Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

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ghombre
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Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by ghombre »

Have seen some post about Cherub Chows in Oregon. Does anyone have first had experience or know of the breeder? I hear the pups they have are well socialized and the parents of the pups are on site.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Igor
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Igor »

Did not post here for a while but browse from time to time. Quite busy now to post more but can't pass this question.
We have our Mishka from Linda (Cherub Chow) He is approaching seven now.
There are probably not enough words to describe how happy we with him. You can search my posts for pictures of him.
Promise to post more
Mishka and his family
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andyman
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by andyman »

I acquired bubbles from them also. She is a perfect girl, healthy, very well socialized and well behaved. If I had to do it again, I would buy from Linda. She is a little weird to deal with but I think its worth it. She seems to care about her dogs, and won't ship until the pups are of the right age.
bellachow
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by bellachow »

Not sure if you were chosing them because of proximity but if not then I would recommend Chows of Valhalla in Tennessee. We got Bella then 2 years later got Chumley. I was impressed at how well cared for their chows were. If you look up the website, Bella is from JackFrost and Chumley from Iceman. It seems like they have alot of chows but that is because they do not breed each female every time they come in season. Out of all the females, they may only have 3 to 5 litters a year.

If you were chosing because of proximity, I would also suggest checking with some of the Chow Rescues in California. Purebreds are rarer around the Kentucky area but seems there are always purebreds in rescues in on the west coast. I personally would have adopted but purchased as a compromise with my husband. Just the fact that you are doing research shows that no matter how you get your chow chow, he or she will have a great home.
Taospuppysitter
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Taospuppysitter »

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Hello,
This is my little Tao, he is my daughter's dog that she adopted from Cherub Chow's in May of 2010. I am currently puppysitting him ,while she settles into her new apartment, job and life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tao is the dearest little gentleman of a dog. He is very well socialized. He makes everyone smile with his sweet disposition. His only bad habit is that he likes to chase cats.
KFayal
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by KFayal »

Wow, I just had a very unusual and unprofessional interchange with Linda at Cherub Chows. I first contacted her in January of 2012 because our Zoe had passed away, then when I thought my wife and I were ready to have another chow I contacted her again in Sept. She took a photo of a pup for me and I simply asked if there was a wound on the pups nose based upon the photo. She said no, and that was (what I THOUGHT) that. Well, it came time for me to make the deposit and she asked if I would choose another pup. When I pressed the issue as to why we couldn't have the original pup she let me know how horribly unhappy she was about me asking about the nose that she gave the pup to someone else. Bear in mind that in good faith, I signed her contract at her request and told her that I'd be willing to put the money in her account today to hold the pup on deposit. So, now pup from Cherub Chows. In fact, she told me that if I had sent deposit money with the contract she would have sent it back.

So, my question to you is.. here is my comment taken directly from the email I sent.. what did I say that was so wrong that she decided to change her mind about selling me a pup?

"Linda,
I just took a look at the photo in more high resolution – is that a small wound on the side of her nose?"

Anyway, no money lost - just a wish for a new pup not fulfilled. But my advice to you is if you want to work with Linda, don't do anything over email - in fact, she says that visiting her is the best way. Maybe this could all have been avoided, but it was a very childish way of handling the situation in my opinion. If you can live with that, I hear she has excellent pups.
Eclipse
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Eclipse »

I have a stud I bought from Linda with full rights to be my main stud for my chows. I bought him when he was 8 weeks old. He is deathly ill with small liver disease and some cirrhosis already. He is only 3 years old. I have contacted Linda and she refuses to replace him for me. I don't expect her to pay for his vet bills but I did think since she was a breeder of merit and says she has a complete health guarantee she would replace him for me.
The disease he has is extremely rare in chows and my vet says its the smallest liver he has ever seen and his gall bladder is extremely enlarged. We are so heartbroke and don't know for sure how much time he has left. I would not recommend buying from this breeder as she does not guarantee except for hips and eyes and not for a devastating genetic health problem that that is life threatening. We have spent thousands already trying to save him.

