Christy Mikula Kinship Companions Buyer Beware of Kinship Companions Breeding Program. Pup Charlie came to us with poor genetics and has Kidney dysplasia, situs inversus! Breeder does not cover genetically sick pups unless they die! oostburg, Wisconsin

Look, we bought our Golden from the Mikulas and while the dog is a gorgeous dog and well-manered, I would never buy from the breeder again.  Take a look at the contract - the number of restrictions placed on owners should be a *huge* red flag.  I suspect they have some issues with their lines given the number of problems they think one can "fix" by special diets, skipped vaccinations, and not spaying/neutering your dog.

If the genetics are good, if the lines are good, if it's a reputable breeder, then they should stand by the dog for the first two years.  Period.  Either the dog is good or it's not.  Protein percentages, lepto vaccination, and Galaxy brand vaccinations are not to blame.

Communication is spotty, and if you manage to get into the "in group" with the rabid fans you'll learn far too much personal information about the breeder than one would ever care to know.

We get compliments on our dog all the time, but when asked I either refuse to identify the breeder or, if pushed, preface it by saying that they are nuttier than peanut butter.

Learn the lesson I learned, and buy your dog somewhere else.

I, unlike the above re-complainant "Tubie", have done business with this breeder. As I researched the web for reviews, I noticed this "complaint", and thought it necessary to point out a few problems. Some of this data was gathered from a website the kennel no longer uses. Using website data as the sole reason for their complaint tells me the person must have a libelous intent.

It appears as though this person has used Ripoff Report not to share a consumer experience, but to slander the breeders and drive business away to the stated other club-affiliated breeders. For these reasons, I am suggesting that potential customers disregard the information contained, as there are clear indications of mischief and no actual business interactions noted. There was also no follow up to the original story of "Charlie", suggesting the problem was somehow resolved. 

I have been quite pleased with this business, and should note that they were the only breeders in the state who were willing to have us over, meet the litter and parents, and spend some time with the puppies to get a good fit for our newest family member. All the other breeders expected a hefty up-front payment to get on a "selection list" of sorts but did not allow any other interactions with our family and their dogs. I find that to be a bad practice, and I appreciate this kennel's willingness to really interact with us. We are very happy with our dog, and are aware of many other happy dog owners who have done business with this kennel. 

Imapups Quintessential Puppy Girl - "Legacy" (dob 4/8/2009) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances
Cprfld Imapup's Happily Ever After - "Ever" (dob 7/15/2008) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances
Imapup's Gnothi Seauton - "Delphi" (4/24/2008) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances
CPRFLD Imapup's On My Honor I Will Do My Best - "Scout" (01/06/2008) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances
Imapup's Chasing Rainbows - "Rainey" (11/15/2007) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances
Sires:
Imapup's Hoalie Alaskan Asher - "Asher" (06/21/2005) - cardiac clearance done by practitioner, not cardiologist, no verifiable hip, elbow, or eye clearances
Imapup's Pistus Elpis Agape Dieu Parmi Nous - "Nous" - (01/28/2008) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances.  Sired 1st litter at approximately 17 months of age. 
Chien D'Or's Cprflds Easy Money - "Cache" (1/29/2007) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances.
CPRFLD Imapups Duck. Duck. Goose! - "Goose" or "Jagger" (07/14/2008) - no verifiable hip, elbow, eye or heart clearances.

Not ONE of the Goldens listed on their website has complete and/or verifiable clearances.  The same can be said for their Bernese Mountain Dogs.  They have had several dog records locked on the Golden Retriever database, k9data, for removing the registration number, breeder and owner name from their dogs after it was shown that their dogs were either bred under the age of 2 or bred without verifiable clearances.

At a minimum, Goldens that are being bred should be 2 years of age (the age when FINAL clearances for hips and elbows can be done), have final clearances which are printed on colored paper from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and have an OFA number starting with GR-XXXX, have a cardiac clearance done by a cardiologist (practitioners have received no specialized training in listening to hearts), and a YEARLY eye exam.  Since they are breeding "Imported" "European x Nordic Blend" Goldens", these "breeders" should also be testing for Icthyosis, a skin disease that causes a dogs' skin to flake like fish scales which is more prevalent in European-type Goldens. 

To top it all off, this breeder is now breeding their non-health tested Goldens to non-health tested Bernese Mountain Dogs.  Berners have a HIGH incidence of elbow dysplasia (ranked #6 with the OFA) with 21% of all Berners tested having dysplastic elbows and these "breeders" don't even check for that.

This "breeder" says that they have had no issues with genetic problems.  Well, it's easy to say that when you haven't TESTED your dogs for those issues to see if they have them and their puppies are not being tested to see if any problems has been passed on.  Most genetic/health disorders cannot be diagnosed without testing (x-rays, specialized eye exams, etc).   Many dogs with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, & cataracts show little to no outward symptoms.  Dogs with heart conditions usually show no outward symptoms but can suddenly drop dead and the owner may be too distraught to get an exam done after the fact to see what caused it.  The breeders who are testing their breeding dogs can eliminate or reduce the risk of the pups having these disorders.  The ones who don't test could be passing on serious and sometimes fatal genetic disorders and not even be aware of it.

Do your homework before you buy - go to the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) website if you are looking for a Golden.  Go to the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA) if you want a Berner. In either case, make sure that the breeder that you are looking at is doing the best that they can to insure a healthy puppy - by doing the appropriate genetic and health testing!

And they are upfront with that!!  Read your contract!  I had NEVER had an issue with Kinship Companions.  I will stand by them.  I bought two beautiful Goldens.  One belonged to Asher, and according to my vet he is just fine.  Please if you are considering buying a Bernese or Golden Retriever, give Christy and Chuck a chance.  Go meet them, they have always been open and encourage meeting perspective clients. 

You can listen to the "haters" but you'll miss out on some wonderful companions.   I know I have two of the best dogs.  One is going on 5 yrs old the other is just 1.  

Overbreeding of father Asher, may be cause of our dog's multiple genetic issues. Buyer beware of this breeder and their loosely worded warranty!