Terhune AKC Registered Collies

We have raised over collie puppies since Dec1,and we have enjoyed meeting many collie lovers and that is why we do thisMany clients have returned and purchased a second and third collie from us and sometimes two at a time! We are members of the [redacted] County Chamber of Commerce, hold a current business license with the [redacted] County Commissioner of Revenue, the American Kennel Club, have a webpage and a [redacted] on FACEBOOKWe enjoy hearing back from our clients with pictures and letters that tell of just what their dog means to their familyWe treasure these and that is why we love collies! On Friday, Nov29, 2013, **and ** [redacted] purchased a month old sable and white male collie from usBefore arriving at our place of business, I received several phone calls and e-mails from *** [redacted] , inquiring about the puppyWe arranged to be here the day after Thanksgiving to accommodate the clientsThey said that they would want to come on Friday, so that they would have the weekend to get the puppy adjusted to their home When they arrived and we introduced our collies to them, they saw our sire, ***, two females- [redacted] and [redacted] and two puppies -one from each of the litters from [redacted] and [redacted] We have a kennel that is feet long by feet (inside) and each dog was separated into their own areaWe had the two puppies at each end and [redacted] (the dog they purchased) was on the right end next to [redacted] , and the other puppy, ***, was on the left end next to [redacted] (***'s mother)Each dog has an indoor area of 4'by4' and then an intermediary area to the outside run of more feet When clients come to view and /or purchase a collie from us, I usually answer questions that they may haveI felt that I made it clear that it is the owner's responsibility to adjust the dog to their new home and I am sure that I stated that it takes time and consistencyWe treat our dogs with love and care and we did not treat [redacted] any differently than any of the other puppies in the litters that were born in April I did notice that *** [redacted] did not ask to have [redacted] come out and get to know her before she decided on purchasing himHad [redacted] exhibited any abbehaviors, I would have told her and she, of course, would see if she had gotten to know him before choosing himI always stand back and let the clients talk and decide for themselves I explained that both [redacted] and [redacted] had only just started to be leashed and they were not used to it at allTherefore, it was necessary to carry [redacted] to their car *** [redacted] signed the agreement of our policy -CONDITIONS of SALE- which states that "a full refund may be given ONLY within hours of purchase." ** [redacted] called us on Sunday evening, after the hours and told me of their situationHe mentioned that they were going to consult with a dog trainer and I said that would be a good ideaI felt that it was how this phone conversation endedI felt that if things did not improve, that I would receive a phone call, but I did not The next time that I received a communication, an e-mail, it was the morning of the 20th of Decand I immediately called *** [redacted] and had to leave a message on her voice mailI told her that I was sorry to hear that the situation had not improved and I would have to speak with my husband about any kind of refund, since it was not our policy to do soI, however, offered her ***, the other puppy, in exchange for ***

I am rejecting this response because the dog WAS mistreatedThis dog was never allowed to experience life within a family homeThe critical socialization period is to months and this poor dog sat inside a kennel, separated from the house, for monthsThis resulted in a severe case of KennelosisThis was evident by it's fearful, withdrawn behaviorHe was incapable of bonding, non-responsive to play, lacked self-confidence, constantly hid and was oversensitive to noises and activitiesThis was far beyond a response to a new living situationThe mere sound of a book being placed on a table sent this dog scurrying into a corner! The sight of someone carrying a load of laundry sent the dog into a corner! If we slid a box across the floor, he would scurry into a cornerWe could not even convince the dog to go outside to go to the bathroom! EVERYTHING frightened himWe consulted two professionals and they both agreed, the kindest thing to do would be to turn him over to a rescue group so they could rehabilitate him
This was after we had been reassured that the dog had been properly socialized! IN NO WAY WAS HE PROPERLY SOCIALIZED
We interacted with the dog as much as we could before buyingWe petted him and called him to the side of the kennelI looked at his teeth and held his pawsWe were NEVER offered the chance to take him out and play or try to walk himI guess with these people it's "Buyer Beware"NOT a great way to do business
When he refused to even walk to the car, we were reassured that that was "normal" and he would be OK once we got him settled at homeWe have since learned that this is NOT normalMaybe some resistance, but not flat out refusing to walkAgain, they thought it was OK to lie to us and again, "Buyer Beware."
When we contacted them the very first time that weekend, they offered to "do some research and get back to us." Nothing was forthcoming from them, so again, another lie
These people need to be held accountable for their actionsThey failed this poor dog
$can be donated to *** *** *** ** *** *** *** ** ***Once I receive a letter from the *** *** group (NOT the breeders themselves) acknowledging the donation, we can allow this matter to restJustice will have been served

