Chris
Portland,#2Consumer Comment
Fri, July 14, 2017
As others have mentioned, I normally do not get involvled in disputes such as this, but I feel the need to strongly disagree with the original complaint. My wife and I could not have been happier with our experience. We actually made the trip twice, once to see the pups and select the one we wanted, and then a few weeks later to taker her home. It seems that the person who filed the original complaint maybe did not do that, and possibly was not fully prepared for what to expect.
About our puppy, she is not at all like the original complainant described. I cannot speak for the dog that the original poster received. It's possible that dog may have had some defects, mental or otherwise. But, we could see from the very beginning that our dog would be very bright. Sure, she is a bit of a handful. She occassionally does things that we don't want her to, but she's a puppy, of course. She loves to run around like crazy. She is stubborn sometimes. She sometimes talks back when we scold her. But she's a husky, after all, and we knew to expect these things after doing our research (she is our first husky). One thing she is not, though, is mentally defective. We could see immediately that she is very intelligent. We are very happy with our puppy.
We also had a very good experience with the breeder. He was very honest with us, thorough with information and tips for early care, and also very friendly. It certainly does not seem like he is running a puppy mill. While we were there the first time, he brought us through the grounds to see the other dogs. The place has many pens for the dogs to run around in to stay active and healthy. Sure, some of the pens have breeding pairs in them--that is his business after all--but some of the dogs are kept together simply for companionship. One thing was clear to us on our walkthrough, all of the dogs love Matt. They are not mistreated and are all very excited to see him. We were very happy to see that.
It is unfortunate that the original poster had a bad experience. Ural Hill was recommended to us, and I would recommend them to anyone else in a heartbeat.
Jeff
Sooke,#3Consumer Comment
Fri, February 05, 2016
I had the pleasure of adopting a malamute pup from Ural Hills back in 2009 I don't know the problem that the individual writting this bad report has but I'm guessing that his or her problems stem form something else. Being Canadian and the dog I adopted being my 5th Mal I feel feel I'm a good judge. So I call bulls*.
Joel LaVallee
Newton,#4Consumer Comment
Thu, December 19, 2013
I normally do not involve myself with consumer sites such as this, but given the circumstances surrounding the original review and my recent personal experience with Ural Hill Sled Dogs, I felt the need to counter the original claim.
When my girlfriend and I began our search for a Siberian Husky in the New England area, numerous breeders were contacted and researched, including this site. Despite seeing the negative post, I felt a certain sense of comfort in dealing with Matt, via email and phone. Since we live three and a half hours away, visiting Ural Hill was not an option at the time. But the clincher for us was the perception that Matt, Tammy and their family truly cared about the animals.
Additionally, their policies are clear, concise, and seem to be standard practice within the industry. If anything, they go above and beyond with the two year guarantee.
When the time came to pick up our pup, Matt was courteous, informative, and also generous. We were given veterinary records, a Nu-Vet sample pack, current food to assist in transition, medicine to prevent diarrhea (which is common in pups), and an informative packet of literature to assist us.
The facility was clean with plenty of room for the adult dogs to stretch their legs.
But what really motivated me to write this is the beautiful Siberian husky pup sleeping next to me named Adia. We have had Adia for five days and she has already demonstrated her intelligence and positive temperament, which have both exceeded our expectations. Clearly, she has been given love and care during the first seven weeks of her life which have provided a foundation for her to grow on. My perception that The Preston's cared about their animals have turned into reality. I cannot thank Matt, Tammy, and their family enough for providing us with the opportunity to raise an incredible husky.
Laurie Johnson
Boylston,#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, November 16, 2013
IMy husband and I just drove 7 hours in hopes of loving Uralhill and finding our new family member..I had read the horrible review prior to making the long hike up there as years ago I had bought a pup from a puppy mill in Missouri unknowingly and my puppy died 48 hours after arrival from pavo...tbere was no way I Was going through that heartache again I
called Matt and asked about it and he took the time to re-assure me and eplain the unfairness of the report. .he said "I understand if you dont want to come..but if you do you will see for yourself.
