The pup we purchased from this breeder developed severe hip dysplasia. This is a genetic condition which is very expensive to correct and causes pain in the pups.
When confronted with the problem, she actually suggested we put the dog to sleep! We were horrified at the suggestion since our dogs are members of our family!!!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I can even email you copies of xrays of our girl.
Shockingly, her xrays are very similar to another pup - Zoe. Zoe can be found at zoehoughton.blogspot.com. She also was purchased from Hemmingway Terriers and has the same problem.
PLEASE - buy your airedale puppy from a reputable breeder. Go to the AKC website or Airedale.org and search for registered breeders.
Surgery for this problem can range from $1200 - 6000 depending on the route you choose. Also, it is horrible to watch an 11 month old puppy lay at the bottom of five stairs crying because she wants to be with you, but doesn't want to climb.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I literally just received a nasty reply from the breeder when we informed her of our situation. Our girl, Zoey, also has hip dysplasia. The breeder also, insultingly, suggested to put "it" (our dog) to sleep. Zoey was born may 2nd 2010, we think our dogs are in the same litter. I will be sending you an E-mail as well.
Richie
Purchased a male pup 2 years ago from Hemingway. Definite sign of hip dysplasia in the recent months and keeping an eye on him. Turns my stomach to hear that putting the dogs down was an option from the breeder. Does anyone remember who the parents were of your pups?
ReplyDeleteRichie - it was great to talk to Lauren last night and I'm glad we could vent to one another about this. Looking forward to meeting you both and getting all the Airedales together.
ReplyDeleteJason - I will definitley look it up tonight. I would guess your guy is from the same litter as Zoe (zoehoughton.blogspot.com). There are definite signs and I would be happy to talk to you more. Just send me an email through the blog.
-Erica
Her parents were:
ReplyDeleteSIRE: Hemingway's Master of Disguise
DAM: Ohh La La Ali of Hemingway
Zoey's father is also Hemingway's Master of Disguise, her mother is Ringtone of Jessica
ReplyDeleteOur Zoe has the same father, not sure for the mom but this was Sandy's response to me:
ReplyDelete"I know dad to be fine. Mom never had any pups with any issues either. I retired mom and placed her in a pet home in January of this year."
Obviously the dad is not fine as three of his dogs from different litters have had the same problem!! So irritating!!!
From my email from Sandy:
ReplyDelete"I have not had any issues with any of my dogs. This comes as a surprise. "
Chelsea - you contacted her about 6 months before me - at least!!!
I contacted her this February and I told her Zoey was having hip problems and she acted stunned and suggested she was over weight, had lyme disease, or was over/under exercised. Really ticks me off she knew the puppies had this problem and had to take Zoey to the vet back and forth putting her on antibiotics incase of lyme to figure out the problem was.
ReplyDeleteJason, When was your puppy born?... and by what parents?
ReplyDeleteOur pup was born November 25, 2008. Father was Master of Disguise as well. Mother was Krystal (Krissy).
ReplyDeleteJason - did you contact Sandy when you discovered this?? My Zoe was born June 20, 2009 from the same parents.
ReplyDeleteHi Jason,
ReplyDeletePlease feel free to contact me. Myself, Chelsea and Lauren have all done extensive research into dysplasia. Chelsea's Zoe had the FHO procedure and is doing quite well. Our Keegan is going to be getting it in the next few months.
Hope to talk to you soon,
Erica
eltyler@optonline.net
OMG!! Just found this. My Boy Jackson was born on May 2nd 2010. Father Master of Disguise and mother Ringtone Jessica!! I have thought he might have a hip problem. I would like any more info that you can give me. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI've responded to your email. Hope we can talk more soon.
I can also put you in touch with Chelsea and Lauren for even more info.
Thanks for posting,
Erica
Jason,
ReplyDeleteMy boy Baxter is from the same litter. Every once and a while I have noticed him favoring one leg. Usually after running around so I attributed it to him being wild and running around. I will definitely bring this blog up to my vet at my next visit.
Jeanine
We adopted an Airedale Terrier from Hemingway in May 2007. We are sad to report that our beloved Humphrey passed away on 6/3/11 following four years of recurrent health problems. We have been looking for a way to share his story and were very glad to find this site. We hope that by sharing our sad story, other owners and dogs will not experience the same heartache we have felt for four years.