This puppy was not mistreatedHe was alone in his kennel because he was the last one of the litterHe had been with his litter mates up until a few weeks beforeWe had a total of puppies born to femalesThere were male puppies (mosold) sold on Novto a repeat Terhune collie owner, females were sold on Septand (mosOld) to a repeat Terhune collie owners, etcOur clients usually get to know the puppy that they are interested in- they play with them etcNeither **or *** did thatThey chose the puppy without ever touching him and getting to know himI never said that the puppy was trainedI noted that both of the remaining puppies had not been on leashes but one or two times and they would need work with thatMost dog owners realize that the first two weeks to a month are learning times and the owners need to be consistent and work with the puppy in their new surroundingsI am sure that some dogs take more timeI know that, because we have raised many collies since we started in We believe that our puppies are socialized and we know that we did nothing wrongI would love to donate $to the collie rescue group that *** speaks of, but there are two reasons pointing me in the other directionIn donating money, we would not be accepting any blame and we do not know the name or address of this "collie rescue group"It is not about the moneyWe have donated collies beforeWe accepted $less than the usual price from the ***
Since the complaints from the ***s startedI have received many phone calls from our clients who have had our collies and they have reassured me that we do, indeed, care about our collies and do what is bestThey are vetted, fed, played with, kept clean, warm or cool depending on the weather)
*** ***

We have raised over 250 collie puppies since Dec. 1,1995 and we have enjoyed meeting many collie lovers and that is why we do this. Many clients have returned and purchased a second and third collie from us and sometimes two at a time!
We are members of the [redacted] County Chamber of...

Commerce, hold a current business license with the [redacted] County Commissioner of Revenue, the American Kennel Club, have a webpage
and a [redacted] on FACEBOOK. We enjoy hearing back from our clients with pictures and letters that tell of just what their dog means to their family. We treasure these and that is why we love collies!
On Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, **. and **. [redacted] purchased a 7 month old sable and white male collie from us. Before arriving at our place of business, I received several phone calls and e-mails from [redacted], inquiring about the puppy. We arranged to be here the day after Thanksgiving to accommodate the clients. They said that they would want to come on Friday, so that they would have the weekend to get the puppy adjusted to their home.
When they arrived and we introduced our collies to them, they saw our sire, [redacted], two females- [redacted] and [redacted] and two puppies -one from each of the litters from [redacted] and [redacted]. We have a kennel that is 20 feet long by 10 feet (inside) and each dog was separated into their own area. We had the two puppies at each end and [redacted] (the dog they purchased) was on the right end next to [redacted], and the other puppy, [redacted], was on the left end next to [redacted]'s mother). Each dog has an indoor area of 4'by4' and then an intermediary area to the outside run of 10 more feet.
When clients come to view and /or purchase a collie from us, I usually answer questions that they may have. I felt that I made it clear that it is the owner's responsibility to adjust the dog to their new home and I am sure that I stated that it takes time and consistency. We treat our dogs with love and care and we did not treat [redacted] any differently than any of the other puppies in the 2 litters that were born in April 2013.  I did notice that [redacted] did not ask to have [redacted] come out and get to know her before she decided on purchasing him. Had [redacted] exhibited any abnormal behaviors, I would have told her and she, of course, would see if she had gotten to know him before choosing him. I always stand back and let the clients talk and decide for themselves.
I explained that both [redacted] and [redacted] had only just started to be leashed and they were not used to it at all. Therefore, it was necessary to carry [redacted] to their car.
[redacted] signed the agreement of our policy -CONDITIONS of SALE- which states that "a full refund may be given ONLY within 48 hours of purchase." **. [redacted] called us on Sunday evening, after the 48 hours and told me of their situation. He mentioned that they were going to consult with a dog trainer and I said that would be a good idea. I felt that it was how this phone conversation ended. I felt that if things did not improve, that I would receive a phone call, but I did not.
The next time that I received a communication, an e-mail, it was the morning of the 20th of Dec. and I immediately called [redacted] and had to leave a message on her voice mail. I told her that I was sorry to hear that the situation had not improved and I would have to speak with my husband about any kind of refund, since it was not our policy to do so. I, however, offered her [redacted], the other puppy, in exchange for [redacted].

