Hey all!

I cant seem to find a reputable breeder in Maryland. Can someone help me? I'm such a sucker for anything cute I'm scared I'll get duped into purchasing from a mill or BYB.
My original plan was to buy from this breeder, but now I'm not so sure.


Relevant info
I'm looking for a male puppy.
Preferably sable or wolf grey with a wolfish mask.
I'm willing to be put on a waiting list if it means finding my perfect puppy.
I can pay up to 850 dollars, maybe more.

The first paragraph on the main splash screen is a huge red flag. No no no.

Also.. 21 females?!?!?! And 6 litters born in less than a month? Those are huge red flags. Major red flags.

MD breeders on Siberian Husky Club of America:

http://www.shca.org/shcahp4f.htm#MD

Mind explaining to me where the red flags are in the first paragraph? I'm dense.

Innisfree is a great and reputable kennel and has been. They were established in the 1950's and are a GREAT kennel.

Remember, that you can tell them you want a male and suggest a coat color/mask preference - however it's important to remember that breeders like Innisfree and other breeders from SHCA place huge emphasis on temperament and personality of their puppies. They don't breed for eye or coat color or mask type. A breeder like them will want to know what you're looking for in your puppy's personality and temperament and will pick a puppy out for you that is exactly what you want in that puppy. It won't always be coat color/mask that you'd like - but you should never pick out a puppy based solely on looks.

I was originally going to go with that exact breeder, but was not impressed with them at all! I emailed them a few times, but didn't like anything I saw or read. I really think you should probably go with an out of state breeder as I have been searching in this area for almost 6 months and have yet to find anything good.

Snow White wrote:

Mind explaining to me where the red flags are in the first paragraph? I'm dense.

They emphasize coat colors and eye colors - they advertise Piebald as being "rare". They mention nothing about OFA or CERF testing for their dogs. Nothing about proving their dogs in any way. And absolutely nothing about temperament of their dogs. Huge huge HUGE red flags. I'd run away from that breeder as fast as I could.

Another good breeder I know personally and have talked a lot with is Snocrest - out of south eastern PA (around Philadelphia).

If you click on the dogs pages it says they have been tested.

http://www.celticacresfarm.com/Nikko_2.html

Other than the number of bitches, is she really that bad? I mean, she has a huge amount of land there.

One out of the three males that they have pages for. And his eyes haven't been checked since '08.

Out of all of their bitches only one of them has had OFA done. None of have had eyes done - which is especially a huge red flag. Siberians have eye diseases and it is important to get their eyes checked. They are susceptible to hereditary/juvenile cataracts. So getting a dogs eyes checked are VERY important within the breed and should be done every year. This is from the Siberian Husky Club of America's Website:

Quote :

What are hereditary cataracts & how are they transmitted? Hereditary or juvenile cataracts are manifested by opacity in the lens of a young dog as early as 3 months of age. These cataracts are different from the non-hereditary cataracts affecting aged or senior dogs. The function of the lens of the eye is to focus the rays of light so that they form an image on the retina. An opacity or cataract on the lens causes less light to enter the eye and sight can be diminished. A cataract can cause a mild decrease in eyesight to complete blindness in severe cases. Cataracts can further be classified by location and stage of development. The most common hereditary cataract in the Siberian Husky occurs on the posterior region of the lens. It is not uncommon for a cataract to develop in one eye months before the other eye shows the effects of the disease. Recent DNA research indicates that juvenile cataracts may be carried by a recessive gene. Genetic research is presently under way to develop a simple DNA test to identify dogs and bitches that carry the recessive gene for cataracts.