ReplyDeleteTo begin, Humphrey was the most lovable and loved Airedale. We would not have traded him for the world and we did everything we could during his four years to give him the best life possible. We showered him with more love and attention in four years, than many dogs get in a lifetime! We loved him and miss him dearly!
His story: Humphrey came to us happy and full of life at 9 weeks old. He went for his first vet visit and we were told he had an inguinal hernia, which needed to be repaired surgically. They also asked us to contact the breeder and gather some additional information to assist them in determining the best surgical approach. We contacted Hemingway and were accused of hurting our puppy and told to send him back to her (we were not offered another dog). Of course we refused and said we only wanted information - Sandra proceeded to argue with us and then hung up! We also sent a certified letter to her, which was "returned to sender" unopened. This, however, was not the end of Humphrey's story - not even close! At 6 months old Humphrey began limping on his front legs - he was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia at 8 months and had surgery at 1 year. He went through 10 weeks of recovery and did seem to have improved mobility on his front legs. His back legs, always seemed very stiff - others would comment that at 1 year he stood up like a 10 year old dog. Humphrey never jumped onto furniture or into a car - his legs just couldn't seem to handle it! At four years old Humphrey was diagnosed with cancer - a very rare and fast spreading cancer - which took his life after only 30 days of fighting! In addition, to these serious (genetic) health problems Humphrey also suffered from recurrent skin infections (hot spots) and viruses - his immune system just never seemed that strong!
We did everything we could for Humphrey (as our four years of serious vet bills can prove)! We miss him every day, but hope that his sad story will prevent others from experiencing this same heartache!! Hemingway Terriers seems to be breeding dogs with major genetic problems!! We are so angry that Humphrey had to suffer like he did! We had hoped to have him in our lives for a long time. Despite our sadness and his difficult life - Humphrey brought us more love, happiness, and smiles than I would have ever imagined! He had a wonderful personality and trusted us to help him. In the end - we knew he just couldn't suffer anymore and that we had truly done everything in our power to help him! Please learn from our mistake....research your breeder EXTENSIVELY before bringing a pup home!
Tanya
@Jeanine - I hope your vet finds nothing wrong with Baxter's leg. If he does have mild dysplasia there are things you can try before surgery. Feel free to contact me for more info.
ReplyDelete@Tanya - I am so sorry to hear about your sweet Humphrey. Your story brought tears to my eyes. We are huge dog lovers and I could feel your sadness and pain. I truly believe Keegan is with us for a reason. We are taking good care of her for as long as we have her. I know Humphrey was with you for the same. Thank goodness he was placed in such a loving home. It is so horrible that Hemingway continues to breed... I just hope this blog helps some people avoid this kind of heartbreak. Thank you for sharing.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteMy sympathies go out to you and your Airedale. What a terrible disease and awful thing to go through. Six years ago, my family purchased a puppy from Sandra at Hemingway Terriers. At 11 months, Ivy was also diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia. We contacted Sandra, and she said that if we brought him back, she would give us a new puppy. But at this point he was already such a big part of our family, and we wouldn't ever dream of giving him back. Luckily his hip dysplasia was not severe, and he never needed surgery. In fact, Ivy lived a very active and happy life and was the best dog in the world. At age 4, however, he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and we were devastated beyond words. We did everything we could for him, and keeping him from suffering was my number one concern. After a year of Chemotherapy, Ivy died at the young age of 5. It was one of the worst days for my family, and we will always love and miss him dearly.
We contacted Sandra at Hemingway Terriers to let her know, and surprisingly she didn't seem too shocked. She said she had a litter of puppies coming the following Spring, and that we could have one for free. But then every single time we tried to contact her after that, she ignored us. She wouldn't answer my emails or return any of my calls. Finally, I gave up and realized her breeding could never be trusted again.
After careful consideration and lots of research, I found the best Airedale breeder in Connecticut. Her name is Devon Delaney from Cast Iron Airedales. My family and I got a new puppy from her in March, and he is beautiful. We named him Beau and couldn't be more in love!
Thank you for letting us share our story, and for spreading the word about Hemingway Terriers in New York. My family and I loved Ivy with all of our hearts, but Sandra should not be allowed to breed anymore. We wish you the best of luck with your dog.