The puppy in question WAS mistreated by allowing it to sit in an individual kennel for 7 months and not socialized correctly. The vast majority of their puppies are most likely sold before the critical socialization period of 4 - 6 months has passed and therefore there are no problems with those puppies.
I don't care if they have bred over 250 collies. This ONE was defective. [redacted] may make over 2000 of a model of dishwasher but if ONE is a lemon then [redacted] must refund the purchased price. True, you return the dishwasher to the company but in the case here we are talking about a living, feeling animal which was "defective" due to gross neglect by the breeders. To return a dog to those conditions is UNTHINKABLE and UNACCEPTABLE. We took the kindest action for the dog and turned him over to a rescue group who are STILL working to fully rehabilitate him. In my last contact with the group, I was told that he "still has a lot of hang ups." He still will not go out for walks as he is frightened of so many things. This is after having been under their care for nearly three months! What these breeders did to this dog is horrible and they must be held accountable for it.
We have donated money to this rescue group on behalf of the dog to cover part of the costs of his rehabilitation. We obviously are more concerned with the welfare of this animal than the breeders.
The breeders should be happy that we are only requesting our purchase cost refunded. Due to their outright lie about the dog being properly socialized, we ended up spending far more than $400.00. (By the way, we asked three times if the puppy had been properly socialized. Three times we were told yes.) There was the cost for two consultations with professional dog trainers, the cost for wee wee pads, carpet cleaner and a kennel, as the frightened dog refused to leave the house for potty breaks, along with the above mentioned donation to collie rescue.
This entire situation is a result of THEIR lies. If I had known that the puppy had missed out on critical socialization training, we NEVER would have purchased it. But, as I said, three times we were told all was OK with that. They grossly neglected this dog and then lied about it to us. This is extremely poor business practice. Therefore, I again demand our money back.
An acceptable alternative would be for them to make a $400.00 donation to the collie rescue group which is cleaning up THEIR mess. I would need to see proof of that donation however, before I can allow this matter to rest. It's not about the money, it is about the dog. We care more about his welfare. The breeders care more about the money. That is very sad and very poor business ethics.
[redacted]

Review: On 11/29/13, my husband and I purchased a 7 month-old puppy from [redacted] and [redacted], DBA Terhune AKC Registered Collies. Because the puppy was 7 months old, I had asked if it had been properly socialized. Three times, we were assured he had been. The final time was when the puppy had to be carried to our car. We were assured that this was "normal" and that they had to carry most puppies out to the cars and all would be OK once we got it home. Upon it's arrival at our house, we discovered that the dog had NOT been properly socialized and had a severe case of kennelosis. The poor thing was frightened of ALL normal household sounds and activities. We consulted two dog trainers as to what we could do but the case was so severe we decided that, for health reasons, we could not keep this dog. To return it to life in a detached kennel was out of the question, as that was the cause of the severe problem in the first place. The dog was placed, out of kindness and compassion, with a collie rescue group who is now working on the dog's socialization skills. The [redacted]'s insist they did nothing wrong in how the dog was raised and refuse to refund my $400.00. Even if we had returned the dog to them, they were only willing to issue a "partial refund." When we first contacted the [redacted]'s and informed them of the problem, they said they would help by getting us some information on how to help this dog. We never heard back from them. Their poor business practice have seriously hurt a dog and caused much stress, frustration and cost on our part. They refuse to own up to the fact that the dog was NOT socialized as they said. The dog lived in a kennel detached from the house for 7 months. It knew nothing about normal family life and household sounds and activities. They lied about the dog's condition and now refuse to refund our money. I am requesting our $400.00 back.Desired Settlement: Because of their misrepresentation of the dog's condition and the stress that caused us, I am requesting our $400.00 back. We also had to purchase extra items for this dog which a normal dog would not have needed, plus pay for evaluations by two dog trainers. All we are asking is our purchase price back.