This is also from the Siberian Husky Club of America's Website:

Quote :

What is progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) & how is it transmitted? Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) affects the retina, the light-sensitive inner lining of the posterior part of the eyeball. The retina contains two types of specialized cells called rods and cones. The rods are necessary for sight in dim light or night light, and the cones are utilized in in bright light vision. The Siberian Husky has a unique type of PRA that is only found in Siberians and man. This type of PRA is called XLPRA (X Linked PRA) since it is transmitted through the "XX" chromosome of the female. It will cause a loss of night vision followed by a loss of day vision, eventually blindness. The recessive gene for XLPRA is situated on the "X" chromosome of the female. Females who inherit a defective gene on the "X" chromosome from one parent and a normal gene on the other "X" chromosome from the other parent, will not be seriously affected. They will be carriers with very subtle retinal defects and no loss of vision. The male puppy from a carrier dam will receive either a defective gene or a normal gene, depending on what chromosome was copied in the DNA replication. If he has the defective gene, the dog will be affected with PRA since males carry an "XY" chromosome. The disease in males can be devastating with loss of vision as early as 5 months of age.

While there is no actual test for PRA - the genetic markers for PRA can be found within the dogs DNA.
(As an aside - PRA shows up the least of the eye problems in Siberians but is still there and can obviously be very detrimental)

While hip dysplasia is not running rampant within the breed it is very important to have the hips checked and have an OFA score on ANY breeding dog - no dog of any breeding program should be used without having the hips checked by OFA (or Pennhip but some people won't even accept Pennhip) and you can't have the hips checked until they're 2 years old so no dog should be being bred under the age of 24 months.

21 bitches isn't a breeder it's a puppy mill. She's in it for the money not to better the breed. Working in rescue I can smell these half way across the country.

Lordbroll wrote:

21 bitches isn't a breeder it's a puppy mill. She's in it for the money not to better the breed.

Basically this! (Edited since I don't work in a rescue )

I know a lady with a Celtic Acres puppy from another forum. He's a gorgeous red and white pie bald, and her boyfriend has her dogs brothers. both are of good health, but definitely wouldn't call her a reputable breeder.

I DEFINITELY second Innisfree, I really want my show puppy from them, but I'm not comfortable with flying puppies.

Innisfree: http://innisfreekennels.com/

Amarock is also a pretty good breeder

Amarock: http://www.amaroksiberians.com/

I know a show breeder in Virginia who has puppies right now. There are at least two grey and whites, but I"m not sure if they are males or not. http://www.alluresiberians.com/ You'll have to e-mail her for pictures, cause she doesn't have them on her website yet.

Jennet&Embry wrote:

I know a lady with a Celtic Acres puppy from another forum. He's a gorgeous red and white pie bald, and her boyfriend has her dogs brothers. both are of good health, but definitely wouldn't call her a reputable breeder.

I DEFINITELY second Innisfree, I really want my show puppy from them, but I'm not comfortable with flying puppies.

Innisfree: http://innisfreekennels.com/

Amarock is also a pretty good breeder

Amarock: http://www.amaroksiberians.com/

I thought you were getting a show puppy from them? Did something happen?

Please check out the How to Find a Reputable Breeder thread. This should help you understand what makes a reputable breeder and why this breeder doesn't fit the bill.

SaraB wrote:

Jennet&Embry wrote:

I know a lady with a Celtic Acres puppy from another forum. He's a gorgeous red and white pie bald, and her boyfriend has her dogs brothers. both are of good health, but definitely wouldn't call her a reputable breeder.

I DEFINITELY second Innisfree, I really want my show puppy from them, but I'm not comfortable with flying puppies.

Innisfree: http://innisfreekennels.com/

Amarock is also a pretty good breeder

Amarock: http://www.amaroksiberians.com/

I thought you were getting a show puppy from them? Did something happen?

I was supposed to get a Kristari dog, they have tooons of Innisfree in their pedigrees. But I had to get surgery in January, cost me $35k so now I have to put it off for a while, plus I just went back to school for my Vet Tech degree So for the time being I'm going to start showing Zoey in agility and possibly altered UKC to get the hang of things..

Jennet&Embry wrote:

I know a lady with a Celtic Acres puppy from another forum. He's a gorgeous red and white pie bald, and her boyfriend has her dogs brothers. both are of good health, but definitely wouldn't call her a reputable breeder.

