First, let me tell you that I am so very sorry to hear about your loss. We had to put our Keeshond, Cagney, to sleep a few years ago...and my heart still aches.
I wanted to comment about North Country Kennels as a consumer and a proud Mama of a Yorkipoo named "Cricket" that we have had for almost 3 years. Cricket was bred and born at NCK, and all of my interactions with Lucy and Cindy were professional and positive. I was looking for a puppy with the natural inclination to be a therapy dog. When my turn came up on the waiting list, Cindy told me that the puppies that were available were not the best suited for what my needs/desires were.
Although I was so incredibly anxious to get a puppy, I appreciated their honesty and concern for placing the perfect disposition dog in my care. I went through about 3 more puppy selections before "puppy B" became my Cricket. This kennel knows the puppies in the litter...they know the personalities, and all without being prompted or placing you on hold to get the information.
When my parents had to put their Bichon to sleep a few months ago, they knew how amazing my experience had been with NCK, and what an incredible dog Cricket is...so they got a new Pekepoo puppy from them. When my Mom called and spoke with them, she mentioned the parents of the litter and they knew exactly which puppy it was they were interested in. They described her to a "t" and knew her personality without having to refer to notes.
My experience with NCK has been nothing but positive, and my puppy was even more wonderful than they had described. She is a happy and very well-socialized dog. She had been put in an area of the kennel where boarders or grooming clients came in, and as a result was loved on and met many different people. The kids at NCK also interact with the puppies. This is so evident in Cricket, and she is amazing with children and has a love for everyone.
I am sorry that some people have had a negative experience, and again I am so very sorry for your loss. I can say with all honesty and sincerity that I plan to "adopt" my next furbaby from NCK...I did a lot of "homework" on breeds, breeders and training before deciding to get a puppy from them. Everything they tell you from training to breed characteristics is right on the money. I am a firm follower of the ideology of the Monks of New Skete and Karen Pryor Clicker Training, and NCK was of the same mind and heart.
((((Furbaby Kisses and puppy breath HUGS)))
Lisa :)
Hello:
On June 16, 2008, Ann writes, in an email to us:
"Hi! Just thought I'd let know, "Maggie" is doing just fine now. We will be driving through your area and would like to stop by. We;ll be swinging by Friday or Saturday. Am interested in your other puppies you have for sale! Ann"
The fact is that Maggie Mae died because she ate a poisonous mushroom. The owner told us this. She feels that Maggie Mae ate the mushroom only because there was something wrong. The reality is that puppies chew on things. That's just normal puppy behavior. Do a search on the internet to see how common it is for dogs to eat poisonous mushrooms.
Ann stated in her emails to us, that Maggie Mae had some sort of vitamin deficiency. She states this as though her vet gave her this diagnosis. In fact, we told her several times, that if her vet would send us a statement describing a congenital problem, or documentation of poor prior health, we would take this into consideration, and refund the price of the puppy. She gave us no documentation. Without documentation, how are we to know that the dog even died? She gave us no statement from the vet to show us that there was a pre-existing problem, that led the dog to eat a mushroom. If there was a vitamin deficiency, as Ann states, it makes more sense that the food she decided to feed was the cause of the vitamin deficiency.
This person fails to give the entire story. Yes, she was delivered in a large plastic container, and she did have shredded paper bedding, the bedding the puppy was used to. We use this type of container because it is easily disinfected, and it's easy to comfort the puppy while traveling, as it is open on the top.
The puppy did develop a cough, and we paid the minimal vet bills related to this cough. Puppies do get colds, just like people do. Of course, the puppy got over it in time.
We always stand behind our guarantee, to the point of refunding monies when there is even the slightest possibility that a problem could have been congenital. This is the first time we have stood up to a customer. This is obviously an issue of bad luck, or worst yet, poor observance on the part of the owner. This is no fault of ours. This is simply an example of the belief of some people, in today's society, that when something goes wrong, there has to be someone ELSE to blame.
It seems to me, that if Ann was unhappy with her dog, she would not have been interested in purchasing a second puppy.
Below is a copy of a letter I wrote rebutting an earlier complaint, from a non-customer, judging our kennel without experience.
Visit our website for more information about our puppies. http://www.mixedbreedpups.com
Lucy
218-546-2811
Hello,
The accusations made in the report really have no base. This person has not purchased a puppy from us. She apparently has something against any breeder that raises dogs for profit.
