Carolina American Water Spaniels - South Carolina American Water Spaniel Breeders

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About Carolina American Water Spaniels

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UH HRCH CH Nighthawk's Carolina You Go Girl MH RAE WDS CGC TDI "Gurley"- Gurley was the first AWS to earn a Master Hunter title through AKC and the first female and youngest AWS to earn a Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) through HRC. She is presently the top ranked female AWS in the field, but also has a show championship and a Rally Advanced Excellent title. She has 865 Championship points through HRC and was the first AWS to ever make the prestigious 500 Point Club and is closing in on 1000! Her Working Dog Superior is the highest American Water Spaniel Club title available. Gurley hunts waterfowl and upland birds and, as a therapy dog (TDI) visits hopital patients every week; truly a well rounded dog.  Gurley, tradgically, was taken from us on May 1, 2009 in a terrible accident. She is greatly missed and can never be replaced. I am leaving this paragraph as a testimonial to her and her greatness. Rest in Peace.

 

 

UH HR Nighthawk's Carolina Nappy Brown MH RN WDS CGC TDI "Nappy"- Nappy was the first male AWS to earn a Master Hunter title. There are only 3 male AWS' to have earned a WDS. Nappy is an accomplished waterfowl hunter, having no problem retrieving the largest Canada geese. He also enjoys flushing Pheasants, Quail, and Chukars. He is the best all round hunting dog I have ever owned. Being semi-retired, Nappy is passing on his legacy to his son, Gumbo. We lost Nappy in April 2011. "Rest in peace, buddy. You were the best!"

UH HR GCH CH Carolina's Wild March Hare RAE OA OAJ NAF WDS CGC TDI "Bunny"- Bunny is Gurley's pup.At 22 month old, she is the top ranked AWS in the show ring, winning Best of Breed at the Eukanuba show in Long Beach, CA in December of 2008 and Best of Breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Show in New York City in February of 2009. Bunny earned her Grand Championship in January of 2011. She is just as accomplished in the field, enjoying Dove and Waterfowl retrieving. Bunny has earned a Hunting Retriever (HR) title and an Upland Hunter (UH) through HRC of the United Kennel Club and a Working Dog Excellent (WDX) through the American Water Spaniel Club. She hunts like a "streak of lightning" in the upland field. She also participates in AKC Rally and Agility.

UH HRCH Carolina's Duck Gumbo MHA SHR RN WDS CGC TDI "Gumbo"- Gumbo was sired by Nappy with Cow Creek's UH HR "Jazz" WDX being his mother. At 11 months, he was the youngest AWS to ever earn a Working Dog Excellent title through the American Water Spaniel Club. He recently earned the higest title an AWS can earn, Working Dog Superior, and is the youngest to do this, as well. When he was 13 months old, he became the 3rd youngest Spaniel (any breed) to earn a HR title through HRC. Gumbo earned his HRC Upland Hunter title at 20 months. He also earned his HRCH (Hunting Retriever Champion) at 20 months and is the 2nd youngest Spaniel to ever earn a Finished title through HRC. On May 8, 2011, Gumbo became the 1st AWS to earn a Senior Hunter Retriever title in AKC. He became a Therapy Dog International in June of 2011 and will be visiting our local hospital patients.  He earned his AKC Spaniel Master Hunter title on November 12, 2011. Gumbo has hunted in South Carolina, North Dakota and twice in Arkansas, all before he was a year and a half old! He, along with Cow Creek Kennels, PeeDee will be featured in D3 TV's Ducks, Dog's and Decoys television production this summer. Gumbo is carrying on (and furthering) Nappy's legacy. The picture at the top of this page is of Gumbo in North Dakota when he was 13 months old. Gumbo has 1445 HRC points, the most for an AWS ever. He is featured in an article in the November 2015 issue of Gun Dog Magazine..

HR BISS BIS GCHS Carolina's Running with the Hare JHR SH WDX"Blew". Blew is Bunny's pup and is currently the #1 AWS in the show ring. He is a duck and upland hunter as well.

HR GCH CH Carolina's Tale of the Hare SHR "Bea". Bea is Bunny's youngest pup and training for hunt tests. She has tons of drive and was seen on the November 2015 cover of Gun Dog Magazine. 

 

We are members of The American Water Spaniel Club and recommend membership to our puppy buyers.

*Special Announcement*   UH HRCH Carolina's Duck Gumbo RN WDS was the 2010 winner of the American Water Spaniel Roust-a-bout run at the AWS Nationals in New London, WI..

** Gumbo became the 1st AWS to earn an AKC Senior Retriever title. American Water Spaniels were approved to run AKC Retriever Hunt Tests on April1, 2011. Gumbo passed 5 of 5 tests to earn his SH (R).

***Extra Special Announcement*** Carolina American Water Spaniels would like to congratulate Sue Liemohn of Minnesota and her dog HRCH CH Carolina's Just Plain 'Ol Gator WDX on earning Gator's HRCH title. Gator, who is one of "Gurley's" pups, is the 5th AWS to earn a HRCH through HRC. Gator also became the first AWS to earn an AKC Master Hunter Retriever title. He ran in the Master Nationals in October 2011.

