privatepilot

Please read this before purchasing a bird dog from this Kennel. I bought a bird dog named Suzie from http://harriskennels.com/ in Kansas. This has been the worst experience i have ever had in purchasing a bird dog. We watched the dog work and listened to what they had to say about the dog. We liked so we bought her. We get her home, and she is completely not even close to what we thought she was. This dog has never been hunted/trained in tall grass, never seen a hedge row, and acts like she has never seen a wild bird, only pin raised birds that have to be thrown up. We notified the owners immediately with our concern and was instructed to give the dog some time to adjust to the change, which we agreed to do. The dog never came around and in fact hasn't improved at all. We were instructed to give her 30 days and see how she reacted, then never heard back from the kennel. I have just recently contacted them to see if there is anything that could be done, it has been 2 months since I have heard anything. Their response was nothing could be done, but they are sorry we are disappointed in the bird dog. IMAGINE THAT!! This dog is not worth what we gave for her, not even close. If you are considering buying from these people please contact me and come and see the product we got when we arrived home. I will buy some birds and take you on a hunt with her. If this is the type of dogs that this kennel sells I want everyone to see before wasting their money like we have. I will guarantee that they will not receive another dime of our business!! I AM IN NO WAY TELLING YOU NOT TO BUY FROM THESE PEOPLE, ONLY TO VIEW THE PRODUCT WE WERE SOLD BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION. Please contact me with all questions and concerns, [email protected]. Thanks!

Blueditch42

What was the dog out of? Started, finished??

mustad

I'm a little confused. You say you watched her and liked her, but then when you got her home she wasn't close to what you thought. When you watched her, what did you have her do for work?

Is there a big difference in the type of terrain where you hunt vs where she comes from?

What are the things you were looking for where she fell short? Did you tell the breeder this? Did you see the dog do any of this type of work when you watched her?

Did you buy this pup from the breeder or someone else?

bowelk05

Im saddened to hear this information about Harris Kennels. Bird dogs can be very unpredictable in the hands of a new handeler, and I have often seen situations such as this. There is a huge diffrence between a finished dog and a started dog, and wild bird experince. The transition between pen raised and wild birds can be like going through training all over again. I am sorry that the kennel did not handle the situation well , and I am suprised that they did not give specific instructions on her future training and development. Don't write your pup off yet!!! If at all possible find a club or trainer to help you through some of her problems and maybe build a dog that you are proud to own, handle and hunt over.

LB Gundogs

Windwalker7

You sais you watchedthe dog workand liked her.

What did you see her doing that you liked?

Sounds to me like the buyer didn't do ANY homework. Just bought a dog and expected a field trial champion.

Do you have any experience as a handler?

I blame the buyer!

stevencm

Agreed. The buyer needs to do his homework. You should go and watch the dog run in different types of habitat. Aso if you are going to hunt wild birds, doesn't it make sense to watch the dog hunt with wild birds? You should also talk a great deal to the seller for an extended period of time. They can hide their true colors for a little while, but not for that long. I have uncovered many faulty(not up to my standards) breeders this way. Forums are also a great way to get info on breeders. Then study the parents and the rest of the pedigree. My final tip would be to discuss and get in writing any warrenty/trial period details before you get the dog as opposed to waiting until the deal is done. You spent your money and made a mistake. I would just let this be a learning experience for you to carry with youself into future dealings. IMO.