Hey Everyone, from Roanoke, VA!

[jphilxo]

Hey everyone, my name is Jessica and im looking towards getting my first eskie puppy. Im getting my puppy from a local breeder called platinum eskies and here is the website. www.platinumeskies.com. The litter should be born around Valentines Day. Ive decided to get a little girl eskie and i also get first pick of the litter! I've been in love with the american eskimo breed for years and i finally get to have one of my own! I'm 17 years old and a senior in highschool, and I work about 3-4 days a week(not the weekends). I live with my family and they are also able to help the puppy in anyway possible. I am just so excited to have my very own eskie. I love how the breed is so warm and friendly and very smart. I grew up being around an american eskimo when i was little because my neighbor owned one, and ive loved them ever since.
Anyways, this forum seems to be full of very nice people and i cant wait to get to know everyone!

[williesmom]

Welcome!

[jphilxo]

thanks!

[Jasmine]

Welcome to the Eskie Board!  How exciteing that you are getting an Eskie Puppy, we would love to see pictures of her when you bring her home!  The hardest part is the waiting... 

[jphilxo]

I will definately take pictures and share them with everyone! And yes, the waiting is rather tough but exciting also

[snowballsmom]

cuteness like this should be illegal:
http://www.platinumeskies.com/availablepups.html

[Blizard's Mom]

OMG!  I looked at the past litter on the website.  They are soo cute at that age!  Let's hope their owners (PA & MD locales) find the Eskie Board!  I'd love to see these guys as they got older.

jphilox - you are so lucky!  Please post pictures of your little girl when she arrives.  Everyone here is a great source of information and so very friendly too.  Welcome!

[UKTWA]

Big welcome. As you can tell we love pictures. cant wait to go now and check out that website.

[KANN849]

WELCOME .. maybe you can make to the eskie weekend in New Jersey in the end of May ..

Would love to meet you and your family

[nevada.the.eskie]

Welcome

[eskilady]

Welcome to the Board!!!  We do love pictures and can't wait to see your new baby!!

[DesertEskie]

Welcome - you & your baby Eskie will love it here!

[xragrl]

Welcome to the Eskie board! 

[jphilxo]

Thanks everyone, i know im lucky and im really excited, its really hard just to wait a couple more months. But I will definately post pictures when she gets here! Im sure the breeders will post pictures of the litter as soon as they are born also . Im glad that if I need help I know that someone here will most likely be able to answer my questions.

[Arctic Rose]

Hi and welcome to the eskie board.  Just FYI...this breeder doesn't do any health testing and got very hostile with me when I questioned him about it for someone else.

[Hokie_Eskie]

quote "First of all, we ensure your puppy’s good health."
..."Each puppy comes with ... a one-year genetic health warranty,"
quote "Thirdly, we put the puppy’s welfare foremost."

  Now why should they do the testing that good eskie breeders know is necessary?  That one year genetic health warranty doesn't help a thing.  Being scarcastic as usual, maybe its becaused they are "blessed" not to come down with any genetic or more general health problems. 

 
Okay I have some questions & comments: & don't be put off by this, however I know a few people who research them or asked the " right questions "
When we were looking for my next puppy & found the SAME couple , we were told they just moved to roanoke in July this past summer from Tenn.  I took my time searching for our puppy, & to hear there was an eskie breeder in Roanoke, I thought Great!  But the answers were not what I was looking for.

I knew of these breeders when they first said  they moved to the area.
**$900 -1050 for no health testing .
**I don't know about you, but that delicate puppy on the piano keys ( thats not putting the welfare of that puppy first ), it's NOT safe , what if it falls off while their playing? why do that ? ( it's on their web site ) Just an Observation there, I'd get after my own family if i caught them doing that "little thing " 

**They do not "show" , so their not championed , they advertise as Purple ribbon bred .

I have a question for the breeders here, is it a rule of thumb to only breed "show" quality dams ?

** Just For reference: heavensenteskiesandhuskies.com/AboutUs.htm  same contact guy is Jamel Hamka ( he's also in their photos)  heavensent was once advertising with puppyfind or terrificpets forgot which . Whats the connection there?

**Did you get a USDA # & look it up ? If you ask for it, they may not give it or get upset
** When i did find the other web site connecting them, found out that Heaven sent Eskies sold for much less ( at least when they were advertising on Puppyfind etc.. ( maybe another registry? )
**Platinum does have a nice web site..except for the puppy on the piano part.

