Winterhill Kennel

i just wanted to let everyone know winterhill kennel. i got my two labs from here 8 years ago. we love them and wouldnt have gone anywhere else. molly is a dream to have shes so laid back and has not one mean bone in her body. chewy is her brother and we are so please that we got him too. we have never had any of the typical problems with labs like hips, they are both sound as a dollar. leah was so helpfull and took all the time with us we needed. even after we got them home she was still there to answer any questions we might have had. i love them so much we are looking into getting another lab pup and would go back there in a heartbeat. love this breeder and her pups!! more

I just came back from the Kennel and excited to say that we are getting our second puppy from Winterhill Kennel. This is our second Shih tzu from Winterhill. I highly recommend anyone who is looking for a new puppy to contact them. Very professional and clean place. more

After having read some of the negative comments reguarding this breeder, I am sorry to say that myself and my wife agree. We obtained a yellow lab from this breeder in June 2011, we never were allowed to see the parents or the kennels were the animals lived, however we fell in love with this adorable yellow lab puppy. The cost of the ""pure bread"" Lab was 1000,00 dollars. We just fell in love with the puppy. However within 3 weeks we had to take the pup to the vet for extreme diarrhea at which time we were told that the dog had a parasite that could be passed on to humans. As we had not had the dog anywhere and we have no other pets at our home this could only come from the breeder. We followed all instructions with meds as prescribed by the vet, Our dog is allowed in our house, we paid to have a fence installed around our back yard for the safety of our precious dog so he could run and play, This dog is such a loveable and compassionate pet, he loves everyone. Also it took several months and repeated request from me to receive AKC papers. In the past month we have had to take the dog to the vet multiple times for vomitting, treated with medication. Now in the past 4 weeks our puppy who is 10 months old has been unable to lift the back legs to climb up to a couch or even in the car as to prior to this he could jump up to anything, Another trip to the vet with a diagnosis of a possible pulled muscle, we bought the dog home medicated him as directed with rest. Now the dog has gotten worse and so we are again following up with the vet again on Saturday, our dog will have to be medicated for test and x-rays to determine if he has hip displasia, per conversation with the vet this does not generally occur in this breed of dog until they are much older, however if one or both parents had it the dog could have genetically obtained. This causes the dog to be in pain and have decreased mobility. Our poor puppy is 10 months old per the vet if this is the diagnosis and clinically all the signs and symptoms are being shown, he will get worse and eventually become unable to walk. This is heart breaking as my wife and I truly love him he is such a joy and brings much happiness to both of us. At this time the prognosis for our lovely pet is poor. I would not reccommend this breeder to anyone or if you are going to please do an extensive background check and demand to see both parents and their lineage history. Unfortunately for us it is too late and we just love our dog. This is just information for people who want to get a good dog, be careful. After thought, as of this day 02/01/2012 we still do not have the correct AKC papers and the breeder does not respond to our request. We reccomend STRONGLY to INVESTIGATE to avoid heartbreak for you and your family. more

I have read many of the reviews on this site and really wish that I had read them sooner. We purchased our Layla from this ""Breeder"" (and I use the term loosely). My girls were drawn in by a cute picture of our dog posed in a decorative teacup posted on her website. We drove from Plaistow, NH to West Brookfield to look at the dog. Leah was very pleasant. She claimed that the dog we were interested in was 1/2 American Lab and 1/2 English Lab. She indicated that the dog had all her shots and was up-to-date. We were told that the mother was on the property, but when I asked to see her, the subject was changed and I could never get back to it again. We asked to see the dog interact with other dogs thinking that we would then get to see the whelping pen. A small ""mop"" looking dog was brought out. A bit later in the short time we were there, one of the daughters brought out a dog that they said was our dog's sister. She held the dog out in front of her under the arms. The puppy's belly was so engorged that it could not even stand up!! The daughter commented to her mother, ""Oh, I guess we shouldn't leave the food out all the time for this one."" I was surprised that any breeder would leave food out 24/7 for puppies, but Leah confirmed that they do exactly that. Leah also told us that she ""matched"" dogs to their owners and had never had a complaint. I found that hard to believe since she would allow us to take the dog that evening without any kind of background check. How do you match a dog to owners after 5 minutes? Of course our dog is had and is still fighting a case of ghiardia (8 months later). She also came with Kennel Cough. Of course we left with the dog. I couldn't pry it from my daughters' arms, despite my strong misgivings. The dog was, in fact, given her shots, but was given them from 2 weeks on - way too early. Also, we were told that the dog was 7 weeks, but the paperwork showed that she was only 6 weeks - too early to go to a new home. The biggest problem that I have, though, besides the fact that the whole transaction was handled wrong and without any real sense of working with a reputable person, was that the dog has turned out to be a lab/terrier cross. We paid $600.00 for a lab/lab cross and got a breed that we would never have gotten involved with had we known. We basically paid $600.00 for a $60.00 pound dog. WATCH OUT FOR HER!! SHE WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING TO SELL YOU A DOG!! BE SURE TO CHECK THE DOG OUT AS SOON AS YOU CAN. DON'T BE FOOLED!!! more

i bought my little poodle there, when we asked to see the parents, she wouldn't let us. i didn't think much of it at the time, but later that night the puppy had blood and worms in her stool, she would go to the bathroom over 3 times an hour, sometimes only releasing worms and blood. i later read the reviews of this place and was appalled at what i saw. it is unbelievable that this place is still running. i love my little puppy, shes a great dong and is now on many meds, and would never give it back to that women, she doesn't care about those animals, only the money she makes from them. more