I DEFINITELY second Innisfree, I really want my show puppy from them, but I'm not comfortable with flying puppies.

Innisfree: http://innisfreekennels.com/

Amarock is also a pretty good breeder

Amarock: http://www.amaroksiberians.com/

From what I can tell Bridget at Celtic Acres got her breeding dogs from the 2 breeders you just linked. I don't see any reason why I wouldn't get a healthy puppy from her farm. I've read reviews on her farm and I'm going to check the place out myself this weekend. If her adults seem to be in good health and the dogs are clean and socialized why isn't she a good breeder?

I think all the previous posts explain why.

I'll try the links you all provided. Thanks for your input all.

You can lead a horse to water...?
I feel it's appropriate!

If you do decide to go with this breeder...I sincerely hope that you do get a healthy and happy puppy that you get many years with

Here is Bella's story. She's not from a good breeder. I got her for free. Because of this - I had to spend 800$ in the first 5 months of owning her. Because she is not well-bred from a reputable breeder she has a heart problem that has the potential to shorten her lifespan. I worry that she may not live to see her second birthday. I worry that if she does live to see it, I worry she won't see her fifth birthday, etc.

Every year I am guaranteed to spend at least $600 in vet bills for her to go see her cardiologist (yes, she has a cardiologist as well as a regular vet).

This is what can happen if you don't find a reputable and good breeder. There is another poster on this forum who thought she went to a reputable breeder for a puppy who possibly has Luxating Patella - last I heard the breeder isn't even responding to them even though they SEEMED like they would be dependable and help throughout the life of the puppy.

Just because breeding dogs outwardly in appearance LOOK healthy - that means nothing. What would you do if you got a puppy from them that had Juvenile Cataracts and went blind by 5 months of age? Would you be willing to give that puppy back and just get a new one? Do you know what would most likely happen to that puppy if you gave it back - it would be put to sleep.


Out of ALL of their dogs - only a few (I believe 4 or 5) have titled dogs in their pedigree and only one has well-known kennels in it's line. The biggest thing I saw is that they have Nacomas dogs in their lines and Nacomas is/was a very well known puppy mill.

But even having titled dogs in the pedigree means nothing unless they themselves are out there proving and titling THEIR dogs. They are only using the "champion show lines" as a selling point.

But this is all just my two cents.

I appreciate your concern, and thank you for sharing Bella's story.

I'd feel like I must say I wouldn't ever give a dog away if it was unhealthy. I feel once you have an animal it's a part of your family no matter what - through thick and thin. And that even if I did receive a sick dog, even on it's death bed needing thousands of dollars worth of medical treatment, I'd find a way to give it the things it needs instead of just trying to replace it. I'm not one to abandon an animal when the going gets tough.

Do I want a healthy animal? Of course I do but I think it's only fair that I at least go see this farm for myself before making snap judgements. Especially since everyone I have talked to that has gone with this breeder has said nothing but good things about the animals.

Anyway, I haven't made any decisions yet, but I think it's unfair to judge a breeder solely on their website. It could simply be outdated. I plan on seeing the animals for myself and coming to my own decision about Bridget and Celtic Acres Farms.

Don't worry, I'll still bring my list of questions.

Niraya wrote:

But even having titled dogs in the pedigree means nothing unless they themselves are out there proving and titling THEIR dogs. They are only using the "champion show lines" as a selling point.

100% in agreement.

We are sharing our opinions on this breeder because you asked us and because the majority of us know what to look for because we participate in showing or because we own rescues/byb dogs who have their own set of health issues.

What should really put you off is this person has whelped 6 litters of puppies in just the past 30 days. That's a lot of dogs. 6 litters x 4 puppies a littter= 24 puppies x $850.... I think you can understand what i'm saying.