I was unhappy with Aj's breeder in Lynchburg/Concord va ( not the same people), so i was determined to find a good one this time around ! Be careful, do some researching, & have your family call them up to ask questions too.Ask the references if their related or long friends or what other connection.
 
** yep, they were Rude & hostile to April, she asked legit questions is all. The way i see it, they have UKC papers only, no health screenings , would anyone buy a 1000.00 dog or even more without that ??I guess some have. I'm not trying to be negative or anything honestly, just trying to be aware & bring awareness. I wish you and the puppy you end up getting the Best !

FYI , They are most likely already here on this site lurking about, lol . Take care & best of wishes!!!

[jphilxo]

Well, here is my opinion of platinum eskies,
They have been really sweet to me when I ask questions, and I always get a reply back either that day or the next day. All they want for when they breed is to share how wonderful the breed is and find a good home for all of their puppies.. for example they say on their website, "Our goal at every point in the process is excellence, and we are committed to sharing a delightful breed with others, and providing wonderful homes for our pups." Also, with the picture of the puppy on the piano, im sure they were watching the puppy very carefully, I mean I probably wouldnt have put my puppy on it, but they are nice people and I am sure they kept it safe. But so far I havent had any trouble with them and they seem like a very friendly and loving family. Also, I think Jamel was in that picture maybe because he works as an assistant pastor, and may know heavensenteskies breeder through that. I have talked to Jamel a lot and he seems like a very nice person and a big time eskie lover. Anyways, I hope everything will work out great, and I will make sure to pick out the healthiest female, they havent had any health issues with their past puppies before so hopefully it wont turn out any different. Also, if you look at it this way, look at all the pet stores and bad breeders, platinum eskies is a million times better than one of those. Growing up, I have had two dogs with my family, I have never had a warranty on any of them and they have always turned out just right. To me, it depends on the person and the family, the one year warranty is fine with me, and my vet will surely be able to help me out if my puppy gets sick. I know when my mom and dad were little, they would just go to the pet store or something and go pick out a puppy... Times have changed a lot and now a days people freak out over the littlest things... Im sure everything will turn out fine, and all you can really do is hope for the best not for the negatives. I dont have anything bad to say about Platinum Eskies, and im sure my puppy will be happy and healthy(atleast I will make sure of it). I am rather excited about the litter and I cannot wait to have my own eskie.

[Saint Mom]

Welcome Jessica,

I sure wish you good luck and hope for the best for your dog.

What do we know about eskies here anyway as you seem to just flip with the hand what people are warning you about. We're not telling you they are bad people (just that they are not meeting the basic requirements of good breeding program - especially at the price they are asking for a dog) vs an ethical breeder. If you like playing russian roulette, it's ok too. It's your choice afterall. We can only do so much for others. The rest is up to the dog buyer.

We do not want to discourage you or tell you what to do! Afterall, at 17, we are on top of things. Just remember that we've been through your age and I can definitively confirm (talking about myself here, not others) that with some flashbacks and afterthoughts I was far from knowing everything as I got older and still learning at over 40. And I was raised on a farm, with lots of animals - dogs included.

I may also recommend that you take a few minutes to read the following if your heart is set to it! It may bring more questions or answers that you do not really want us to tell you and I would truly understand you. You are very excited about this upcoming puppy and we are telling you "oh-oh...just be careful as we had x or x experience with this one".

Please read "Signs that do not lies"
http://www.upra.ca/english/docum/Signs%20that%20do%20not%20lie.PDF

and

Comparison grid:
http://www.upra.ca/english/docum/Comparison%20grid.PDF

See you around!

[miree]

Hello and welcome! I do wish you super luck with the hunt for your dream eskie! And congratulations for deciding on this wonderful breed!
I do hope that you manage to do a bit more research before just settling on the first people you've found in your neck of the woods that have a dog that pops out puppies that they decide to sell. (Kind of steep, I might add, for not having any testing etc done.) I mean suuuuree they have a nice website, but there's more to getting a lifelong companion than a nice website, no?
And I would like to volunteer my opinion here, you may choose to stop reading here if you'd not like to hear it.

