Winterhill Kennel

We purchased a labradoodle puppy from Winterhill Kennel a few months back and cannot say enough positive things about them...we love our puppy and are so grateful to them for all their help and for making it affordable for us to have our precious pup!! :) more

I took home my second Bichon Frise from…\r I took home my second Bichon Frise from Winterhill Kennel last night and am absolutely ecstatic at how healthy, friendly and well adjusted my newest little girl is. \r \r This is the third time that I've worked with Leah and Winterhill Kennel and I would highly recommend her and her business if you are looking for a new addition to your family. I'm thrilled that the puppies are socialized with other dogs as well as children/family members. It makes the whole process less intimidating and makes for a well rounded puppy. I especially love the fact that Leah does not rely on commercial/processed dog food but makes fresh food daily which ensures healthy puppies. If the pups are eating well, they gain weight, when they gain weight they have healthy eyes, coats..... When you put in all of the hours and TLC that Leah does you see that it really does make all the difference in the world. I've seen first hand how excited and happy these little fur babies are and will sing Leah's praises and promote her business. As with any living thing, whether it be babies, puppies, kittens.....there may be problems on occasion which is not unusual and you need to remember that there are always solutions.....\r \r Great job Leah! \r \r Sadie and I thank you! :) Pros: Parent's on site, healthy puppies, home atmosphere more

Coccidia and under weight sick puppy. I recently purchased a 7 week 4 day Labradoodle from Winter Hill Kennel (Leah Shattuck). On the way home from picking the puppy up he began pooping blood. We took the puppy to the vet less than 24 hours later. We soon found out the puppy had Coccidia which is a parasite infection. In addition, the puppy soon developed a green runny nose and cough which was diagnosed as a respiratory infection. Puppy also had a yeast infection in his ears. In addition to all of this, the 8 week old puppy was very thin and I could feel all of his ribs and vertebrae as he only weighed 4.1lbs at 8 weeks which is very low for a dog that will mature to 50 - 65 lbs. I notified Leah of all of this and she informed me it was ""normal"" for puppies to have these issues and that ""all breeders"" have these issues (I don't believe this). She also said that regarding the weight, the puppy was so underweight because of the ""Standard Poodle"" side. I don't believe it and think this puppy should be about twice the weight he is. I have looked at a few growth charts, both standard poodle and Labrador puppy weights, and even our veterinarian commented that he is underweight. I would be interested in hearing from others who also purchased a Labradoodle from the April 24th litter or any other puppy in general. You can report the sale of sick puppies to the Massachusetts department of Agriculture Pet Shop division (I'm having issues putting the link in here).\r \r Updated July 18 in response to Kennel Owners Angry response to my review ( which I now see she deleted):\r \r I agree with the many other reviewers that purchased a sick puppy. The owner herself openly admits that her kennel has coccidia (also why is an OWNER of business posting her own reviews? I am skeptical of many of these positive reviews). The puppy began displaying respiratory symptoms on Tuesday (4 days after picking him up). We waited a few days, as I would if I had a cold, for it to resolve and by this time it was the weekend and Monday made it 10 days from pickup. From pickup (literally 15 minutes down the road from picking up the puppy) the puppy began having bloody diarrhea. This got progressively worse through the first week home. 9 days into treatment with Albon the Veterinarian RE checked a fecal and said puppy was still VERY infested with the parasite and to extend Albon to 14 days. As for the weight, I do not buy or breed dogs on a regular basis. It was my VET that brought up the underweight issue and I researched it more. Puppy tripled its weight in the first 3 weeks and the vet says puppy is still underweight since she would like to have some fat on his bones (ribs were sticking out when picked up at 7weeks). \r Please buy from a reputable breeder and avoid this puppy mill/ backyard breeder. Don't let your excitement get the best of you and make sure you ask to see the living conditions and parent dogs. \r As you can see from the owners response she is trying to blame her selling sick dogs on me having kids. I do indeed have two great boys that are 6 and 8. While they were in her stinky, filthy house (well the only room she had us in) they were nothing but normal 6 and 8yo boys excited to get a puppy. She is blaming the coccidia on stress , however it is commonly caused by overcrowded and poor living conditions.\r (I think there are a lot of fake reviews on here as well. It's funny that every negative review is then suddenly flooded by positives. Also 3 of them I am sure are the owners friend, daughter, and friend from the names). Buyer beware.\r \r Further, I have no apology to render. Winterhill Kennel sold me(and many others) a sick puppy. The owner lied that the puppy was healthy, she stated he had ""firm stools"" when not 15 minutes down the road he pooped blood. I can offer advice though, stop selling sick dogs and work on customer service. Instead of denying problems and blaming your customers.\r \r more