**** Congratulations to HR CH Carolina's Cow Creek Pirate WDS (PeeDee), owned by Steve O'Neal of Chesapeake, VA, on completing the requirements for a Working Dog Superior title. PeeDee is one of our Gurley's pups. PeeDee's sister, Bunny, earned her WDS at the AWSC Southeastern Regional in 2014.

*****Special***** UH HRCH Carolina's Duck Gumbo SHR RN WDS CGC TDI became a member of the prestigious HRC 500 point Club on October 29, 2011.

******Gumbo finished his AKC Master Hunter Spaniel title on Nov. 12, 2011 in Alabama.

******Congratulations to Mann'Rs Carolina Gumbo Red, owned by Scott Beard, for earning his Hunting Retriever Championship title on June 17. Red is one of Gumbo's pups (with Jess from Mann'Rs AWS). Red is just the 6th AWS to earn a HRCH title.

*******Gumbo finished his AKC Master Hunter Advanced (MHA) title at the Boykin Spaniel hunt test in March, 2013. Gumbo is the only AWS to have earned that title.

****Gumbo earned his HRC 1000 points at Pin Oak HRC in October, 2013. There are fewer than 75 dogs in the 1000 Point Club. Gumbo became a member of the HRC 1500 Point Club at InDucky HRC on August 21, 2016; highest point AWS ever!    

******Gumbo was featured in the Nov.-Dec. 2016 issue of Gun Dog Magazine.             

Hunting Dog Breeds Raised
American Water Spaniel
Additional Services
Stud Services
Breeder Contact Info
David McCracken
PO Box 1982
Sumter, South Carolina 29151
Breeding quality gun dogs for over 14 years.
Testimonials (4)
Submitted by: Van Pittman on Dec 14, 2014
I had had a dog sired by gumbo for almost two years now. What an excellent dog! Recently it helped us find a buck that otherwise would have been lost and numerous duck and dove in addition to being a good family dog.
Submitted by: tony smith on May 25, 2010
David McCracken is the best and most helpful breeder i have ever came across! I have been wanting and AWS for 10 years now and found it impossible living out west to find one. After getting referred to him i only had a 3 month wait. I couldn't fly to South Carolina to pick my dog and Asked David to pick my dog for me as i had pick of the litter. When my dog arrived i could not believe my eyes. I had the most beautiful puppy i have ever seen. Soggy, my dog already new his name and was already retrieving baby bumpers at 8 weeks old! This breed of dogs is the most mild mannered and lovable dog i have ever been around. Only time will tell how good of a hunting dog he will be but i already know the answer. What was i thinking not getting and Aws sooner. Thanks a million David, you have given me not only a truly awesome hunting dog but a new best friend. I am trying to talk the wife into getting another Aws next year, they are so awesome i think i should have 2!

Tony Smith
Lake Bonneville Layout Boats
Submitted by: BILLY BRODERICK on Jun 04, 2009
FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE ARE SORRY TO HERE ABOUT GURLEY. AFTER OWNING MY AWS GATOR FOR ONLY 4 MONTHS THIS BREED HAS STOLE MY HEART AND SOLE,AND AS A HARD CORE LAB MAN THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.I HAVE HUNTED ALL OVER THE PLACE AND HUNT ABOUT 95% OF A 60 DAY SEASON I HAVE OWENED
AND HUNTED WITH GREAT DOGS.THESE ARE DOGS HAVING THE CHANCE TO RETRIEVE 400+ DUCKS & GEESE PER YEAR SO I KNOW DOGS.I GUESS I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT NOT BEING AT ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE AWS I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT INVESTING IN THIS DOG SO HE DID HAVE ALOT TO PROVE,AND ALL I KNOW NOW IS IF ALL OF NAPPY & JAZZ'S PUPS ARE LIKE MY AWS GATOR
THEN YOU PEOPLE REALY HAVE SOMETHING. GATOR BLOWS ME AWAY AT 5 MONTHS HE WAS RETRIEVING MULTIPLES,HOLDING & DELEVERING TO HAND LIKE A YEAR OLD DOG AND WITH NO FORMAL TRAINING TO ME THATS MIND BLOWING AND SURE PROOF OF NAPPY & JAZZ'S BLOOD.GATOR LEFT KENTUCKY ON SUNDAY BOUND FOR NEW YORK WITH HIS TRAINER FOR THE SUMMER I GET HIM BACK SEPT.1st CANT WAIT TO HUNT HIM

BILLY BRODERICK
MOUNT WASHINGTON KY,

PS:If its not an AWS its just a dog
Submitted by: Melinda Wright-Greenwell on May 11, 2009
I had the pleasure of judging Gumbo in finished this last weekend at Music City HRC. He had received his title the day before, and was quite full of himself. He switched on the diversion in a FLASH!! But the fact he had received his HRCH well before his second birthday at a retriever hunt test, is quite the accomplishment and he deserved one little slip up. No doubt he could have finished the test, but his owner did not wish to encourage bad habits and pulled him, and rightly so I might add. It was a real pleasure to have judged such a wonderful, happy, little dog. I just love Gumbo and now may have to add one to my house of labbies!!!
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