The reality is that we care about our dogs. They are well cared for, very well socialized, and we support our customers after the sale. Our puppies are guaranteed, temperament included, including a 2 year congenital health guarantee. Not only do we guarantee our puppies, but we stand behind it. It's simply not possible to raise dogs without an occasional problem, but we work hard to resolve any issues that arise.
We employ 2 full time staff members, besides my husband and myself. In addition, we have 7 part time staff members as well. Weekdays, we have at least 5 people on staff caring for the dogs. Weekends and holidays, we have no less than 3 people on staff.
We have a regular parasite control and vaccination routine that we follow with the puppies. Wormings begin at 2 weeks of age, and continue every other week until the puppies go home. Vaccinations begin at 5 weeks of age, with a Parvo and Distemper combination vaccination. Each and every puppy is thoroughly checked over by our vet before the puppies go home. She comes to the kennel twice a week to check puppies and handle any veterinary issues that need to be addressed. Our puppies go home with a health record, and packet of Puppy Care Information. It's quite common for the vets that care for the new owner's puppies, to positively comment on the care that goes into this packet, as well as the condition of the puppies. We are happy to help customers with concerns after the puppies go home.
I'm proud of how we raise our dogs. Years ago, as a Certified Master Groomer, when we decided to raise dogs because our grooming customers were looking for quality puppies, we made the decision that we would never raise our dogs in wire cages. Our small dogs are housed inside, in a 40 x 80 finished, heated pole building. We built the building with in-floor heat, which is very comfortable for the dogs. The floors are warm, not cold. They have solid walled pens, right on the floor, which are easy to clean. Each pen has sawdust and shredded paper bedding, which is changed very day, including weekends and holidays. Because the pens are open at the top, it's easy for us to reach in and handle the dogs and the puppies. We feel this is very important - socialization is important for the happiness of the adult dogs, and it's important for the mental development of the puppies. Each dog has at least one room-mate to ensure that they are never lonely.
Our larger dogs are kept outside. These dogs have large pens to play in. The pens range in size from 10 x 16 to 10 x 40. Each dog has access to specially built insulated dog houses. Frankly, most of the dogs prefer to sleep on top of the dog houses, rather than inside. Each dog has one or two room-mates, so they are never lonely.
We do not obviously post our address on the website for a very specific reason. We no longer allow visitors. It's not because we have something to hide. It's not because we don't wish to entertain customers. It's simply to protect the health of our dogs, especially our puppies.
Up to 3 years ago, we did allow visitors. In the spring of 2005, a brand new dog virus emerged, Canine Influenza. This virus mutated from a horse virus, and no dog had immunity. It came to us from a visiting customer, who had either visited another dog kennel, or had a dog at home with the virus. It made each and every puppy and dog sick in our kennel, as no dog had immunity. We lost over 30 puppies in a month. You might think that the financial hardship was what caused us to suspend visits, but the reality of these deaths is what hit us the hardest. You can't imagine how hard it was to go to the kennel each morning, after being up late with the puppies, to find more sick or dead puppies. It was horrific. We simply will not allow something like this to happen again. When will the next new disease emerge? This decision costs us customers, but so be it. We'd rather lose a few customers, than put our puppies through this kind of thing again.
Take a look at the website. You'll see that it's probably the best website out there, loaded with information about dogs, dog care, training, etc. The care that I have put into the website is a reflection of the care that goes into our puppies. Think about it, people don't take pride in one thing. People that take pride in a thing, take pride in everything they do. I take pride in the website. I take pride in the fact that I'm a Certified Master Groomer. We all take pride in the care and love that goes into our dogs. I take pride in the photos I take of the puppies. We all take pride in the fact that we stand behind our guarantee. We all take pride in the care that we give to our customers after the sale. My husband, Mike (Edward) and I take great pride in our 4 wonderful children (who socialize the puppies too.)
Why don't we give out references to past customers? We don't want to bother those customers. Privacy is important now-a-days. Would you like to be hassled by countless calls? I think not. Many of our customers tell us that they'd be happy to give referrals, but with this request several times a day, they'd soon weary of the calls. So, we have posted numerous testimonials from customers, on the website. These testimonials are un-solicited, simply a sampling from emails that we have received from customers that have purchased puppies in the past. Many of our customers have purchased a second puppy, and some have purchased several through the years. One customer out on Long Island, runs a beauty shop. Her dog, "Lucy", is quite the ambassador for our kennel. She has sold over a dozen puppies for us!
Take a look at the website: http://www.mixedbreedpups.com . Give us a call if you have any questions: 218-546-2811.
Sincerely,
Lucy Gerold