First..it was immaculate and it was not large. .he has quite a few adults. .he breeds two different dogs.I had so many questions..he took the time to answer all of them and he is SO KNOWLEABLE about the breed
The interaction between him and his dogs speak for themselves.
I could go on and on...but these two last things sum it up..we had cash to pay our deposit .and he said go home and use paypal for your priotection so you have a paper trail...that's integrity in my opinion..not a greedy breeder ready to make money at any cost.
Lastly, my husband and I found our new baby and will be picking him up in two weeks!
Sincerely,
Laurie Johnson
BOYLSTON, MA
November 2013
RedBarron
Portland,#6Consumer Comment
Fri, January 25, 2013
I went to Matt and Tammy's to pick out Barron my Siberian Husky. They where so good to me!! I returned a few weeks later to pick up Barron. I left a very happy guy.Barron has been an excellent dog. He is well trained and has an awesome temperament. I have received so many complements on Barron's red coat and his softness. What great Husky Matt and Tammy breed. I could never imagine the statement made by the disgruntled Lady on here are true. They are so far off of what I have actually experienced. I recommend every one, and I mean every one to them. Barron has been great advertisement haha. Any one should feel good about doing biz with Urall Hill. I'll be back. Husky's are an addiction. :)
Kathryn
Montpelier,#7Consumer Comment
Wed, January 02, 2013
We bought our puppy, Lucy, at Ural Hill. She is now three months old and is without a doubt one of the best malamutes we have ever been lucky enough to own. She is sweet-tempered, intelligent, beautiful. Our vet--who has very high standards--said that our pup is "perfect," and that all of the care she received at Ural Hill, in addition to all of the advice Matt Preston gave us before we took her home, was exemplary.
I find it infuriating that a biased and inaccurate (not to mention badly written) report like the one that pops up when a person Googles "Ural Hill" can't be removed except through costly litigation. All the dogs at Ural Hill are loved and cared for. The place is clean and bright. Matt and Tammy Preston have created something wonderful at Ural Hill. If you have any doubts you should go see the place for yourself.
Andrew
South Hamilton,#8Consumer Comment
Tue, November 20, 2012
I purchased a Alaskan Malamute from Ural Hill and picked him up on 11/17/12. Maniitok is a very well adjusted Malamute. Energetic, easily trained (he comes when called, sit's, shakes paw, is about 85% house trained and LOVES people and the cats that I have!) Hardly puppy mill fodder.
I read into puppy mills as I've never seen one up close. The are vile & overpopulated, I'd agree on this fact. What I don't agree with is the statement that Ural Hill is a Puppy Mill. I don't think they could be any further away from being a one!
I carefully checked Maniitok over for fleas and any other apparent issues, I couldn't find any. He was flawless and beautiful.
Surveying the grounds on which the puppies are raised, I found a large outdoor area for them to play in with their Mother, complete with a doggy door to their inside quarters! Again, how does that translate to a Puppy Mill in terms of conditions? It doesn't in my opinion.
I had contacted Matt on numerous occasions by email, he was always quick to reply and polite. When I met him in person, my hunch was confirmed. If I ever acquire another puppy and want either a Malamute or a Husky, my destination will be Ural Hill Sled Dogs.
Tammy
Gorham,#9Consumer Comment
Tue, October 02, 2012
Our family has purchased 3 puppies from Ural Hill. we also drove 5 hours there and 5 back ALL 3 times. We have 2 huskey and an Alaskan malamute.
On the first trip to Ural Hill we were introduced to Charger a stud of Matt and Tammy's whom they were selling at the time but only to a good family because they wanted to keep him, but for personal reasons they could not. That day Charger came home with us. He was well trained, never pulls when on a leash, very mild temperament, and extremely lovey. Charger was almost 1 years old when we brought him home, if Matt and Tammy were running a puppy mill there is no way that Charger, who is a puppy of Bison and Mishka, and lived at Ural Hill his whole life, would act as good as he does.
That day we also picked out the one planned puppy we wanted to purchase who is also Charger's sister of a different litter. We named her Meeka. Matt informed us that if Charger did not get along with our cat he would take him back, we were also informed up front that the money would not be returned. Before going back Ural Hill to pick Meeka Tammy contacted us and asked how Charger was adjusting and if he got along with the other animals okay. Upon picking up Meeka, we were provided with a little bit of food and a toy for the car ride home, and they made sure we had no questions about our new puppy before bringing her home.
