We live in northern Cali. My wife told me the color and dog she wanted, and I looked all over all…read moreof Cali for this puppy. It needed to be Merle, female, have both blue eyes and be ready before Christmas. I found two breeders that did not have the both blue match but potential for all else. Then I figured I could look just as far north into Oregon, so I did, and Back Country Aussie was the 2nd website I looked into. Jesse had the exact match we wanted, and I was even more excited about the price being better with her. I made quick contact and received message with instructions within hours. The communication was amazing, price was perfect to include breeding rights and to really top it off we were able to pay a little more for delivery. They were 9.5 hours far drive from where we are. They were delivering another puppy not 20 minutes away from us, so we jumped on the small delivery fee. Saved me 20 hours of driving so I was super excited. About the puppy. We got our beautiful Bella at 9 weeks old. She has been the best dog my wife and I have ever had so far to date. Insanely smart. She communicates when she needs something. She sleeps through the nights. I mean I wake up a couple times to let her out as a young puppy, but she goes right back into her crate and sleep without noise. She is a puppy and if we are not on our game she may have a mishap, but we are sooooo truly blessed with her. Bella is perfect with the children. Ages 9/6/2, my girls. She is super soft and plays great with 3 other large dogs. The big dogs took to her so beautifully and they actually protect her closely. She is perfect in more ways than we can count. I highly recommend only getting your puppy from Jesse. So clean and professional through every aspect of this transaction. Best mini aussie puppy EVER! Thank you Back Country Aussies!

From the owner: We specialize in breeding quality Miniature American/Australian Shepherds focusing on disposition…read moreand conformation.

I took my Valley Crest puppy home on March 31. One month later I'm delighted to say this was one of…read morethe best decisions I've ever made. Throughout the process, Donna was helpful, honest, and attentive to what I wanted in a puppy and an adult dog I had flat-coats as a kid, and know that they are the best all-around companion pet breed there is. My flats were friendly, amusing, eager-to-please dogs, who both passed early due to cancer. I deliberated long and hard about getting flats again, but it really wasn't even a choice. I initially chose Valley Crest as a breeder because most of its dogs live into their teens, as well as their proximity to Seattle. They'd just done a breeding, and our litter was born on January 31 from Bella and Brownie. I read the other reviews here around that time, and asked Donna what had happened with Bella's last litter. She was candid and forthcoming about discussing it, explaining both what had happened then and the steps that she'd taken since. She also discussed her reasons for not currently being a member of the Northwest Flat-Coated Retriever Club, and I finished the conversation satisfied that I'd made the right choice. We made our first visit to the litter when they were about five weeks old. They were all friendly and well-socialized, happily climbing into our laps and playing. The adult dogs were friendly and social, in the pushy way of good flat-coats. Donna's six-year-old granddaughter played often with the litter, socializing them well to children. In the next few weeks, Donna and I conversed regularly via email, especially in regards to what personality I was looking for. I didn't have an answer at first, as most of what I want in a dog are just typical flat-coat qualities. I finally decided, thinking of one of my childhood dogs, that I wanted a dog with "steadfastness, or a quiet sense of dignity." I also said that would probably hard to find in a seven-week-old puppy, but darned if Donna hadn't seen a puppy exhibiting that kind of quality, and sent a photo. When we came to choose our puppy and take him home, Donna told us about each one. Of the litter of seven, two had gone to new homes, and one was reserved for a show-dog home. We had four puppies to choose from and she told us about the personalities of each -- the one nicknamed "Mischief," the one who amused himself, the one who would want to be our shadow. We settled on this puppy, as he was the patient, steadfast one she'd told us about. Since we've brought him home, Skagit has been a delight. He reacts very well to strangers of all kinds, to other puppies and adult dogs, and to different situations and places. He's learning easily and enthusiastically, not just basic obedience but also things like how it's okay to chase geese at the park but not okay to chase the chickens at home. Like a good flat-coat, when we bring him to playtimes he first checks in with the people to see if they have treats or want to pet him, and then goes and plays with the puppies wrestling on the floor. He is a little timid in new environments, which Donna warned us about -- it took him two weeks to enjoy going on walks, since our busy Seattle neighborhood with damp grass and lots of joggers is a far cry from Eastern Washington -- but quickly warms to them. He's definitely our shadow, always wanting to be in the same room with his people. Sometimes the best way to coax him out for a walk or down a flight of stairs is to just move out of his sight so that he'll follow. I'm pretty impressed by how well Donna was able to predict his behavior and personality at such an early age, and he's definitely the right fit for our household. In the interests of full disclosure, Skagit did have worms, diagnosed at his initial checkup. The vet said that this was pretty common in puppies, and set him on a course of Panacur and Strongid. We've done two fecal tests since, which came back clean. We sent the test results back to Donna so that she could follow up with her vet, as the litter had all been dewormed. She found that a vet tech had given her the wrong dosing information, so that the puppies received a diluted treatment. Skagit has been happy and healthy since, aside from one bout of diarrhea and vomiting from eating a bad egg. We've changed his primary food twice, expecting a messy transition each time, with no issue. He's put on 10 pounds in four weeks and continues to be a favorite in the neighborhood, at the pet food store, and at puppy obedience classes. He's very easy to socialize, since we can't walk twenty feet without someone wanting to pet him, and we've told many people that "you know, the breeder has three left!" If anyone interested in Valley Crest Kennels would like to discuss our experience further, I am happy to speak with you -- just send me a message through Yelp. I cannot recommend this breeder highly enough, both for the quality of the dogs and the care and attention put into matching dogs with people.

I'm sad to say that our puppy, Scupper, passed away yesterday at 1.5 years old. He battled the…read moreparasites from the breeder's kennel throughout his short life. Please read the Yelp filtered review (click "1 filtered" below) about Roddy, who was one of Scupper's litter-mates. There are at least 3 puppies that we know of who have had untimely deaths from health issues related to the parasite and were immune compromised. Bella of Valley Crest Kennel was the mother of this litter and it's my understanding that they are still breeding Cantu Bella's Syrah. If you are considering a flat coated retriever puppy - I do not recommend getting one from this breeder. She has been removed from the breeders list at the Northwest Flat Coated Retrievers Club.

We recently welcomed a 7-month-old Doodle from Tracy into our family, and she has been an absolute…read morejoy. She is gentle, beautifully tempered, and clearly came from a thoughtful, caring environment. It's evident that Tracy raises her dogs with genuine dedication and deep regard for their well-being. We are so grateful -- and wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a lovingly bred companion.

From the owner: Ethical breeder of bernedoodles, goldendoodles and poodles. I can provide service dogs, therapy…read moredogs, facility dogs with my expertise in temperament testing and also quality pets. Please contact today to place a reservation to secure a spot. Reservation fee is $500.

When my dog had parvo I went to take her in she was there for a couple weeks and when she was…read morereturned to us she was COVERED in her own feces she she was not well taken care of. Their reason for not being able to clean her is because "they were too occupied with more important matters." It took me hours to get the smell and all of her feces off of her. Never again.

Best vet I have been to in a long time. True small town service. Dr. B has been working with us to…read moreget my dog's health issues taken care of. I've been able to call the office and give updates, ask questions, etc. they have all been very helpful!