Icewind

Needhu Mohandas

2024-02

Brought my sweet kid home in December 2022. If you are looking for purebred shibas, this is the place you want to reach out. Karen was very nice and helpful. Milo is doing great, pure joy. My mischievous kid 😍

Danielle Rodriguez

2024-01

Not sure where the bad reviews come from, but I got a shiba from icewind in Oct of 2021. She was about 3 months when I got her and the cutest thing ever. At first, I was a little skeptical because the communication was a little weird (only email) however, everyone does things how they do things! When I got there, which was after 8pm, Karen waited for me even though they were closed. The puppy was there waiting for me as well. Karen was honest about everything, and she did not pressure me to purchase or anything. She explained that the Shiba I was adopting has a luxating patella and told me what that meant now and going forward. I paid a reasonable adoption fee instead of the price to purchase due to the condition. Karen made sure I was okay with the possibilities of the condition needing treatments in the future and she did not get annoyed when I kept asking questions. Fast forward over two years later, I have a loving amazing Shiba and I honestly don’t even remember my life without her. Her luxating patella has had zero effect on her, she can certainly outrun me and all of us, and she is super healthy and happy. She is so affectionate, cuddly, and loves every human that she meets. People ask me how my Shiba is so friendly. I think it’s because of the socialization that Karen provides. Yes, Karen can come off a little strong, but it’s because she cares about her dogs and wants to make sure they will be placed in a good home! I went back to icewind about a year or so later to look at puppies again and although I didn’t buy another puppy yet, Karen let me see my shiba’s mom and dad and they even interacted with my Shiba! Her dad was SO COOL!! If/when I do buy another Shiba, it will definitely be at icewind. If you want a loving Shiba from an honest breeder who really truly cares for her animals, then icewind would be the place to go.

JoAnn Cruz

2024-02

Was a pleasure to buy a pup from Icewind’s. He’s 3 months old and we have only have him for less than 2 days but he is the cutest, sweetest and well trained puppy! If we were in the market for 2 pups we would have taken the girl also. Very social pup took him to my job and he was so calm when everyone met him….and he was perfect on the 2 1/2 hr ride back home

Margie Margentino

2022-05

Icewind is the place to go for good quality Retrievers or Shibas. The facility is top notch and the dogs are happy and healthy. The place is spotless and the dogs have large grass and all-weather footing areas to run and play in. Icewind is not a puppy mill. Karen and George are exceptionally knowledgeable about the breeds and dog care in general. They care about the future of their animals and want them to go to the best of homes. They provide explicit instructions on the care of the puppy and are always available to answer questions. Icewind's breeding program is one of the best that I know of (and I have owned Retreivers for 40+ years). Only the dogs with the best qualities of conformation and disposition are used for the breeding program. They regularly improve their blood-lines by bringing in proven quality breeding stock from outside of the U.S. Currently I have one male and three females on my ranch in Oklahoma - all from Icewind. Each has proven to be a good working dog and companion. If you want a top quality Retriever or Shiba this is the kennel to go to.

Riad Hamade

2021-05

Karen and her dogs are fantastic.For a couple months, I was looking for Shiba Inu puppy. Initially, I read the reviews on here and hesitated. It was the first time I get a dog, and wanted to make sure I am getting it from a place that makes me comfortable. Then, my friend pointed out that most of the negative reviews were from folks who never actually made it to get their pup and that Karen is one of the few (at the time we were looking), the only breeder in the area that is AKC certified.Given that, we understood that Karen probably gets an enormous amount of requests, and we were not wrong. Karen makes it clear from the get go that she communicates only via e-mail (no calls, texts on day of pick up) and that you have to put a deposit for her to engage with you. After all, she is running a big house with more than 30 healthy, happy, beautiful dogs and does not have time to entertain all customers. She needs to know that you are serious before engaging, which IMO is only fair. In that way, she is not running a business. She is not trying to make the customer happy with "good customer service," but she does goes ABOVE AND BEYOND with her dogs. She is clear on her website about the process, has pictures of her dogs, and all the information you need.On the day of pick up, we drove up to her wonderful place in NJ. Unlike what her curt online communication might suggest, she is talkative, engaging, friendly and takes all the needed time to introduce you to the pup, talk to you about nutrition, health, training, etc. We got to meet all her Shibas, including our pup's parents. They are all beautiful, have a ton of space, and are very well taken care of. We truly enjoyed spending time there, and would have stayed longer if we did not have a long-ish drive back that we wanted to do before sun down. We did not feel rushed at any time, and Karen invited us to come back whenever.Last, but certainly not least, our puppy is absolutely wonderful. I waited a couple weeks before posting this because I wanted to comment on his temperament, and... gosh. Sugi almost never goes inside, from the 2nd day. He is very kind to other humans and dogs. He showers us with love, and we do too. He started learning basic commands from his 3rd day at home. From the 2nd night, he lets us sleep through the night. He's in his crate from 11p to 6a, with no whining. And... there's no better way to start your day then opening the crate's door to your pup and having him jump all over you. Sugi has changed my life.Karen, thank you for you, your family, Den, and Mia, for making this happen for us. We're looking forward to visiting when our little one gets a little older! :)Edit here 6 months later: Sugi is continuing to grow to a beautiful Shiba. He was attacked by another dog yesterday and instead of attacking back, he backed up and started barking, and de-escalated the situation. It was beautiful seeing that especially knowing that Shibas tend to be more aggressive. He is the friendliest dog. Karen continues to be involved in his development - we update her, ask her questions when needed. Adding a new picture that I took yesterday.