Business

Response:

We have raised over 250 collie puppies since Dec. 1,1995 and we have enjoyed meeting many collie lovers and that is why we do this. Many clients have returned and purchased a second and third collie from us and sometimes two at a time!

We are members of the [redacted] County Chamber of Commerce, hold a current business license with the [redacted] County Commissioner of Revenue, the American Kennel Club, have a webpage

and a [redacted] on FACEBOOK. We enjoy hearing back from our clients with pictures and letters that tell of just what their dog means to their family. We treasure these and that is why we love collies!

On Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, **. and **. [redacted] purchased a 7 month old sable and white male collie from us. Before arriving at our place of business, I received several phone calls and e-mails from [redacted], inquiring about the puppy. We arranged to be here the day after Thanksgiving to accommodate the clients. They said that they would want to come on Friday, so that they would have the weekend to get the puppy adjusted to their home.

When they arrived and we introduced our collies to them, they saw our sire, [redacted], two females- [redacted] and [redacted] and two puppies -one from each of the litters from [redacted] and [redacted]. We have a kennel that is 20 feet long by 10 feet (inside) and each dog was separated into their own area. We had the two puppies at each end and [redacted] (the dog they purchased) was on the right end next to [redacted], and the other puppy, [redacted], was on the left end next to [redacted]'s mother). Each dog has an indoor area of 4'by4' and then an intermediary area to the outside run of 10 more feet.

When clients come to view and /or purchase a collie from us, I usually answer questions that they may have. I felt that I made it clear that it is the owner's responsibility to adjust the dog to their new home and I am sure that I stated that it takes time and consistency. We treat our dogs with love and care and we did not treat [redacted] any differently than any of the other puppies in the 2 litters that were born in April 2013. I did notice that [redacted] did not ask to have [redacted] come out and get to know her before she decided on purchasing him. Had [redacted] exhibited any abnormal behaviors, I would have told her and she, of course, would see if she had gotten to know him before choosing him. I always stand back and let the clients talk and decide for themselves.

I explained that both [redacted] and [redacted] had only just started to be leashed and they were not used to it at all. Therefore, it was necessary to carry [redacted] to their car.

[redacted] signed the agreement of our policy -CONDITIONS of SALE- which states that "a full refund may be given ONLY within 48 hours of purchase." **. [redacted] called us on Sunday evening, after the 48 hours and told me of their situation. He mentioned that they were going to consult with a dog trainer and I said that would be a good idea. I felt that it was how this phone conversation ended. I felt that if things did not improve, that I would receive a phone call, but I did not.

The next time that I received a communication, an e-mail, it was the morning of the 20th of Dec. and I immediately called [redacted] and had to leave a message on her voice mail. I told her that I was sorry to hear that the situation had not improved and I would have to speak with my husband about any kind of refund, since it was not our policy to do so. I, however, offered her [redacted], the other puppy, in exchange for [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

The puppy in question WAS mistreated by allowing it to sit in an individual kennel for 7 months and not socialized correctly. The vast majority of their puppies are most likely sold before the critical socialization period of 4 - 6 months has passed and therefore there are no problems with those puppies.

I don't care if they have bred over 250 collies. This ONE was defective. [redacted] may make over 2000 of a model of dishwasher but if ONE is a lemon then [redacted] must refund the purchased price. True, you return the dishwasher to the company but in the case here we are talking about a living, feeling animal which was "defective" due to gross neglect by the breeders. To return a dog to those conditions is UNTHINKABLE and UNACCEPTABLE. We took the kindest action for the dog and turned him over to a rescue group who are STILL working to fully rehabilitate him. In my last contact with the group, I was told that he "still has a lot of hang ups." He still will not go out for walks as he is frightened of so many things. This is after having been under their care for nearly three months! What these breeders did to this dog is horrible and they must be held accountable for it.

We have donated money to this rescue group on behalf of the dog to cover part of the costs of his rehabilitation. We obviously are more concerned with the welfare of this animal than the breeders.