My husband and I just got 2 carin terriers from Leah and Winterhill kennelsand our experience was fantastic. The day we drove down to see them for the first time she let us stay as long as we wanted to, even let us take a couple of pictures of them. Then when we picked the 2 we wanted she kept sending us e-mails with pictures of them so we could watch them grow.We went back to pick them up 5 weeks later and before we left with them she even gave them a quick bath.\r Leah also spent alot of time going over there food and what type would be good for them. since we got them we have taken them to the vet and were told they are VERY healthy and happy puppies. So for the people writing bad reviews I could not disagree more, as a matter a fact my friends are going to go there very soon and get a puppy more

My wife and I bought our first dog from Leah 8 years ago, after losing our first lab Lady Bug. She is a yellow lab Myra. She earned her CGC at only 11 months old and has done therapy work at several nursing facilities since. We love her so much that when she was 2, we decided she needed a friend. We went back and bought Jack, our spunky, goofy ,chocolate lab. He is a real clown and an excellent dog. My wife decided after our youngest daughter went to college, that she had empty nest syndrome. So then came Muffy, our adorable little Shih-tzu that we bought from Leah. I may be partial, but in all of my life, these are the best dogs we have ever met. They have been very healthy, and loveable! I highly reccomend this breeder! She has been very helpful anytime I have needed an answer to any questions. (Which there have been lots in the 8 years we have dealt with her) I know where my next dog is coming from! more

I wouldnt recomend this kennel to anybody. I did receive a great dog who is now the love of our life. However it came with a price. I paid 600. for my new pup. Upon doing my vet check she had blood in her stool. She also had a uri that required anti biotics. She finished those meds and now she has a yeast infection in her right ear. Like I said temperment wise shes a doll. Health wise shes expensive and has problems. I also share the opinion of some of the other reviews. The mother of my puppy apearred to be in deplorable condition. I wasnt allowed to view the living conditions of the other dogs. This leads me to believe the conditions are poor. Do your homework go to a reputable breeder. more

Just thought I would put in my 2 cents. I bought a puppy from Leah and her children this past summer. When I got there Leah wasn't home her kids were no where to be seen. So I decided to have a look around to see if I could find one of them. Wow. All the dams I saw which included a Lab, Poodle and Jack Russel were in poor condition. They were dirty with matted fur. I was able to catch a look at the kennels down back behind the house. Deplorable. As I was about to leave the daughter came outside. I wanted to look at the Jugs . A friend had purchased one the day before. When I saw them (there were only 2 left) they were cute and sweet. So I paid 250.00 for my Sadie and brought her home. Why she only gives 7 days as a guarranty I don't know. But I figured ok. I brought her to the vet within 24 hours of buying her. Mostly because her litter mate was pooping nothing but blood. Well turns out that they both were riddled with (now forgive the spelling) giardia, coccidia and both had kennel cough. SO on meds they went for 3 months. \r \r When I tried to warn her about the kennel cough just trying to help because hey you never know; the daughter went from nice to bitch in 1.2 seconds, telling me I didn't know what I was talking about. Hey I've raised dogs before even had a wolf hybrid when I was younger. I know exactly what I'm talking about. With all the vet documentation to go with it.\r \r After all that was cleared up because their immune systems were so messed up from being such sick little girls they both had (again w/the spelling) demodex. Another 2 months of meds. Now my Sadie is about 7 months old clean bill of health. Don't walk RUN from this place. I could have gotten an AKC registered pup of a different breed for what I've spent on meds and vets for this poor girl. Don't get me wrong. I love my dog and I would never give her back to that woman. It is really a shame. That someone who has done this for so long can't and won't do the right thing. If you're gonna breed dogs; pick one or two breeds and do it right. Breed for dogs for the love of the breed itself not as a cash cow.\r more

I bought a lab puppy from Winterhill Kennel wo years ago. She is still like a puppy! We love her so much that we bought another lab a couple weeks ago from them. She has had her vet exam and is a perfect pup! Thank you Winterhill from Dilly and Pickles Sawyer more

My husband and. B ought a beautiful chocolate lab. We looked around and dd some reasearch before we even made any calls. When we fnally decded it was time I just fell n love with leahs website. When we got there there where tons of farm animals my kids loved the goats! We left with a new puppy and all the information we could ever need. We have had or girl for six months now, she is growing like crazy and was completly hose broken within the first month we got her. Roxy has been just what my family needed we are so thankful for leah and her family. more

