Testimonials

“We have been visiting Eagleheart and Stillpoint Farm for a few years, even before we got our first Eagleheart puppy, Guido Lee.  Gina & Kathy are totally dedicated to the Entlebucher Mountain Dog breed and as breeders they are scrupulous in their approach to assuring that their bitches are healthy before bearing pups.  They are also friendly, hospitable, and FUN.  Guido is our third Entlebucher, and he is a jewel, due in part to the pre-8-week bonding and care he received at Eagleheart.  We are pleased to provide this very heartfelt testimonial.

An Entlebucher is a very high-energy, super-intelligent dog. Training is an on-going project: not because he’s forgotten, but because he needs the sense that we are still the leaders and that WE haven’t forgotten what we trained him to do or not do.   We love him dearly for his always-sunny temperament and endless desire to DO something.  We walk 2 miles every morning with him, mostly off-leash, and every afternoon (rain or shine) we take him for an off-leash run chasing his tennis ball.  His veterinarian always comments with awe about his muscle condition, coat, and general health.  One of our previous Entlebuchers lived to be 14, and we hope for the same with our Guido.”

Pat Carrie & Tom Smith, BC Canada

“Our dog Daisy, now a year old, is a vital part of our family. She is smart, loving, energetic, intuitive and goofy. She is also very social and loves the company of other people and dogs. She seems to sense what each member of the family needs. I asked everyone to tell me what she means to them. My husband said, “She is my motivator. Without her I wouldn’t be as committed to my morning walk. She lets me know it’s time to go and won’t let me skip a day.” My twelve year old daughter said, “Daisy is my sister. We can be silly or relax together.” My 6 year old son said, “Daisy is my playmate. She has energy to play with me when no one else does.” For me she is my companion. She is always up for a walk or a trip to the dog park regardless of the weather. She can also relax next to me when I’m on the computer. I find myself talking to her throughout the day and I think she actually understands much of what I say.

Daisy’s great qualities are due in part to Kathy and Gina’s love and dedication they give to all their puppies. They spend a great deal of time and energy making sure these puppies receives proper nutrition and early socialization. That’s what really makes them great breeders.  Their commitment to the puppies does not end when you leave either. You become part of the Eagleheart family. They have vast amounts of knowledge and you can ask them anything”

Else Hiemstra, WA

 

“Our experiences with Eagleheart (Kathy & Gina) have been so positive… once we got our first Entle from them, there was no doubt we’d get another someday. Eagleheart takes a very balanced, ‘total dog’ approach! They study a pedigree & dog for its looks, structure & health which are all very important then they make it a point to actually meet a stud dog to get to know his temperament & personality. They won’t compromise on temperament no matter what the other positive attributes are. We respect & admire the great emphasis Gina & Kathy place on temperament in their breeding program.

We have been NEMDA breed Ambassadors since 2000. When people first meet our friendly Eagleheart Entles we make sure to educate them that it IS appropriate and usually more common for the breed (by the standard) to be aloof with strangers. The joke in our house is that ours are more of “a-goof” than aloof. Our 1st Entle Bayla enjoyed a wonderful therapy dog career; her nephew Data looks like he will too. Data is very outgoing, social & just lights up at the opportunity to meet & interact with people of all ages. We also did our part by being very thorough socializing him as a puppy to add good nurture to his great nature!

A few other qualities we appreciate about Kathy & Gina as Entle breeders: They are positive, honest & have a unique talent for being puppy-owner match makers. They continue to educate & dedicate themselves to learning about the breed & breeding better Entlebuchers. In addition to temperament testing which most quality breeders provide, they also pursue additional litter evaluations. I was fortunate to take part in that process with Data. It was an amazing experience! As a serious dog sport enthusiast, I learned so much in general and then specifically about Data (my own puppy)… wow! The gift of that knowledge was priceless; it should help us make better decisions for Data throughout his life so he can achieve his greatest potential, stay healthy, injury-free & age more gracefully.

…Some fun qualities of Gina & Kathy as Entle breeders: We love the Astrology! We love that they send pictures, stories & updates so often from newborn to 8 wks old! Once you’re excited about getting a new addition- ya just can’t wait to receive news. Kathy & Gina’s willingness to openly share their joys & challenges raising their litters really adds to the puppy buying experience as a huge bonus! We believe in their breeding philosophy so much that they inspired us to want to get more involved in the future of the breed. We purchased Data with the hope that he will become a stud dog, help carry on their lines & make a meaningful contribution to the breed. More importantly to us was that he be a willing, eager dog sport competitor but #1- the right addition to our family in personality & temperament. That is a lot to ask for… Data is all that & more! Thanks Eagleheart!”