We bought a puppy and we too were not allowed to see the parents ""because the other dogs would not allow the daughters in"", after some talking and a lot of empty promises and lies,(which we found out after). we bought the dog and brought it home, the next morning the pup had green buggas streming out its nose so we brought it to our vets to find the dog was LOADED with parasites and had a upper respiratory infection. We decided AGAINST bringing the poor dog back because we now knew the discusting living conditions these dogs were subjected to behind those doors. We now have over $900. in vet bills and medication invested in this now Great dog, PLUS the purchase price.\r Another thing that was confirmed is They do all the vaccinations and falsify the immunization paper they give you with everything checked off, even giving the pups shots at 2 weeks of age. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS DISGUSTING DIRTY KENNEL there are many other places to purchase from\r \r \r UPDATE 7/23 DO NOT BELIEVE ALL THESE NEW POSTERS, THEY ARE FAMILY & FRIENDS COVERING FOR HER DIRTY KENNEL, CALL THE STATE AGENCY, THEY WILL INFORM YOU ABOUT THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. SHE ALSO DOES HER OWN SHOTS AND FILLS OUT HER OWN VET PAPERS, SOUNDS LIKE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY TO ME\r \r \r Another UPDATE, Was talking to a family friend of Winterhill and they have requested as many people as possible write a good review about them to try to ""BURY"" these legit complaints, JUST CALL THE MASS ANIMAL ASSOC. AND YOU WILL GET PROOF THIS KENNEL IS BAD BAD BAD!\r \r \r \r 8/10/12 We have compiled a list of 23 previous buyers who have given the same reports of sick dogs and astronomical vet bills due to dirty kennel conditions, they have all been stamped and an investigation is underway, FINALLY a reprieve for these poor dogs.\r \r \r \r Just bringing this to the top again so others will see the real problems with this place and not the ""NEW"" posts that appear everytime a bad review happens, it is FACT that winterhill posts their own good reviews with made up names, Just read ALL the posts and see for yourself more

Couldn't find a golden anywhere. Finally found one here. He is a healthy well adjusted dog. I am retired and planning on getting k-9 good citizen certificate and doing some therapy with Max at my mother's nursing home. more

This winter, my family and I purchased a pup from Winterhill and she is very well, Actually, Winterhill has been a place sent from heaven. My family is not wealthy and we have many kids. We were looking for a pup on a budget and they really helped us find the perfect dog. It turned out that we found such a great girl at a good price. They even offered to let us adopt an older dog at no cost as well. Great family, thank you. more

I drank the kool aid and it couldnt be sweeter! i purchased a mini doxie from here and we absolutely looove her. she is sweet and cuddly. and the people could not have been nicer. they were so paitent and took the time to go over all her needs. we were having trouble getting her potty trained so we called for some sugestions and they were more than helpfull with all kinds of tips and tricks. we are currently looking at getting another puppy from them in the next few weeks. we love you winterhill!! more

Last spring my family purchased a yorkie from this kennel and we are in love ! She is our little baby. We searched around for a teacup yorkie for 6 months and we just could not afford the 2000 to 3000 that so many breeders were asking. This place was helpful and went beyond to make sure we knew how to take care of such a tiny pup. They sent us home with all kinds of stuff and food as well. We would highly recomend them to anyone looking for a pup. more

Gotta say, I really liked these people. They were very down to earth and obviously have made animals their life. I bought a super bichon from them and was able to speak with others who had bought them as long ago as 19 years ago and as recently as last year. All had nice things to say and my pup was and still is perfect. more