Here goes:
I'm not too sure I like what I'm hearing about these folks. Granted I did not acquire my own pup from a reputable breeder, know nothing of her history or pedigree if any, but if I could have the chance to find out said information, or be in a position to purchase a pup from a reputable breeder who does run the testing, and fully backs up their pups except by giving a one year health guarantee I WOULD DO IT. Set yourself up, as Michael said in another thread, with the cards stacked in your favor.. because honestly, dogs do live longer than one year and ailments and diseases can develop well past year one of their life. But it would appear that this breeder wouldn't help you by that point if something DID happen, because they'll have washed their hands of you after one year. That doesn't sound right at all now does it?
What I've read about responsible breeders/ethical breeding programs is that they will guarantee and most will take the pup back or advise on health issues should any arise no matter WHAT AGE, not just under one year, IN ADDITION TO having the bitch, the sire, and/or the pups tested, with the papers in hand to SHOW OFF AND PROVE the testing as well as the findings. Ya can't just mate some animals and hope for the best. That is a red flag for me in the case of this particular breeder.
Now I know you're saying that they were probably watching the pup on the piano etc., etc., and that they're tons better than a byb or pet store... but if they're hostile in answering questions that buyers are WELL ENTITLED TO ASK, again, red flag. And if they do not give satisfactory answers, it is not fair to you or your family to go ahead and ASSUME what you'd LIKE their answer to be, just because "they haven't had any health issues with their past puppies before so hopefully it won't turn out any different" or because "they are nice people." Nice people can do some really messed up stuff sometimes under the guise of friendliness or superb businesslike conduct to save face and/or make financial gains, and there is NO GUARANTEE without the proper testing etc., to say that things WON'T turn out any different than with their previous litters. I do realize that this is what vets are for, and you're more than welcome to decide to go with these folks with the chance that you may end up putting out a fortune in care and vet testing and medications for the untested pup at any point in it's life, but with another life in hand, be that human or canine or feline or whatever else, I would rather err on the side of caution and have less risk or uncertainty stacked up against me. But that's just me. I know there's no real "guarantees" w/a well bred puppy either, and that "sh*t happens" but at least the cards will have been stacked in your favor.
My mother always told me
Never ASSUME, because it makes an   A S S   out of   U  and ME.

[jphilxo]

I will ask him about the health testing and get back to everyone on that.

Also, i didnt settle on platinumeskies... I dont really care about the website to be honest. I picked them because I thought they were good breeders. Jamel always answered my questions with the answer i was looking for. I had been looking for a breeder for a few months and I liked them. Also, when you buy the puppy, arent you supposed to take it to the vet to let them check it out and make sure nothing is wrong with it?

[Saint Mom]

Hey everyone, my name is Jessica and im looking towards getting my first eskie puppy. Im getting my puppy from a local breeder called platinum eskies and here is the website. www.platinumeskies.com. The litter should be born around Valentines Day. Ive decided to get a little girl eskie and i also get first pick of the litter! I've been in love with the american eskimo breed for years and i finally get to have one of my own!

Well, here is my opinion of platinum eskies,
for example they say on their website, "Our goal at every point in the process is excellence, and we are committed to sharing a delightful breed with others, and providing wonderful homes for our pups." But so far I havent had any trouble with them and they seem like a very friendly and loving family.

Times have changed a lot and now a days people freak out over the littlest things

I will ask him about the health testing and get back to everyone on that.

Also, i didnt settle on platinumeskies... I dont really care about the website to be honest. I picked them because I thought they were good breeders. Jamel always answered my questions with the answer i was looking for. I had been looking for a breeder for a few months and I liked them. Also, when you buy the puppy, arent you supposed to take it to the vet to let them check it out and make sure nothing is wrong with it?

You did say you were going to get one girl from them right? So to me, it meant you were settle on this breeder. No offense. Just going through your words on that one. So this is why we are trying to warn you to do some more homework. They have cute puppies though.

Most breeders should answer your questions if they see an interest in a sale. But the good breeders will not hesitate to turn someone down if he feels the buyer is not the most optimal buyer for his cherished puppy.

When we say the dogs should be tested, it is not only a regular vet check up. That is the basic of the bases. We are talking about certified eyes, we are talking about hips for displasya. Any ethical breeder will happy put all those on their websites. An ethical breeder will show his dogs in conformation, and generally if a sport dog in agility or herding or whatever. If hunting dog, he would get his dog in that, etc.

Yes a vet check for you on your side when you get your puppy is a good thing. But note that anything that his hereditary does not always come in the 1st year.

Ask to see his contract. That is a good indicator too of his seriousness (according to what is written here).