Chris Rearick

2022-05

3+ years of happy and healthy love from Murphy. I believe Kya and Indy are his parents. Disregard the reviews calling this a puppy mill, they’re not true. We have a happy and healthy boy as mostly all other Icewind Golden owners do

Dennis Suler

2021-05

We had an American Golden retriever (Gabriel) that was the love of our life. We did everything that we could do to keep him healthy, from regular exercise and checks of his heart for DCM, veterinary visits where we made sure that he was up to date on his shots, to being sure that we fed him the right food. Despite all this, we lost Gabriel at seven years, nine months to cancer - he had a tumor on his heart that burst. When we learned that English Goldens have a longer life span than American Goldens, we started looking for them and found Icewind, a breeder located in northwest New Jersey. Through Karen and her education about proper dog nutrition and feeding, we learned the importance of not only the right foods but the proper environment and veterinary shots so you can be sure that your dog lives as long and healthy a life as possible. She is a wealth of knowledge and truly cares for her pups. We now are a guardian home for one of her dogs and picking up a puppy from a litter shortly. When it comes to breeders, you get what you pay for - if you pay little for a dog and get one from a puppy mill, you may be plagued with issues and vet bills. A good breeder may cost more, but you will not spend time at the vet and will have the chance to keep your dog healthy and alive for years.

alysa weiss

2023-08

Pricey? Yes. But who can put a price on a member of the family. Ours is 2 years old now! No health issues. She's big and beautiful and oh so loving.

Kristie D

2022-05

Great communication, very healthy pups.I bought a black and tan shiba inu here, born Dec 2020, picked up Feb 2020. Seller was personable and friendly. Her garage is a mini pet store!Love my pup 💕

Howard Rowley

2023-05

This is Daisy! We got her from Ice Wind Goldens back in March of 2022. She's about 9 months old now. And she's the perfect dog for my family. We love her a ton! Thanks, Ice Wind!!!

Tsz Yeung Ng

2021-05

We picked up our puppy over a week ago. In case you are first time puppy owner like us, buy a snuggle puppy for the first night, it saved us. In general, we had a good experience with Icewind. Just to set your expectations, there are no phone number. We basically communicated only through email but the owner was very responsive. You will have to pay the deposit first which she will let you know through the initial email. Your email will usually be answer within 24 hrs or less. She answered all of our questions even send us updated pic of our puppy. She let us know when to pick up and also let us pick the day and time that fitted for us to pick up. On pickup day, the owner took us to the shop to see Yuki, our puppy and gave us everything. She gave us at least two weeks of food (raw and dry) and had everything in a goodie bag and give you a container for all the food she will give you. She also let us interact with the other dog including our puppy's mom and answer all of our questions. You might want to remember to ask for the chip in case she forget to include in the goodie bag. The road are curvy and narrow, be careful coming down since my puppy got car sickness. Maybe bring a towel just in case. Yuki is just perfect. One funny thing about Yuki is she knows to pee on the pad the first day she comes home but she refuse to pee more than once on the same pad. Now she will tell us when she need to go or almost every two hours. Hope this review helps you.