My husband and I just purchased a pup from here and we are nothing but happy ! Our new lab is a nice pup. They offered us references which made more sense than believing anonymous online comments. We atually got to meet one of their other pups that some people had. \r Our puppy came with new toys, pee pads, a hair roller, and dog food that they had made themselves ! \r Our puppy has 28 champions in his family tree and our vet said good job with the shots. Thanks for doing such a good job. more

Don't drink the kool aid from the fake reviews. Remember anyone can create an account and leave a review for their own business. Lots of $$$ at stake. Look at how all the negative reviews have a resounding theme. Dirty kennel, sick dogs, worms. coccidia, respiratory infections, underweight. Run far far away. The vet bills that you will have afterwards will at least double the price of your puppy. \r If you have already purchased a puppy Google ""Massachusetts Pet Shop Program"" and report to Esther. She replied back to my email within an hour.\r \r The tip that was deleted and the Yahoo review by the same person that is fake from ""Pianolady"" (who is the owner. Why did she buy two dogs from herself? And she met the mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa? really?):\r \r YAHOO REVIEW:\r \r Pianolady\r Posted on 09/16/10\r \r ""I am appolled by the reviews I saw! Of course there are going to be a couple bad reviews but please take into consideration the people who are pleased with their visit will not be the ones who are putting untruthful slander into other peoples brains, they will be playing with their new pup! I have bought a total of two dogs from Winterhill and love them to pieces! I got to meet their mom, dad, grandma and grandpa! They all had such great personalities and were in wonderful condition. Lucy and Ethel are the cutest pair of retrievers you will ever meet! They go with me everywhere and all we get is complements about their great, docile nature. Leah talked about all her farm animals with me and her daughter took me up to meet all of their farm animals, their goats are a laugh a minute! If you ever have any questions about what breed best suits your families lifestyle call her, she can help you find your match.""\r \r \r WORCESTER CITYSEARCH (tip that was deleted after being called out on it)\r \r Pianolady \r July 09, 2012\r \r 09, 2012 \r To Kristen, I am tired of people embellishing the truth as with your case. You contacted me as if your dog was diagnosed with yeast in the ears, coccidiosis, and an upper resperatory infection upon it's first visit. This is simply not true. You brought the pup to the vet the day after purchase and it only had cocidosis, something that is very common and I explain to evry potential puppy person could occur in their pup both verbally and in writing. Stress triggors this parasite and my initial thought upon meeting your boys was that they were going to cause this pup stress. I should have listened to my instinct and not sold you the pup. Parasites can arise under the best of transitional situations and your boys were not listening or behaving while at my home. \r \r The thing you left out in your review was the fact that your pup was brought back to the vet 10 days after it's initial exam and only then was it diagnosed with a yeast infection and upper resperatory infection. You accused me of not being forthright in not paying your 300.00 vet bill but , the reality is that you are the one who was not forthright. Look up the definition of the word. I told you up front that the pup may develope parasites and that I would not pay vet bills This was signed in writing by both of us.. You are the one who left important facts out of your story. That is the meaning of not being forthright. \r \r Your dog was not underweight when you took it home. You also forgot to mention that there was a veterinary certificate from my vet's exam of the pup the day before you purchased it. I think you have alot on your plate just raising two difficult boys. I will be giving a copy of this to my lawyer as I mentioned..…\r \r \r more

I am the owner of winterhill Kennel and would like to respond to my annonymous friend who is so persistant. First, no one has ever accused my family of living an extravegant lifestyle or raking in the mney raising animals. We live in a small modest home with one bathroom which 6 of us and once, 7 of us shared. We drive old vehicles and rarely vacation. \r It is true that some of my pups will have parasites. They are very hard to elliminate and I do not know any breeders in the country who do not deal with them. We now know that parasites are not an indication of dirty conditions but just simply live through all disinfectants etc. that may be used. I clean at least twice a day and do EVERYTHING I can to elliminate them. Not all pups have them but some do. I continue to work with vets in trying new things to eliminate them with quite a bit of success.\r By the way, I called Esther at the state yesterday to make an appointment to have our poultry tested so that my kids could show them and ...she called me called me cack within a half hour. It is as if it is her job to return calls promptly. The state dept. of agriculture is wonderful and I use them as a resource for all of my animal health questions. They are not my enemy and I always welome advise from them. I think they would tell anyone asking that I have always gone above and beyond to take all of their suggestions and seek their help when I need it. \r Lastly, I tell every person who purhases a pup both verbally and ask them to sign that they understand that pups may have parasites and they are triggered by stress like when moved to a new home. Last, I always offer to pay for my vet to treat any coccidosis and the parasite does not make the pups feel sick. It is an inconvenience causing loose stool and some blood in the stool. it also will resolve itself by the time a pup is 16 weeks old as well.\r Last, who is the one making fake reviews an knows all about how to do it ? Seems like it may be you. more