A few months later after my daughter came home from college we decided to give Matt and Tammy a call and see if they had any puppies available, preferably Huskey and Red in color. Matt said that they only had Malamutes available and there was one left that originally Matt wanted to keep but ended up having to sell her as well. Matt was very happy that we took an interest in her because of our past experience with purchasing puppies from their facility, and because he knew she would be in a great home. The next day we went and picked our Malamute Sadie. Upon picking up Sadie we saw Matt implant her home again tracking device, that are implanted in all the puppies before they leave. The cost of the device is included in the puppy price and it only costs a one time 20 dollar activation fee which paid to Home Again. All of our dogs purchased from Ural Hill Sled Dogs are extremely intelligent, yet sometimes need the encouragement and motivation from the owner to get them to show their intelligence.
Meeka is very vocal as with Sadie and at times they can sound mean, but knowing the breed and the individual dog is key to understanding the difference between inbreed of puppies and the neglect of the owner. No puppy comes ugly, it is just like no baby is born serial killer. How the dog is treated and raised is what makes the personality and behavior of the dog.
Being willing to put a dog down is not an okay alternative you should've just brought the dog to an animal shelter where it would've be treated properly and fixed from the damage you caused. And you could have dropped off the puppy when you picked the one you purchased from an animal shelter, that probably had not been properly taken care of and has a higher possibility of being inbreed and mixed breed.
Paypal fees are strictly to hold the puppy, and when you pick up the puppy it comes off the purchase price.
All of our dogs have wonderful temperaments and are the friendliest dogs you will ever meet, and all come with blood line paperwork upon being fixed.
I would recommend Ural Hill to anyone that is interested in a well adjusted puppy and who is willing to put in the time it takes to raise and care for such a needed breed. The next time my family needs a puppy we will be in contact with Matt and Tammy because we feel that if we're going to spend this much on a dog it is well worth it to get the puppy from Ural Hill.
Emmi
Unionville,#10Consumer Comment
Sat, March 24, 2012
Really??? A puppy mill??? If any reader has questions regarding Matt and Tammy's integrity and you are close enough, take the trip to their place,I think you'll agree that their kennel is anything but a puppy mill. Ural Hills is located on a beautiful piece of property in Vermont and the dogs look to have plenty of room. It is clean and well kept. All you have to do is observe Matt and Tammy with their dogs to feel confident in their dedication to breeding healthy well adjusted pups.I just bought my husky from Ural hills, I had not met Matt before purchasing our Em, but I did extensively search the internet and took vistits to find the right breeder. I found it at Ural Hills and I'm extremely happy with our husky. Really, I'm dumbfounded by this complaint....I don't think the dog is the one with the mental problems.
Chris P
enosburg falls,#11Consumer Comment
Sun, January 01, 2012
I purchased my Alaskan Malamute puppy from Matt and Tammie in August 2011 and I couldn't be happier. For this woman to call Ural Hill a puppy mill is ridiculous. When I was there I was impressed with the cleanliness of the facilities. We met all of their dogs and they appeared to be well fed and happy. They have large fences with plenty of room to run. Matt and Tammie were both friendly and helpful.
I am also very happy with my puppy. Wolfie is 6 months old now. He was very easy to house train, and does not have any behavioral problems. He goes everywhere we go and is great in a vehicle. This woman should have done some research on malamutes before purchasing one. They are high energy dogs requiring plenty of exercise. They are also very vocal. They are very intelligent and require plenty of attention from their owner. In my experience there is no such thing as a bad dog only bad owners.
It bothers me that she would even think about putting that puppy down. It is not the dogs fault that she couldn't train him properly and he should not be punished for it. I hope she brought the puppy back to Matt and Tammie or found him a good home somewhere else.
When I purchased my puppy from Matt and Tammie His shots were all up to date and they provided me with records of this. So to sum it all up in my opinion Matt and Tammie are reputable breeders, and I am very happy with my puppy.