Joyce & Patrick MacKay, WI

 

“We feel so fortunate to have been blessed with a puppy from Eagleheart! From the moment we picked up Izabellah v. Eagleheart, ‘Izzi” from the beautiful fruit farm she was born on, she has been a joyous addition to our family!

As first time puppy owners, we did a lot of research before selecting a breed that would not only suit our lifestyle, but allow the puppy to thrive as well.

Living in the mountains, we wanted a dog who we could take on all our outdoor adventures.  By the time Izzi was 1 years old, she has been on many camping/fishing trips, hiked up a 9,700ft+ mountain, waded in hot springs & has been canoeing in rivers/lakes.

Izzi is very patient & curious when children are present. She recently met a 3 month baby, sniffed her out, then dropped her favorite toy in the baby’s lap.  We think she wanted to play fetch with her! Our Izzi loves to snuggle too!  We joke that we have a 45lb lap dog, as she always wants to be with us!  Incredibly smart, quick to learn & always smiling are also some of her attributes. Every day we thank our lucky stars that we found Eagleheart!  Kathy & Gina spent a lot of time making sure that we were matched to the perfect puppy. Although this is only our first Entlebucher, I am sure it will not be the last!”

Sean & Sarah Clark, South Lake Tahoe, CA

 

Ice Princess Inga v. Eagleheart has brought such joy to our lives! We feel very fortunate to have her as part of our family, especially since she is the first dog our girls and my husband have ever had.

Our 10-year-old twin girls had been begging us to get a dog for a couple of years. We put off any decisions until we could really think through whether we were ready for the time and commitment a dog requires, and then it took some time to decide on the right breed. We ruled out many breeds because of one daughter’s allergies. We discovered the Entlebucher almost by accident. After researching a variety of breeds, we attended the Seattle Kennel Club show to meet some of them. We really liked the personality, coloring and short hair of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, but it was just too big! When we got home I Googled “Swiss mountain dogs” and discovered the Entlebucher. That led us to the NEMDA website and a note about club members bringing their dogs to the Maifest parade in Leavenworth, WA . We went to Maifest to meet some Entles and their owners. We asked a lot of questions, made sure nobody in our household was allergic to Entles, and came away feeling pretty strongly that this was the breed for us. Several of the people we met highly recommended Kathy and Gina as breeders who would be a good match for us – they were sure right!

We contacted Kathy and Gina and then talked to several families who had puppies from their previous litters as part of our research. After reading that the Entlebucher is typically somewhat aloof and suspicious of strangers, we were very pleased with Kathy and Gina’s approach to making sure the puppies were well socialized, and with the fact that Ammo has a more sociable temperament than the breed standard.

Gina and Kathy talked with us quite a bit about what type of Entle puppy we wanted, and then did a terrific job of picking the right puppy for our family. We also love the follow up they provide, including putting all of the families who have pups from the same litter in communication with each other. This has been and continues to be a terrific resource. It was especially helpful during the first few weeks after we brought Inga home – we had a whole ‘village’ ready to provide advice or just let us know they were experiencing the same crying in the night or pulling on the leash.

Inga is a very social Entle (we call her the ‘party girl’), and absolutely loves meeting people and dogs. People who are meeting Inga as their first Entle look very surprised when we tell them that the breed is supposed to be suspicious of strangers. Inga is always happy … happy to play, to snuggle with us or the girls, to lie next to my chair while I work at home, to go on a walk or a hike or a ski, or to go to obedience class and do some training. One of my daughters dubbed her the “Princess of Positive.”

There were definitely some frustrations during the first few months – Inga pulled on the leash almost continuously when we went out for walks, especially as we got closer to home. We worked on discouraging that behavior in a number of ways – stopping all movement when she pulled, providing reinforcement when she didn’t pull (peanut butter on a wooden spoon was the best!), and using a special no-pull walking harness at times. Again, consistency (and persistence!) was the key. It just took time. But we felt a little better (or at least not crazy) when the puppy obedience instructor took Inga to demonstrate something and commented, “Wow – she is really strong for a puppy her age!” And we got a lot of support and suggestions from the Eagleheart/I-litter ‘village.’ We always felt very supported.

Kari & Mike, WA