Last month, I got a dog off of Winterhill kennel and she is doing great. She is a labradoodle and I love her. There were no problems and her price was way less the other people who were selling them. Thanks for the pup. more

My family and I recently purchased a labrador retriever pup from Winterhill Kennel and I wanted to take the time to write a review. Sebastian is the best puppy we have ever had. He is smart and tries to d what we ask although a few of my son's sneakers have been chewed . When we took him home, we were given health documents from the parents and the pup. Our vet said that they did a good job with shots etc. as well. I have recently sent my neighbor to them and she has a deposit on a puppy now. Too bad people seem to only take the time to write a review when they want to compain. That is why I took the time when I was happy because people should know about people who are happy with their new dogs. more

I read reviews and went anyway because there were more good than bad. What I found was refreshing honesty and healthy pups in a family environment. My family purchased a happy lab and could not be happier. Bunky was up to date on shots and worming and had been recently vet checked. There was even someone visiting who had bought a pup years ago and was very happy. more

We had a lovely experience at this family owned kennel. more

My tip is for kistenm. You should be honest and explain that the puppy did not have the respiratory infection until 10 days after you got it and after it had all ready seen the vet and been cleared.It easily could have caught that from going to the vet where other sick dogs go! Also, coccidia is common. It is in most environments and can be brought out by stress. Any puppy leaving it's home will be stressed. Also, I saw those puppies and none of hem were underweight. If you thought the puppy was so underweight, and unhealthy, why did you buy it from Leah to begin with? Pros: Great , healthy pups! more

It has been a few years since my husband and I purchased our dog from winterhill kennel. I am writing now to warn other people because our supposed full bred lab is now full grown and there is no doubt in our minds, after growing up with and raising other full bred labs that she is a mix (38 pounds full grown!). We have been told she is most likely whippet or terrier. Secondly. as many others have posted, she was extremely sick when we got her. We took her to the vet within 24 hours of purchasing here and she had ear mites, was vomiting, having bloody stools and diarrhea and also had a bad upper respiratory infection which took months to clear. The vet even said she may not survive the respiratory infection if her immune system could not fight it off. I just wanted to warn other people about this breeder. My husband and I have definitely learned our lesson and will only go to reputable breeders from now on. more

I got a gorgeous little morkie puppy from Winterhill Kennel. She is the love of my life and very spoiled. I made an appointment with the owner. After speacking with the owner Leah and decribing my housing life, 3 small boys and the wants and needs in a puppy we made an appointment to go look at some puppys. When we got their we were warmly greeted by the owner and 2 of her children who assist her in the kennels. She brought out the first puppy and it was instant love. She was a calm cute little morkie. we disscussed her and how because of her breed and size she would probably be the best bet. But i asked to see more and Leah brought me out to more very cute puppies but they just were not the morkie. Any ways we have brought her home and she has yet to leave our sides. We have a 1 year old cat and with in a couple of days they have become friends and she is in love with children. Any child that comes into my home my puppy is the first to greet them. She is very sweet and spoiled. Thank you Winterhill for helping us find the perfect puppy. :) more

I purchased a golden from Winterhill Kennel a little over a year ago. She is lovely and healthy. I found the owners to be very forthright with information pertaining to the possible health risks inherant in goldens . Also, they had done health testing and clearly, both parents of our pup were healthy and happy. We have refered many friend to them. Thank you for our Sasha ! We love her . more