I would like to write a rebuttal to Karen S's review…read more
FACT: We purchased two female golden retriever puppies from Melodie three years ago. My husband and I have had golden retrievers for 25 years, so we're kind of experts. I knew immediately, upon meeting Melodie, that she was the one from whom we wanted to buy our puppies. She met with us for a long time and went over all their documented vet visits, their health records, and their lineage.
FACT: Prior to picking out our puppies, she took us around the huge property--it's a lovely farm just outside of Ithaca. She introduced me to her horses, all the dogs, and even the mama pig that had just had a litter! The puppies have the ideal set-up: Melodie has the puppies in a barn with their own compartments, each nested with their own litter, thus they stayed with their siblings (at the time we met them, they were five weeks old, and she had two litters). Their "rooms" led outside to a straw-filled pen where the moms were allowed to interact with the puppies. I loved this setting; because they were used to "going" outside, therefore they were so easy to potty train! They were very happy puppies and never even whimpered once we got them home. They were not at all timid or skittish; they played right away with our older golden Maddie, who was eight at the time. Perhaps Karen S is more accustomed to hyper personalities like Australian Shepherd dogs exhibit and should stick with that breed...
FACT: Melodie was very fussy about their diet and showed us what she had been feeding them, which is what the vet recommended. Her dogs were so healthy, in fact, that our vet in Elmira purchased his golden from Melodie too; and he grew up on a farm with goldens all around him. He thought our goldens were the healthiest he's ever seen.
FACT: Her grown up dogs, the mamas and the papa Caluha, all wander in and out of Melodie's home. She has a huge yard that is fenced in, along with a large pond in which the dogs play. I see that Karen S bought her dog in November, when typically the dogs remain inside; we bought our girls in July, summer of course, and everyone was outside playing in the pond!
FACT: Subsequently, we have had two friends who have purchased goldens from .Melodie. One male friend stops by to see us quite often to show how proud he is of the golden boy that he has; another set of friends, who lost their male golden last year, just bought one -- they've had her two weeks now and said she never once whimpered.
FACT: We have a business in our home, a construction business, and our customers comment on how calm our girls are--they always assume they're much older than three years old. Melodie is truly an expert at breeding calm, perfect golden retrievers--and we would never look elsewhere! We are on the waiting list now for both a boy and a girl puppy. I'm not sure why Karen felt so strongly about this to post but you may be assured--this is NOT A PUPPY MILL!
Eileen P