Retta Horner

2022-05

We bought our Lyushi from Icewind 4 years ago and she has been a fabulous dog. They helped us pick between two puppies that were left in the litter. We thought the calmer one would get along with our Aussie shepherd mix but they suggested the more rambunctious one and it was a great fit! Lyushi is a very happy and beautiful dog. We would buy from this breeder again.

Etelvina Cabrera

2021-05

I had a positive experience with Karen. She was knowledgeable and responsive. The puppies are healthy, happy and super sweet. The premise was clean, spacious and welcoming. Karen also has a shop where one can purchase all that is needed for your new puppy. I was VERY pleased with this breeder and would surely return.

Megan Ford

2022-05

Our boy has been so easy to train, is in perfect health and has been the best asset to our family. We couldn’t be happier ❤️

Matt Magee

2022-05

Karen at Icewind is an honest, open and kind person, who takes a personal interest in the people who come to find a new pet. We acquired our fur baby last year, and Karen made the experience quite pleasent. She bundles your new pet with a myriad of supplies to help new pet owners get started. She is liberal with her advice and helps me powers know what to expect. Her dogs are AKC revisionist and are bread from fine European stock. Our doggie is smart, attentive, playful, sweet, affectionate and eager to please, even at only 1 year of age.

Madison

2021-05

I bought my beautiful dog Icy years ago with Karen. They are the utmost professional, most kind people I have interacted with. They were very patient with my parents and I. Icy lived a wonderful 15 years and was the best dog we ever owned in our entire lifetime. I always recommend Icewind to people. 10/10.

Sheri Steele

2023-05

If I could give zero stars I would. I paid an exorbitant amount of money for a breeding quality female and she did not pass standards for elbows. She replaced her with another dog, this time a male with the assurance that I was getting a breeding quality, HE ALREADY HAS hip dysplasia at 2. She refused to give me any satisfaction, all I wanted was a 50%refund. She stopped all communication with me. Stay away!! She is nothing but an overpriced puppy mill.

Ashley Rybka

2020-05

I had a good experience with ice wind farms. I purchased my Shiba, Cinnamon, from them ten years ago and she's as healthy, smart, and beautiful as ever. They seemed very knowledgeable and helpful. When selecting my dog Anya encouraged me to pick cinnamon because of her personality and I'm so happy I did! I didn't see the whole grounds but from what I saw the dogs appeared to be well kept. I would purchase from them again.

Ron R

2022-05

I went up to Icewind goldens and met Karen the other day. She was very open and honest with all our questions. We loved her goldens and her dedication to the breed. After much deliberation and thought we decided to go with another breeder we had contact with earlier. Icewind pups are beautiful and well taken care of. Having owned 5 goldens I would highly recommend Icewind.Karen might be a little unconventional in her approach to diet and vaccines but I really respect her belief in bettering the health of all dogs.

Brittany Backman

2021-05

I have had a wonderful experience working with Icewind. I lost my previous golden a few days before Christmas, and I am lost without her, so needed to find one ASAP to help fill this void and emptiness I am experiencing. I found icewind who had available pups in January and I was blown away by their extremely extensive and very informative website. I felt like I was taking a course on golden retrievers! I learned so much about them. I’ve had Golden’s my whole life and thought I knew everything I needed to know until I found icewind. I feel so confident in purchasing from them. Karen and her staff have been so helpful and very responsive. Due to Covid, mail has been backed up and she was very kind and understanding with the delayed deposit delivery. I receive videos and pictures of the litter from her and any necessary updates. I have spoke to many people who have used this breeder and have heard nothing but great things. I highly recommend them. I do have to add that Im appalled as I read any negative reviews about the deposits. It seems these people did not fully take the time to read the clearly stated policies- which is their own fault. Deposits are, and should be necessary for puppy reservations. Icewind is a very reputable breeder, so it is understandable that a non refundable deposit is required because it ensures that you are 100% interested in purchasing from them. I have spoke with Karen and she has informed me that they receive an overwhelming amount of inquiries daily, so it is only fair to them to work with people who are serious about purchasing, hence the deposit.