You have very good breeders here, you have pet owners who have been burned and will be willing to help you out in finding a good dog at probably same price if not cheaper than the one you are currently looking at. They may be very nice people, I do not doubt it. What I doubt at this point, is their breeding program.

Yes we may tend to freak out a little bit...but that is because of past experience we are trying to never relive. You cannot prevent sickness or diseases, but you can put all the chances on your sides. Trust me, I forked quite a few $$$ by not making the right choices. I've learned and wished so much I had this board then to help me out when it was time. Take this opportunity. You should not regret it.

Again, good luck and keep us posted on how they do!

[Hokie_Eskie]

I will ask him about the health testing and get back to everyone on that.

Also, i didnt settle on platinumeskies... I dont really care about the website to be honest. I picked them because I thought they were good breeders. Jamel always answered my questions with the answer i was looking for. I had been looking for a breeder for a few months and I liked them. Also, when you buy the puppy, arent you supposed to take it to the vet to let them check it out and make sure nothing is wrong with it?

Jessica, whatever you do, don't be discouraged ok? I'm just saying since I have ties to Roanoke with Lots of family there & I lived in Roanoke county most my life...that I was Looking around there for AKC & UKC show Eskimos with OFA & PRA testing in the line, & there were "NONE". There is 1 guy in bedford/lynchburg 30 min-1hr from you ) area that always advertises as "UKC" but when you get there they are UKCI ( green paper says International ),( NO health testing either ) but know for a fact they are not UKC ( sell for 450.00 ,  they are UKCI registered, not that its a very bad thing (opinions differ ), your just not going to get SHOWable eskies. ( If you care about that part)

My dogs are not AKC or UKC ( except for my new baby !! ) & are terrific  & 1 of them is 6 years old now & healthy as can be. 1 year guarantee will not cover PRA or hip & elbow /knee problems, we wouldn't want them to be in pain & suffer .  Early vet checks can check for worms etc. I don't want you to be hurt , thats is all. So many people ONLY want to help you, this group is the best. Some are Blunt but honest as can be & i like that, that is what we need, a TEACHER / MENTORs. Pm me if you like & we can chat, we're all nice people here.

I wouldn't buy a dog from a pastor or Priest even, just because of that reason. I look far beyond that part. It's great they have been nice to you , they weren't mean to me , but was HOSTILE to others when they asked more detailed questions . I checked for awhile inside my state for a AKC/UKC reputable breeder for Optigen PRA pattern A/B American Eskimos.  Realized i had to "Travel" for a Guaranteed Health tested pedigree. And for us $ 1,000.00 is not easy to swallow. I feel lucky that i  got a SHOW potential puppy & he's AWESOME. Championed sired & championed pedigree proven. You'll see him in the rings in the next Roanoke show ! I'm not freekin' out over "little things" I hate when people do that ! 

 Jess, it's GRReat your getting an eskie but don't rush, hold on to the money , & you'll get a great eskie ! There are good sweet people ( not hostile)out there that don't test, but i think if we do our part in reproducing certified health checked dogs , the dogs in pain will reduce .I have the "fever" i paint them , sketch them etc. Now i want to "show" them. So just Know i'm not trying to put that specific breeder down, but to each is own, I did my research is all , with the knowledge i learned . These people HERE are smart ! I was burned by a breeder once, so shame on me. Don't want to see it happen to another...

[xragrl]

I think everyone has given great advice so far. I have know idea if Juneau's parents were OFA'd or tested for PRA. If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought from a breeder that had tested for it. But, I don't have that option. Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade Juneau for anything and she's a great dog. I just hate the fact that I don't know if my little baby will get PRA and go blind, Or if she'll have problems with her hips. So far she is fine, but that doesn't gaurantee that she won't have problems. I know your excited and can't wait to get your new baby, but please don't rush into anything. This is a lifetime responsibilty and you definately don't want to have to worry all the time and fork out lots of $$$ for the vet. Good luck with your search and we look forward to seeing pics of your new baby.

[Jasmine]

 

I wouldn't trade Juneau for anything and she's a great dog. I just hate the fact that I don't know if my little baby will get PRA and go blind, Or if she'll have problems with her hips.

I have that same worry myself, as Jasmine sometimes misjudges the height of the bed at night when jumping up, and falls back down and has to try again.

[Arctic Rose]

You know you can test your own dog for PRA...go to www.optigen.com to find out more info.