The breeders should be happy that we are only requesting our purchase cost refunded. Due to their outright lie about the dog being properly socialized, we ended up spending far more than $400.00. (By the way, we asked three times if the puppy had been properly socialized. Three times we were told yes.) There was the cost for two consultations with professional dog trainers, the cost for wee wee pads, carpet cleaner and a kennel, as the frightened dog refused to leave the house for potty breaks, along with the above mentioned donation to collie rescue.

This entire situation is a result of THEIR lies. If I had known that the puppy had missed out on critical socialization training, we NEVER would have purchased it. But, as I said, three times we were told all was OK with that. They grossly neglected this dog and then lied about it to us. This is extremely poor business practice. Therefore, I again demand our money back.

An acceptable alternative would be for them to make a $400.00 donation to the collie rescue group which is cleaning up THEIR mess. I would need to see proof of that donation however, before I can allow this matter to rest. It's not about the money, it is about the dog. We care more about his welfare. The breeders care more about the money. That is very sad and very poor business ethics.

Business

Response:

This puppy was not mistreated. He was alone in his kennel because he was the last one of the litter. He had been with his litter mates up until a few weeks before. We had a total of 15 puppies born to 2 females. There were 2 male puppies (7 mos. old) sold on Nov.3 to a repeat Terhune collie owner, 2 females were sold on Sept. 7 and 8 (5 mos. Old) to a repeat Terhune collie owners, etc. Our clients usually get to know the puppy that they are interested in- they play with them etc. Neither **. or [redacted] did that. They chose the puppy without ever touching him and getting to know him. I never said that the puppy was trained. I noted that both of the remaining puppies had not been on leashes but one or two times and they would need work with that. Most dog owners realize that the first two weeks to a month are learning times and the owners need to be consistent and work with the puppy in their new surroundings. I am sure that some dogs take more time. I know that, because we have raised many collies since we started in 1995. We believe that our puppies are socialized and we know that we did nothing wrong. I would love to donate $400 to the collie rescue group that [redacted] speaks of, but there are two reasons pointing me in the other direction. In donating money, we would not be accepting any blame and we do not know the name or address of this "collie rescue group". It is not about the money. We have donated collies before. We accepted $250 less than the usual price from the [redacted].

Since the complaints from the [redacted]s started. I have received many phone calls from our clients who have had our collies and they have reassured me that we do, indeed, care about our collies and do what is best. They are vetted, fed, played with, kept clean, warm or cool depending on the weather).

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because the dog WAS mistreated. This dog was never allowed to experience normal life within a family home. The critical socialization period is 2 to 4 months and this poor dog sat inside a kennel, separated from the house, for 7 months. This resulted in a severe case of Kennelosis. This was evident by it's fearful, withdrawn behavior. He was incapable of bonding, non-responsive to play, lacked self-confidence, constantly hid and was oversensitive to normal noises and activities. This was far beyond a normal response to a new living situation. The mere sound of a book being placed on a table sent this dog scurrying into a corner! The sight of someone carrying a load of laundry sent the dog into a corner! If we slid a box across the floor, he would scurry into a corner. We could not even convince the dog to go outside to go to the bathroom! EVERYTHING frightened him. We consulted two professionals and they both agreed, the kindest thing to do would be to turn him over to a rescue group so they could rehabilitate him.

This was after we had been reassured that the dog had been properly socialized! IN NO WAY WAS HE PROPERLY SOCIALIZED.

We interacted with the dog as much as we could before buying. We petted him and called him to the side of the kennel. I looked at his teeth and held his paws. We were NEVER offered the chance to take him out and play or try to walk him. I guess with these people it's "Buyer Beware". NOT a great way to do business.

When he refused to even walk to the car, we were reassured that that was "normal" and he would be OK once we got him settled at home. We have since learned that this is NOT normal. Maybe some resistance, but not flat out refusing to walk. Again, they thought it was OK to lie to us and again, "Buyer Beware."

When we contacted them the very first time that weekend, they offered to "do some research and get back to us." Nothing was forthcoming from them, so again, another lie.

These people need to be held accountable for their actions. They failed this poor dog.

$400.00 can be donated to [redacted]. Once I receive a letter from the [redacted] group (NOT the breeders themselves) acknowledging the donation, we can allow this matter to rest. Justice will have been served.