~Brooke
@ tanya or Brooke - I am just re-reading these comments and am sick to my stomach over everything we have all been through. My dog, Zoe had an fho surgery a year ago and it is amazing how well she is doing with her back legs! Although her dysplasia doesn't seem to be bothering her we are having trouble with her skin. She lost the hair on both of her sides and has frequent hot spots. The vet checked her thyroid and came back fine but she is still breaking out. Last visit (3 weeks ago) he took a sample of one of her spots and said it was a staph infection. She went on an antibiotic and it cleared up. Now that she is off they are back. I could write a lot about her but my iPad isnt fun typing on. Could you email me to talk more about what you went through with your dogs? My email is chelsealyncran@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteBrook,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story here. I am always shocked and saddened when I read these accounts of dealing with Hemingway Terriers.
My hope is that people considering a puppy from Hemingway Terriers will stumble across this site and go into their purchase a little more educated about the type of breeder they are dealing with. Please, email me through the blog. I would really like to talk to you about Ivy's illness and the signs that clued you into something being wrong. We really keep an eye on our Keegan and hope to have her for the longest time possible.
I hope to talk to you soon,
Erica
First off I'm sorry to hear that happened, but I also want to say that I also picked up my little girl from there and its been almost 4 years now and she is doing just fine, nothing major with her health has come up.
ReplyDeleteEd,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear your girl is healthy. Please keep a very proactive approach to her health. I've received emails from several other owners who experienced other issues down the road. Sad fact is, the breeding being done is not top notch.
Best,
Erica
My husband and I just had to say goodbye to our much loved Airedale, Roxie--also purchased from Hemmingway Terriers. Roxie's hips were OK but she did have other health issues. We were lucky to have her for 10 years, but are heart broken that we have lost her. This blog has saved us further heart ache as we probably would have gone back to Hemmingway to get a new dog. Now we will keep searching for a breeder that does the right thing. Thank you all, We truly feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteBarbara,
DeleteI am so sorry for your loss. If you and your husband are ready and looking for a breeder, send me an email. I have received some recommendations from other owners. Kindest Regards, Erica
Today I had to say goodbye to my 6 year old Airedale Baxter. He was acting totally normal playing and everything, but all of a sudden over the last week he wasn't eating normally. Took him to the Vet and turned out he had an extremely large tumor. The Vet could not tell what it was attached to so we attempted surgery hoping it was just the spleen so it could be removed. Unfortunately the tumor was attached to every organ. The vet said it was a fast growing and spreading cancer and hereditary. Baxter was part of a Hemingway Terrier litter born 11/25/2008.
ReplyDeleteJeanine,
DeleteI am so sorry to read about your Baxter. Thank you for sharing your story. Our girl Keegan was not in the same litter, but I am sure they share the same sire and possibly the same dam as they are about a year apart. I will be sure to share this with the other owners as a warning of something to look for. Kindest regards, Erica
Thank You Erica. I wanted to make sure the word got out to other owners.
DeleteSix years ago we bought an Airedale from Sandy at Hemingway Terriers. Our dog, Foxy, was born on 3/9/09 and we were told her parents were Hector (although according to AKC I think his real name was Hemingway) and Allie.
ReplyDeleteFoxy had major leg and hip problems. She had severe hip and patella dysplasia. We did FHO surgery on her before she was 1 year old. This helped but she still would get sore/stiff and had to take Glucosamine/Chondroitin and J/D dog food.
She also regularly had stomach issues so 2 weeks ago when she didn't have much of an appetite and starting throwing up and having diarrhea we thought it was her "normal" stomach issues for the first day or so. After giving her rice and turkey for a few days she still wasn't improving so we brought her to the vet.
Long story short, we found out she had cancer everywhere, most likely Lymphoma, and we had to put her to sleep last Friday, April 24. This cancer was extremely aggressive. Foxy seemed totally fine just a week and a half before she died.
I came across this blog today and couldn't believe how many families have had the same experience and how many poor dogs have suffered.
Does anyone know if Sandra is still in the breeding business?
@Nora,
DeleteI am so sad to read about Foxy. I do not know if Sandra is still breeding, but her website is no longer in use and her FB page is not being updated. We can only hope she's made the responsible choice and is no longer breeding. Kindest regards, Erica
this kennel name changed to tin man terriers
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know! Your message came just hours before we said good-bye to our happy girl. Our hearts are broken.
DeleteI'm sad to update that our beloved Keegan died on 7/31/2018 from lymphoma. One of her 1/2 siblings also died from lymphoma. Please avoid this breeder and spare yourself the heartache.
ReplyDelete