Jade Barry

2021-05

I just got a Shiba from Karen and I just have to say I do not understand any of these bad reviews. I am in love with my puppy Fuji. I picked him up Last saturday and he has been nothing but a joy. He is very well mannered and is basically housebroken (not a single accident in the apartment). She is very informative and walks you through step by step on the diet. Had ZERO issues with communication with her. I will be bringing Fuji back for visits and anyone who wants Shiba, Icewind is the place to go! Thanj you for everything Karen.

k hynes

2017-05

Great experience. We bought a Shiba Inu puppy from Icewind over a year ago. He is a wonderful and gorgeous dog and has become the star of the neighborhood :) I enjoyed dealing with everyone at Icewind as they were very friendly and efficient. Their facility is a great spot to raise dogs and my dog came to me very happy and healthy. I should also add that our vet commented that he was a very healthy and beautiful dog.

Naomi O.

2022-05

My Shiba from Icewind recently passed away. He was an amazing dog from start to finish. Unfortunately at a young age, he developed acute glaucoma, which is generally seen as a hereditary defect. I passed this information on to Icewind and received zero acknowledgement. Timely treatment of glaucoma pressure spikes can mean the difference between whether a dog loses their sight or not. Forewarning puppy owners from the same breeding pair to have their dogs proactively seen by vet opthalmologists would have been the right thing to do for any owners that they still had the contact info for. Instead, they ignored the issue. Not a sign of a good breeder.

kevin jordan

2018-05

My family has purchased three Shibas from Karen and Anya at Icewind. I am always very impressed with all their dogs and how well maintained they keep the kennel.We purchased our first Shiba, Buddy, from them 13 years ago. Unfortunately we lost Buddy this year. Buddy was the most beautiful and well tempered Shiba. Our vet even cried when she had to put him down.Because of Buddy, we went and purchased another Shiba from Karen and Anya, Bailey. Bailey like Buddy is beautiful and has the "Icewind" temperament. Bailey, unlike Buddy was diagnosed with luxating Petella which is not abnormal for a Shiba. We contacted Karen to get her opinion on what we should do. Karen immediately gave us several options: 1. We could bring Bailey back for a refund (We could never do that) 2. She would have her vet look at Bailey and see if the petella needed to be corrected through surgery. And, if she needed surgery, she would have her vet perform the surgery and take care of Bailey until she was able to walk on her own again. As I will tell anyone, this is why I purchase my dogs at Icewind. Karen goes above and beyond!!So, after having another vet checked Baily's Petella, it was deemed that surgery was not necessary and that it could be treated by giving her supplements and through diet. Bailey has had few issues with her legs at this point, and she is going to be four this year.We have just purchased our third Shiba from Icewind, Fuu Bear (picture attached). He has been to the vet right after we purchased him, and got a clean bill of health. Our vet also took Fuu Bear to show him off to all the staff!!Karen and Anya will also answer any and all questions you have regarding your new puppy after purchase. Karen has sent Emails to me at 3 and 4 in the morning. She cares about the dogs she breeds and wants the best for them!! I would recommend Icewind to anyone; you get what you pay for!!!

Cheri Sargent

2017-05

I visited Icewind prior to purchasing my English Cream Golden and was very impressed with Karen, the dogs and the facility. Without knowing if I would choose to purchase from her, Karen spent over an hour answering my questions and giving me good information, showing me the grounds and the adult dogs. As this was to be a major purchase, her care and concern for her dogs gave me the confidence to proceed. She has continued to be available to me with any questions or concerns I have had after bringing my pup home...from advice on everyday issues to articles on spaying and foods. The health of her Goldens is of utmost importance to her. That is important to me and should be to any of you out there considering a Golden!I could not be happier with my now 4 1/2 month old Berry. She is a very bright little girl. She was housebroken within 3 days, learned sit, stay, wait, come within weeks and walks beautifully on a leash. I certainly believe that the nurturing and care given to the young pups by Karen and Danielle is so instrumental in the later successes of these puppies.Thank you Karen, Danielle and Icewinds for my sweet, adorable, healthy little treasure!

Kim Dolak Mace

2017-05

We spent a lot of time researching shiba breeders before visiting Icewind in March. I had a lot of reservations based on the number of bad reviews, but our experience couldn't have been more positive. From my first email with Karen to the most recent update I sent her, she has been first and foremost, caring about her dogs. Phoebe has been home for almost 2 months and adjusted really well to city life. She loves our yard and clearly takes after her dad who we met on site with an insane passion for fetching. We worked with a professional trainer and he was just astounded that she was a shiba. Her social skills with other people and other dogs is top notch. We have worked hard, but know that a lot of these traits were things that were started very early with the folks at Icewind. Phoebe was the only puppy in her class that hasn't had ANY issues with house training and that credit is entirely to Karen and crew who worked hard before Phoebe ever came home. We couldn't be any happier with her sweet, loving, energetic, and furry addition to our family and want to sincerely thank Icewind for the wonderful puppies they're raising.