I hope no one else or their dog has to go thru this.
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JammyJoy
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by JammyJoy »

My friend got a puppy from Cherub chows and nothing serious happened about her though. Good thing!
triggle
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by triggle »

I got my girl, Pica from Linda. My partner luckily handled all the emails - because my temper is too hot to reply to her unprofessionalism. She will take offense to ANYTHING! She sent us pictures of our chow with a strange date stamped on the photos. So we asked if it is a new picture since the date didn't seem right... She told us that if we didn't believe her then we should take our business elsewhere. We worked it out though because we had already fallen in love with Pica.

She promised us that Pica would be dewormed and would have her first couple of shots upon arrival. Pica only had 1 shot and a regular vet checkup. Pica had an eye infection in which Linda said she would provide the eye drops with Pica in her crate. We couldn't find anything in her crate - no meds or papers... basically nothing but 2 doggie treats. The drops may have fallen out of the crate, who knows. Linda had said Pica had "really Chinese eyes" (I'm part Chinese - didn't want to take offense to this but that was kind of interesting, haha) but her eyes will be okay despite how small they are. The vet says she is a high candidate for entropian and says Pica has one of the smallest eyes (even for a chow) that she has seen. Pica arrived to us with roundworms, a UTI, a scar on her muzzle, and an eye infection. After many vet visits, Pica is now our healthy baby girl.. but if we were to do it all again, we would definitely go to another breeder who is a easier to communicate with and sticks to what they promise.
Eclipse
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Eclipse »

Sorry you went thru that. I have no contact with Linda at the moment as she has told me she is done. So basically she doesn't want to hear about or be accountable for the dog she sold me. I know that we cant predict all health issues as a breeder and I didn't expect my money back or for her to pay for my boys vet bills. I wanted her to replace him for me as I think most any breeder with integrity would do. But with Linda it seems to be take the money and run and if you have any problems she doesn't want to hear it or discuss it.
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DrewBear
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by DrewBear »

Eclipse wrote:I have no contact with Linda at the moment as she has told me she is done.
Apparently not quite completely "done". She's had pups (one at a time) posted on puppyfind in the past few months. I had considered driving up to see a pup, but discovered that she'd moved further north from OR to WA. That made an already long drive too long for me to consider.

I'm not familiar with all the different histories of various breeders, but I get the impression that not a few end their careers on a sad note. They may have been reputable and won awards at their peek, but then stuff happens that causes things to end badly. It's like a professional athlete who doesn't know when to quit. Obviously it doesn't happen to all, but it seems to happen enough to cause doubts despite awards or reputations. That makes it even more difficult for folks who are seeking a good breeder.
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Kahlua
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Kahlua »

I'm not sure if anyone actually reads these older posts, but for anyone browsing through the forum trying to find information on Linda... here's my experience.

I would not recommend getting your pup here if there are other alternatives. She literately lives on a chow chow farm... and I'm assuming it's just her who takes care of the whole place (only dealt with her and what seemed like 30+ chow chows). When we were there, she had two litters of pups and more on the way.. which definitely spells out puppy farm to me. The place was a dump really, dishes weren't washed and the dogs were all dirty. We found her on the AKC registered website... which was a BIG MISTAKE and never will I trust the AKC site again, it's all such a scam.

We drove 5+ hours to Vader Washington and met her. She is a very odd person, often misunderstanding your words and very defensive of her dogs. She talks a lot too. The only positive interaction we've had was the fact she seemed truly concerned about her pups, and genuinely cared about them. The only issue is... that's how most hoarders are with their possessions as well. We paid 1000 for a pup that had fleas, entropion, and various health issues. After months of eye tacking, shots, flea treatments, and $$$$ worth of vet bills... he seems alright now. Although, recently he's consistently had a hard time getting up when he's laying down so we tried contacting her to see if this might be hip dysplasia (since he had all the symptoms such as frog legged sleeping, etc), but she got defensive and accused us of over playing him. Told us to understand the chow chow breed better and that's the way they are suppose to be. When we contacted her about the entropion, she said the parents were fine and that entropion is very common in chow chows... basically told us to just deal with it.

