Anybody ever get a dog from WALABS?

[Happy Gilmore]

Ok, Happy but not everyone who is getting a pup has the "in" to find those breeders, so they get them from other (advertised) breeders.

Spend time asking around. Most breeders are always happy to give referrals. Problem come when people decide they want a pup and go out and buy from the first guy who has some advertised. Waiting 6 months or being on a waiting list usually provides good results.

[AspenBud]

Go to field trials and hunt tests. Talk to people and watch dogs run. Breeders are often at those events and people who buy and use their dogs show up too. It will give you an insight into how different breeds and lines work and better educate you for your puppy buying process.

[Stilly bay]

Ok, Happy but not everyone who is getting a pup has the "in" to find those breeders, so they get them from other (advertised) breeders.

Spend time asking around. Most breeders are always happy to give referrals. Problem come when people decide they want a pup and go out and buy from the first guy who has some advertised. Waiting 6 months or being on a waiting list usually provides good results.

just like with every thing else, the guys that have to advertise are having a harder time moving their pups and are trying to attract people in the pet trade. the guys that don't have to advertise usually have people already looking for them because the breeding sells itself.


 

[coachcw]

That guys need a arsh Kicking . I'd sick Jessie on him from king five news . There's afew other things I'd like to say but I might get banned for it !

[bearpaw]

I cannot comment about the breeder in question as I know nothing about him, but for future reference, we do have several lab breeders on this forum whom I've never heard anything bad about.

[YellowDog]

This is kind of off topic a bit but I have been trying to figure out the best way to determine who all of the site sponsors are here.  I checked the site sponsor page and it looks like there are a few sponsors that don't have anything on that page.  Is having a banner on that page an optional thing or is it just not quite up to date.  Just curious. 

[wahunter21]

Thanks for the advice happy and others. If we decide to get another pup I will do more research and take the time to find. A responsible breeder.

[Happy Gilmore]

Thanks for the advice happy and others. If we decide to get another pup I will do more research and take the time to find. A responsible breeder.

Didn't mean to come across wrong. Only been on here via my phone for the last week and it's hard for me to type on it without abbreviating my thoughts-

Stuff does happen although, any decent breeder is going to give you the record of shots and dates of wormings. Pups should be wormed and have their first round of shots when they go home. After that, the new owner should be taking over. I recommended all of my new puppy buyers to get with THEIR vet within a week of getting home. Pups I sold had urinary tract infections. It comes with the territory of owning a dog. It wasn't a big cost(except one which was misdiagnosed by the DVM) but, pups do get sick and not every one is always perfectly healthy. Now, based on the other crap the guy was/is breeding I would have run the other way after seeing or hearing him talk about Lab x Poodle MUTTS(not labradoodle, MUTT) and whatever other midget labs he's trying to pass as purebred.

Either way, there is no reason ANY dog can't turn out to be a good hunting companion. I'm not a dog snob. Only when people breed and sell dogs, put money in their pocket(whether $300 or $1,000) dogs and don't spend a fraction of it to make sure what you are selling will last and live long for the new owners family. It's not fair to make a penny off your backyard breeding and not be willing to spend $300 on the most basic of tests to help ensure the dog will live long for the new family.

To charge a dime for a dog with no testing is like selling a car with wood chips in the transmission to your friends family before they drive to disneyland.

[Happy Gilmore]

My cut and paste from Word didn't work. Bear with my edits.

This is from WALABS Website. My comments will be in bold italic and underlined- I hope this helps some folks understand why asking questions and getting with educated dog folks is important no matter what you are paying for a new dog.


WALABS offers the following guarantee to the original buyer only.

We guarantee the puppy to be free of PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) for up to 1 year of age. PRA usually onsets later in a dogs’ life, around 4 if I remember correctly.
If you suspect your puppy has PRA, it must be verified by a certified Canine Ophthalmologist with CERF. PRA is not detected via CERF. PRA is a genetic disease and is a DNA test. CERF is simply a viewing of the dogs retina looking for cataracts. Completely different. CERF should be done regularly before each breeding. Most good breeders have their dogs CERF'd once a year. We guarantee the puppy to be free of hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia for up to 25 months of age. You can only do pre-lim hip (OFA) prior to 24 months of age.
If your veterinarian suspects a dysplasia problem, the x-ray showing this condition must be verified
by the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals). This x-ray must be done before 25 months of age. OFA cannot be tested until the dog is 24 months of age. Results can take a few months. There is NO WAY you can get an OFA back before this limit on his contract would expire. If any of these conditions are verified, We the breeder has the option of either refunding the entire purchase price,
or replacing the dog with a puppy of comparable breeding when available.
The first puppy will have to be returned to WALABS with its AKC paperwork.
In any case, all veterinary, diagnostic, return, and replacement costs will be the owner's responsibility. You spend all the money to do the tests to prove the problem. He’s banking that you will probably really like the dog, most people do after two years and won’t return it. He’ll look the other way at this point and say, return the dog. If you do return it, you’ll be on some distant waiting list. Also likely, you’ll get another pup from the same crap unhealthy breeding. You’ll get to do the same thing all over again.
These guarantees are dependent upon demonstration that the puppy has received adequate care and nutrition.
Anything that affects the development or well-being of the puppy, such as abuse, neglect,
trauma (i.e. jumping in the air for frisbees), or being used for breeding will void these guarantees. This statement is a completely open ended “catch all” to blame you for pretty much letting the dog be a dog. “oh, you play catch with your dog? Oh, you didn’t go to the vet three times a month?” They’ll say anything, make up anything to make the problem your fault.
The following puppies will NOT carry ANY kind of guarantee. Shipped puppies, puppies NOT bred through us. EA Rescue labs, I have no idea what this means. Are they getting dogs from the pound and re-selling them? Shipped puppies?? What does shipping have to do with hip dysplasia?

This is the type of disclaimer that when you read it, you don’t walk away, you run like hell!

[Stilly bay]

great googley moogley....

[Happy Gilmore]

This was the second option after searching the kennel name.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/walabs-onalaska

[Stilly bay]

gotta love the pic of his kennels... yeeesh. nothing says cleanliness and health like wet moldy straw.

if all this isn't enough to pizz everyone off Im sure this WALABS guy -as bad as he is- isn't even close to the worst examples of breeders churning out puppies for uneducated would be dog owners to purchase.

if people were as picky about buying dogs as they were about cars, all these bogus breeders would soon dry up and go out of business and the world would be a better place for it.

[h20hunter]

I don't know jack about dogs and breeding but alway learn from readind threads about it. I looked at his webite and you can tell it is a hack job.

[Scrappy]

  YES! We got our pup 3 weeks ago and same thing. Our pup was 7 weeks old and only 5# he had massive round worms and eggs and also had Coccidia. He was one sick puppy. He is now doing much better after Meds and now weighs 9#10oz. This breeder states on his website that all puppies go to the vet for checks before going home with new owners. Absolute lie!! Only the very sick ones get to go to the vet so he can get a prescription to buy meds online..problem is a prescription is for the one and two pups he takes in not for all 40+ that were in the pen together. We have been constantly lied to about our pup and it's care. As soon as you complain he blocks you from his site. He is nothing but a puppy mill with numerous lies on his website page to suck people in and to think he is a reputable breeder. I have now heard from others that have gotten there puppy since we got ours and ALL are finding the same thing plus another rare parasite. Just SO sad this man has not been stopped.

[WRL]

I am sorry about your puppy. Its really unfortunate there are breeders out there like that.

Getting the word out does help and will cut down on these types of operations.

WRL