our goal is to maintain the original characteristics of a Golden Retriever and a Spanish Waterdog and to develop the breed by the breed standard. Our purpose is to avoid the hereditary diseases and the dogs we use for breeding are always examined.

The dogs we use for breeding have to be suitable to reproduce. Temperament is the one thing we are not willing to compromise in. We hope that the dogs we breed will be first and foremost companions and good temperament is the key for that.


If you are interested in our planned litters don't hesitate to contact us! Besides Finnish, I speak Swedish and English fluently.

Elina Pitkänen,
FI-58830 Rantasalmi

+358 40 8456 856