Facts:\r \r Puppy came home with all kinds of parasites. After many visits to the vet and a very sick puppy, we got them under control. We found he has severe hip dysplasia and it is defiantly genetic. Vet says there is no way they don’t know of the disorder based on how bad it is. Poor dog, he is very sweet but is in pain every day until we can get him a hip replacement (about 7,000.00 after spending 1000.00 on opinions, x-rays and pain meds daily). I would not recommend this kennel. Ask to see where the dogs are kept...I didnt and found out I should have. Better yet adopt a dog there are so many out there who dont have homes. more

At Winterhill Kennel, the workers are very kind. They greet you with smiles and you can tell they love the animals. All of the dogs and other animals were running around, having fun. They were in great condition and happy. The atmosphere seemed to be so outstanding. The Winterhill Kennel is one of the best kennels out there! I would recommend this kennel for everyone! more

Thanks Leah for our wonderful new addition! more

Leah, is wonderful. She spent so much time with me. She answered all of my many questions. She let us take one of her babies home. We are so happy! Penny is the best dog. She is healthy and absolutely beautiful. She has become a real member of the family. It's hard to find a dog that is locally bred. Winterhill has them. She has been breeding for more than 20 years. I will trust her when its time to bring my next pup home and I highly recomend her and Winterhill Kennel. more

I had the best exerience with Leah and her kids. We went there not thinking we would find one anytime soon let alone one to take that day. My husband and i left that day with the most amazing yellow lab female. She is 4 months old today! Not one single problem, she house broke in a month, and is GREAT with our kids. We brought her to the vet in the first week and the only thing the vet asked was if she had any siblings! We absolutly love our Danny shes the BEST dog we could have ever asked for. We thank you Winterhill kennel!!!!!! more

We bought a male chocolate lab from this so called ""breeder"". After one night he started having bloody stool and was lethargic. Of course we took him to the vet right away in order to head of anymore health issues and it turned out that he was infested with Coccidiosis, which is a parasite and among other things can be triggered through stress and very unsanitary kennel conditions, which is what I believe to be the case. Of course I can not confirm this suspicion since I was not allowed to view the kennel conditions or look at the sire and the dam. If a breeder has nothing to hide and is willing to answer all you concerns and questions and even states that on their website then why did Leah refuse to let me look around? When I contacted her on the size of the puppy (looks extremely small when compared to other labs that age) and the blood in the stool she was unbelievably rude and yelled into the phone to bring the puppy back and stop being demanding and I would get my money back. Of course after a lengthy conversation with my family we decided against it because we felt so sorry for this puppy and did not want to subject him back in that horrible environment. Please lab lovers of all ages, please beware of this breeder/kennel since this is nothing other then a disguised puppy mill. If you are looking for a reputable breeder check the AKC website or some other site and find a breeder that costs less and gives you absolutely open access and answers on all your concerns or questions that you might have. Last but not least I find it suspicious that this kennel has more then 60% BAD or 1 star reviews. That is more then any other breeder or kennel I found online. If it were a great breeder then the reviews should all be top notch statements. Unfortunately I can't give 0 stars because that is the rating this breeder deserves. STAY CLEAR OF THIS PUPPY MILL. more

I had purchased my dog, Hannah, from Leah many years ago and was very happy with the experience. Not only did I have several puppies to choose from but I was able to get my many questions answered, since this was my first experience being a dog owner. Leah was very helpful during the whole experience. She let us meet ""the parents"" to guage the demeaner of the new puppy and I couldn't have been happier with the results. Hannah was a trusted and loyal companion and will be sorely missed.\r \r I am now looking to purchase another Bichon Frise, as I love the fact that they have hair, don't shed and are hypoallergenic. I now have a new puppy on deposit with Leah and cannot wait until the day she can come home. I support her business and take offense to those who have written claiming that she is running a ""puppy mill"". That is the furthest thing from the truth. I have seen first hand the care that these puppies have received from not only Leah but her own family as well. It is a home atmosphere in which these puppies are brought up, not some Midwestern ""puppy factory"" in which they are flown in! \r \r I will highly recommend Leah to anyone I know that is looking for a new addition to their family. Anyone looking for well socialized, healthy puppies need not look any further. Leah has done a wonderful job and I will continue to support her business! Pros: Parent's on site, healthy dogs, knowledgeable breeder. more

I bought a black lab puppy from this breeder. Two days of having her and she started to have bloody stool and was constantly throwing up. I took her to the vet who said she had parasites, worms, ear mites, and an upper respiratory infection. I kept her because I did not want to bring her back to that place. She is healthy now and a great dog but I do not think the owner properly takes care of her dogs. If you want to rescue a puppy, get one from this place! more

\r I do not recommend this breeder to anyone. It is a puppy mill! My pup came home at 6 weeks which is the day after he was seperated from his mother. Way to early for a puppy to be taken to home but I am glad i took him because he was the sickest little puppy I have seen. He had runny eyes, worms, and giardia from rancid water. The breeder uses over the counter de- wormer which was not strong enough. She told me over the phone that he was AKC registered but when I bought him I was told that she didn't keep the papers because it was too much trouble for her. I do love my dog but i will never buy from her again. Pros: Love my dog Cons: Sick puppy more