I did too much research and paid too much to have had to deal with all this crap. Although I would never give up my pup, and I love him very much... my experience with linda was one I'd never want to experience with a future breeder. If you're able to, I suggest buying a pup somewhere else.
Chance
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Chance »

Hello! I've recently adopted my female chow from the lady who breeds the Cherubs. She is now a happy, healthy little ball of fur. Now, she is. She was nothing like this when I met her.
Her enclosure was a mess; She was caged in with a male, while in heat, had little shelter (it was just a couple thin sheets of plywood leaned together, really), was caked in her own feces as well as the male's.
The lady was very frustrating to deal with, as she was very defensive of her dogs (and I don't mean the dogs, I mean the line). We asked if she had any food allergies (as our male, Seau, has an allergy to wheat and gluten) and she went on this spiel about how the line is pure, she has nothing wrong with her, she's perfect, etc., etc. Which, yeah, she is. I couldn't ask for a more loving little girl. But jeez, Linda was not very easy to work with. She is up in the middle of Vader, Washington, now. She has no nearby neighbors, and lucky for her, too.
Her property is a mess. The whole backyard is fecal matter, mud and blood, and she has the puppies on her front porch constantly. She said she only brings the mother in to feed them, then takes her away again. She did not treat these gorgeous creatures with respect or as beings, but rather as property.
After taking my Babygirl home, we realized she was in dire need of a bath and haircut. We took her to the K9 Clubhouse, a local place here in Washington, and cleaned her up. While bathing this pretty girl, my mom and I found clumps of feces in her fur, as well as blood matting up her coat. We had to cut out several knots of fur as well. She had (still has, might I add!) a strong stench. She smells awful, and we still bathe and groom her weekly.
Not only that. Her physical condition was almost as bad as her mentality. She was obviously hurt, be it by human or another dog, because for two months after we got her, if we bent down to pet her and brought our hand down on her head to scratch her, she would flinch, hard, and even whimper sometimes. And later, we come to know she has a UTI as well. She was just in horrible shape.
If you ask me, this lady needs to be shut down. She does not respect or seem to care for any dog except her grand champion (whom was the only dog out of approximately 50 to be groomed). I would NOT recommend working with her, as I would have smacked her in the face more than once, if given the choice.
Those dogs are not companions to her, they are possessions.
Rory's Dad
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Rory's Dad »

I'm surprised you took the pup after seeing how they were treated. If people refused to buy her dogs then things would probably change in a hurry. On the other hand, its better for the pup that she went to someone that understood what it really means to care for a dog.
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Laura
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Laura »

First let me say that I have zero respect for the AKC due to this very issue multiplied by the thousands nationwide.
Having said that the only thing I can think to do is write to them and list the complaints, provide documentation via pictures, vet visits, etc. and if enough people complain then maybe one day they will visit and see it for themselves.

AKC investigations and inspections
8051 Arco Corporate Drive suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27617
919-816-3629
Fax 919-816-4246

Another option is to contact the local animal control and/or local dept of agriculture and register complaints.
Nothing will change if no one tries and it will take a lot of voices!
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Denice
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Denice »

I live in Portland, OR and am planning on getting a Chow Chow in early 2017. I am pretty convinced that I will buy from a breeder in Azalea, Oregon, but I thought I'd check with Cherub Chow Chows to see what they have and do a compare/contrast. I looked at the website, and although I am tech savvy, I wasted a lot of time before I found the 'contact' information and emailed Linda Fernandez. I emailed her and said that her webpage hard to maneuver and did she 1. have any litters planned for the end of this year, 2. could I come up and visit the facility and look at the puppies before hand, 3. what are the prices. She kindly emailed me back and said that the prices are about 1000 and that she had one or two pups now. She sounded as if she was open for communication, and since I have taught website creation to middle and high school students, I thought I'd give her some suggestions. My mistake! I suggested that she have an index and some narrative on the main (index or home) page, and to not have a java plug in that jams up many browsers. I suggested that she have current dates on the puppies and litters, and also suggested that she spell her name correctly on the contract. She was VERY upset with my email. She said that she's had the website for 20 years (this in itself is tell-tale that it needs an update!), and that things are fine the way they are. I waited a few days and asked again if I could come and visit the facility before I make a decision on a dog. She said NO, I couldn't come up. (but she did change the spelling of her name on the contract). That answers it for me... I am buying from the Azalea, OR breeder. Thanks.
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by President113 »

I purchased my dog, Cherub Queen of Paris, from Linda Fernandez in early 2013. Paris was born Dec. 3rd, 2012 and was shipped to us at 12 weeks old.

