I’m about to re-send my deposit to Sally Ciraolo of MiVida Poodles in El Cajon, CA. She breeds Miniature Poodles and Toy poodles. She seemed like a great reputable breeder before but now I’m having concerns about if she is actually reputable. I also have had some other breeders who also seem reputable say they have litters coming up so I may want to go with one of them instead. Based on these observations do you think this breeder is reputable?
Good
Bad
Good
- Always answers the phone but not email.
- No tail docking or dew claw removal
- Raises puppies in home
- Replies relatively quickly and is communicative
- Will take puppy back if I could no longer care for it
- Wants me to have a puppy and has one spot for me in 2 months, she even bounced me to the front waiting list because she liked my reasons for getting a puppy.
- Is working on socializing the puppies
- Was on this reputable breeder spreadsheet: Poodle Breeder Referral (USA) - Google Drive
- Shows her dogs but not sure if the parents of the puppy I would get are shown or champions, no proof
- Had a breeder contract
- AKC limited registration
- Claims to fully health test all breedings dogs but haven’t seen the results yet or proof through CHIC numbers.
- Seems kind and genuine
- Diversifies her breeding stick by getting dogs from other breeders around the world
- Has been breeding for a while
- Not far from where I live
- Has 3 year health guarantee
- Has a litter available for pick up in 2 months
- She a small amount had good reviews online
Bad
- She hasn’t told me the gender yet of the puppy I will get, becaus she wants to keep one that can produce brown puppies but hasn’t been able to do the test yet. (I want boy since I already have a girl dog and I heard opposite genders get along better.
- Said one of the puppies was weak in the litter.
- I haven’t seen puppies with eyes open.
- Hobbyist breeder
- Charging $4k for mini poodle with no breeding rights or full AKC certification. Is that too high?
- Sometimes doesn’t answer all my questions on email, I have to ask multiple times.
- Wasn’t on recommendation lists for Poodle Club of Southern California.
- Mom has had no hip testing and no patella luxation testing before breeding and wants to breed again dog already at 5 years old. Said she will get her hip testing done after her next litter but says her hips are fine and all her parents were fine with hips also. Also no chic number for her but ofa testing for eyes that is more than 3 years old said normal (says results aren’t valid after one year on OFA website). Degenerative myelopathy and progressive retinal atrophy all normal.
- Didn’t reply my email for over 3 days when asking if she received my check.
- Couldn’t remember who I was when I called and she asked if I was for the next litter when we had emailed a lot and spoken on the phone only one week prior.
- 3 litters back to back for different dogs she breeds, maybe breeding too much not sure if normal?
- Deposit to hold a puppy is $2k now of $4k total.
- Hasn’t sent dad’s health test results but says he’s fully tested by previous breeder and that she will send it.
- Claims to have never gotten my $2k deposit check or it got stolen, then says I could send venmo or PayPal instead. I’m not sure why she didn’t tell me to send the deposit over the internet instead of a personal check through the mail? Said she hadn’t checked her mail since last Wednesday, a week from now, and didn’t see it today when it was sent over a week and a half ago via USPS from LA to San Diego. Once I found out she didn’t get it, I had to email and then call to ask her if she had gotten it earlier, I did stop payment on check I sent just in case.
- Dogs come microchipped, is 8 weeks too young?