While I believe strongly in free speech I am not impressed with this site. They get people to write these ridiculous complaints and then want $2000 to "arbitrate". That seems like extortion to me.
Samantha
Kingston,#12Consumer Comment
Sun, December 04, 2011
We drove from Massachusetts to Vermont just yesterday. Also a 10 hour round trip. Unlike the original poster , we are beyond happy with our new baby. Not sure what she is talking about as the whole place was very nice. NOT a "puppy mill" by any means.
Matt and his daughter were so friendly and happy to help us with anything we needed to make our new baby "Layla" happy in her new home.
We were able to meet all of their beautiful dogs. They were happy and healthy. Plenty of room for them to run and play. The puppies were clean and normal happy puppies.
Can not believe the original poster could in any way have anything negative to say about Ural hill.
Layla is already right at home with our 12 year old dog. She is perfect. I will always recommend Matt and his family to others.
They obviously love all of their dogs. They are very well taken care of. It's sad when one person who may not have done the research for this very special breed can't handle high energy of the Malamute.
Thank you so much Matt. Layla is so happy and so sweet. We love her to pieces!
Samantha
Ripped Off in VT
Maine,#13Author of original report
Sun, November 27, 2011
According to my research: In-bred and Line-bred dogs can show this kind of undesirable behavior. It was my stupidity for not looking into the Pedigree like I should of before I paid the $900 plus.
As for the business's so called "honesty and integrity", I fail to see it. No where in their ads for any of their dogs do they say the dogs are line-bred, maybe they all are not line-bred, but this particular litter was. If they in fact had "integrity" and "honesty", one would think that fact would of been disclosed.
As for documentation of "extreme" efforts to "appease": just two more words that they should look up in the dictionary. I dont think telling someone to travel X amount of miles to return an animal that has extremely negative behaviors and that if you do, they are not going to return your money anyways, is trying to "appease" anyone other than themselves.
Yes, I was stupid for purchasing and paying for a dog via the internet, but I am not stupid enough to drive X amount of miles to "give" the dog back without reimburment.
As for their words and statements about "terroist tactics" and "consumer terroist", I had to laugh, (funniest part of this whole matter), these people obviously are over the top and yes "it is a sad and broken world" that is why I called the police on them, they are not "all there".
Yup, I have learned my lesson, it cost $900, but I now have a wonderful dog that I purchased from the local Animal Shelter that is totally awesome!!! I couldnt be happier !!!
Karma
Ripped Off in VT
Maine,#14Author of original report
Sat, November 26, 2011
Wow, they wait one month to reply and funny it is during the holiday season with a great holiday picture...one has to wonder if it is to advertise their line-bred puppies.
There are scammer's everywhere and most of them try to say things to make themselves and their products look and sound good even if they know they are lying which Ural Hill Sled Dogs is doing here in their "Advertisement".
Believe them if you want to learn a good lesson. Believe me if you are smart!
I believe in Karma.
matt
east hardwick,#15REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, November 26, 2011
Merry Christmas from Ural Hill Sled Dogs. Hardly a "puppy mill".
matt
east hardwick,#16REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, November 26, 2011
Merry Christmas from Ural Hill Sled Dogs. Feel free to stop by and check our our Kennel.
matt
east hardwick,#17REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, November 26, 2011
If you have read the slamming report by Laurie Knight posted, Ural Hill Sled Dogs encourages you to call and/or visit our kennel to see for yourself what we are about. Our Kennel has recieved high praise from local veterinarians, local officials as
well as our consumers - not one complaint. Part of our mission as people is to conduct business with honesty and integrity. It is greiving for us that a consumer can make false accusations and use abusive language and threats to try to get their money back and keep a puppy! It is also grieving that they can post whatever they want to try to destroy a business, and that this forum doesnt care - unless you want to pay them $2000 to litigate! We have documentation of extreme efforts on our behalf to appease this woman. No puppy or money has more value than fair human treatment - what consumer terrorists are doing seems nothing short of criminal. We ask that consumers and businesses beware of those out there using terrorist tactics to get their way in life. It is clearly a sad and broken world we live in.