I don't recall the price, but I think Paris was $2200 for full breeding rights (she was considered show quality) plus shipping.

Paris arrived chubby and beautiful. She was initally very shy and fearful, but she was a baby who had just flown for several hours in the cargo hold of an airplane and was away from home with strangers, so I wasn't shocked or bothered by this behavior. Today Paris plays well with other dogs and is very sociable both in public and at doggy day care, but at home Paris is very aggressive and protective of me. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. She is definitely a one person dog, and could certainly never be re-homed if it ever came to that.

As much as I love Paris, she is definitely my problem child. She did develop entropian, which was about $1,000 to fix with an animal eye specialist (yes, they do exist). Additionally, Paris required a knee surgery which was $3300, but that was the result of her getting stuck in a foot of mud (she apparently thought this would be fun). Prior to Paris' knee surgery Paris had x-rays taken of her hips, and upon consultation with three different veterinarians 2 of the 3 believed her hips were too shallow and suggested I not breed her. I contacted Linda regarding all of these issues, but Linda played them all off. Chows are prone to entropian she said. The knee injury was an unfortunate accident. The hips are not too shallow, she said. But perhaps the biggest problem of all is that Paris will NOT allow herself to be mounted and therefore cannot be bred. Linda suggested I hold Paris down, but I am not comfortable assisting in the rape of my dog. So after nearly 4 years and probably close to $12,000 spent on Paris (price + shipping, surgeries, training, grooming, etc.) I am still without puppies, and our male, Bear, is extremely *Censored Word* frustrated lol

If I had to do it all over again I would still buy from Linda. I have actually never had a bad experience with Linda and keep in touch with her from time to time updating her with photos on Facebook. I can see how people would think she's unprofessional, but her personality doesn't rub me the wrong way at all. I found Linda easy to contact and always willing to talk, and as for her dogs, just this past weekend another one of her dogs became a Grand Champion. Some of her dogs are EXQUISITE, and some are just pet quality. The discerning buyer can tell the difference. And remember, you get what you pay for.

I am attaching the portrait of Paris I had commissioned by an artist in the UK. Yes, it's pretentious, but I love my baby.
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ChowChowMommy
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by ChowChowMommy »

We have 4 years experience with Cherub Chows. I read a some completely disturbing reviews on this forum and felt the reviews were unfair to the breeder. I have never met a breeder that I trust more. Linda Love's her Chow family (key word being family) They are her children. Her grounds were clean, her kennels were clean and her adult Chows and puppies were all well groomed. We were able to meet every single Chow on her extensive property. They were friendly and stunningly beautiful. Linda allowed us to hand feed any of her family members. They were all well fed and calm and friendly. We were able to interact with the parents of the puppies, it was a wonderful experience. We had adopted a baby girl from the Breeder Linda 4 years ago. We adopted another baby from Linda 2 week's ago. We had visited her in Oregon and two weeks ago in her new location in Vader Wa. Linda is a wonderful breeder who really knows her stuff. She has been very helpful with any questions that we have had regarding her Chow family. We have been a Chow family for 25 years total. We had adopted in the past from other breeders and the Chows lived for 14 years. I admit none of the other breeders were as helpful as Linda. We are in the Seattle area and are thrilled she moved to Washington. Our 4 year old has been extremely healthy, Zero worms or flees :) We have her regularly groomed. She is Gentle with all she meets, loves kids. We only feed her Canidae and fresh fruit, range free chicken, eggs, and beef. Zero table scrapes. Our girl has never been sick! Zero vet bills. Linda gives the 8 week old puppies their first shot. I do know that she does not breed for the money aspect, If she has a sense that someone is a lil off or would not make a good parent to one of her puppies, Linda has the right to refuses to sell. I like that about her, she is very protective about her Chow family. Her Chows love her!!
Lexi2112
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Re: Cherub Chows - Any First Hand Feedback?

Post by Lexi2112 »

A good breeder but hard to deal with.
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