If you are planning to spend your money and time on a puppy... don't you want a puppy that someone put money and time into carefully breeding? Rather than someone who slaps their 21 females with their 6 males together and see who takes? Don't you want someone who knows their dogs and knows their lines so they can produce the best puppies possible? Someone who cares for their dogs health and gets them health tested and cleared so their puppies have a better chance at being the healthiest possible? This BYB isn't doing this. They don't care what sort of health issues you encounter down the road. All they care about is making their $20,000 a month.

arooroomom wrote:

Niraya wrote:

But even having titled dogs in the pedigree means nothing unless they themselves are out there proving and titling THEIR dogs. They are only using the "champion show lines" as a selling point.

100% in agreement.

We are sharing our opinions on this breeder because you asked us and because the majority of us know what to look for because we participate in showing or because we own rescues/byb dogs who have their own set of health issues.

What should really put you off is this person has whelped 6 litters of puppies in just the past 30 days. That's a lot of dogs. 6 litters x 4 puppies a littter= 24 puppies x $850.... I think you can understand what i'm saying.

If you are planning to spend your money and time on a puppy... don't you want a puppy that someone put money and time into carefully breeding? Rather than someone who slaps their 21 females with their 6 males together and see who takes? Don't you want someone who knows their dogs and knows their lines so they can produce the best puppies possible? Someone who cares for their dogs health and gets them health tested and cleared so their puppies have a better chance at being the healthiest possible? This BYB isn't doing this. They don't care what sort of health issues you encounter down the road. All they care about is making their $20,000 a month.

and giving those of us doing rescue another day of heartache....these people and those like them contribute to a good share of the 8 million dogs killed each year.

Snow White wrote:

Jennet&Embry wrote:

I know a lady with a Celtic Acres puppy from another forum. He's a gorgeous red and white pie bald, and her boyfriend has her dogs brothers. both are of good health, but definitely wouldn't call her a reputable breeder.

I DEFINITELY second Innisfree, I really want my show puppy from them, but I'm not comfortable with flying puppies.

Innisfree: http://innisfreekennels.com/

Amarock is also a pretty good breeder

Amarock: http://www.amaroksiberians.com/

From what I can tell Bridget at Celtic Acres got her breeding dogs from the 2 breeders you just linked. I don't see any reason why I wouldn't get a healthy puppy from her farm. I've read reviews on her farm and I'm going to check the place out myself this weekend. If her adults seem to be in good health and the dogs are clean and socialized why isn't she a good breeder?

If you look at their pedigrees, no they did not get their dogs from those kennels. They got dogs who 4 to 6 generations ago were bred by those kennels. Since they left those kennels, it appears the dogs had not been shown and probably weren't the best to breed, so the line went down hill to end up with what celtic has. You really seem like you want to buy from this breeder for whatever reason. To be just breeding 21 females and having 6 litters right now alone would make me run far away, but that's me!

My Siku came from a similar breeder and she had some champions on her mothers side and one was quite nice, but I'd get laughed at and disqualified if I entered her into a show! He breeder did not care about the structure of her dogs or anything else really, that's just her cash cow, and now I worry about Siku's back (it's a bit roached backed) and she makes snorting noises cause I think there is somehting wrong with her muzzle, but her breeder could care less and even sold me her on full registration where I have breeding rights! She has been spayed and I'm very upset I helped support such a bad breeder.

Plus there is no way they could be giving all 6 of those litters the attention they need. Happy puppies that are well socialized at very young ages have the best chance on being well balanced dogs later in life. Just keeping the puppies out in kennels with the mothers does not prepare them. A friend of mine has a litter of 7 puppies right now and he does so much to socialize them and they are only 5 weeks old! He raises them in his house, makes sure they hear all the normal household things, picks them up a lot and lets visitors handle them too, he recently brought two of them to one of our kennel club events to get them used to new places (of course they did not touch the ground!). That to me makes a good breeder, one who is really dedicated to his or her dogs and puppies. Needless to say the sire is a champion and dam is pointed (doesn't quite have her championship yet), but both are nice representations of the breed and passed their health tests (and there are a lot more tests for his breed besides hips and eyes!).