Betty Mansour

2020-05

i have been reading through the reviews and find some true and some not. We purchased our Golden, Apollo, from Icewind in December 2018. He was 8 weeks old at the time and we were told he was the last of the litter. We didn’t mind, he was beautiful! At first I was told that because he was the last, the price would be $2500. We hesitantly said that was just too much for us and Karen brought the price down to &1500. On that evening in December when we ent to pick him up sight unseen, Karen brought him down to us in the little shop that’s on the premises. I instantly fell in love but wanted to se the parents and where they lived. Karen did take up around the house to the pens where the adult goldens and shibus were kept. There were about 6-7 adult goldens and Apollo’s parents were pointed out to us. (Actually we don’t really know if they were his actual parents)....but the point is that we were allowed to see the adults. I must admit though, Karen is not the friendliest person, but I was not going out with her for drinks! I was there for a reason, not to socialize. She did mention to us about feeding raw, which we did for 2 weeks then gradually changed him over to kibble. We paid cash, got our paperwork and a receipt, along with a shopping bag full of toys and treats. Now about my Apollo.....he was housebroken by 4 months, never chewed anything he wasn’t supposed to, does not have one ounce of aggression in him and is the smartest, most affectionate dog I have ever had! Although I didn’t make the breeder my best friend, I have to admit that as far as Apollo is concerned, he is top notch! Did I think Karen was a people-person? No way! But...from my experience with my Apollo....I probably would go back there someday.

Beyond Waves

2018-05

We bought a female shiba in October from Icewind. Talia is the 5th shiba we have owned but the first one that we’ve purchased from a Icewind. She by far has the best temperament of any of the ones we had before. They handle these puppies from birth making them very well adapted and socialized when you take them home to their new environment so they have a much easier time adjusting.Both Karen and Anya were very helpful with all of our questions and concerns.We visited Icewind and met their dogs before we decided to buy from them. You could tell how well they were all cared for and that they came from quality blood lines.We would definitely purchase from them again, our shiba from them is complimented on a daily basis for her behavior and beauty. Our vet who previously has dealt with our other four Shibas tells us that we got a good one this time and that we did our research finding the proper breeder.....that’s the best compliment of all!Thank you Karen and Anya for loving what you do and taking such great care of these pups!Lori & Ronnie Johnson

Matthew McDougall

2020-05

We loved our experience with Icewind Golden’s! Very healthy puppies and super sweet! Kya and Maui are so loved and love us the same. You guys do a great job giving them love and care. (It is a business people that are complaining do not want to follow rules I bet) keep producing these healthy puppies that make people so happy! Thank you!!!! We love you guys and tell everyone about Icewind!Kim

Tibby Keane

2017-05

We visited our prospective puppy's parents and the breeder in person before purchasing. We liked what we saw and gave a $450 deposit on 8/20 in good faith for our unborn puppy. 9/1 Karen, the owner of Icewind in Philipsburg NJ sent over a contract that required us to feed TLC food and NuVet supplements ordered under her breeder number or her genetic health guarantee would be null and void. I stewed in disgust for a few weeks over the parameters of this contract. Karen reached out a few times in urgency that I sign her contract before puppy was 6 weeks old. This sent up a red flag. When the puppy was 5 weeks old I told Karen, the breeder that I felt she scammed us by taking our deposit without presenting the (unusual) parameters of her contract. I wanted my deposit back. She said "deposits are non-refundable". I was angry and stewed another 24 hours but decided to move forward with purchasing the puppy from her for $4,000 even if I knew the contract would be "null and void." (I know way overpriced) We wrote back to confirm our puppy picking appointment at 6 weeks. She wrote back and said she had sold our puppy to someone else. She said, I had asked for my deposit back and she figured I did not want her puppy. I said "now that you have re-sold our puppy and been paid, I assume you will send our deposit back. She said “no”. I am speaking out to warn others of this unethical breeder.