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When I got my Shiba Inu from Paul Lee at Bamboo and Shibas in West Linn, OR in 8/2016 my Shiba Inu was infested with fleas. I called Paul within a week and he said it was normal. After two weeks of having in my care, my Shiba Inu got heartworm and was very sick. A month later in August 2016, my Shiba Inu got tapeworm. The tapeworms then infested my house from my Shiba Inu being so sick. When my Shiba Inu had tapeworm, I had to keep getting him tested from months until they were out of his system. my Shiba Inu also got a severe respiratory infection where he had a 103 fever being only a few months hold. my Shiba Inu is now 1.5 years old and still has anxiety issues since he was a puppy. I trained my Shiba Inu for 9 months to help with his anxiety issues and him not being so skittish around strangers. I also have dog trainers that have worked with my Shiba Inu and could attest to his issues. I contacted Paul Lee on 2/10/18 again and he told me to email him the vet bills, I emailed the vet bills on 2/14/18. His associate, Janet Richardson, emailed 2/14 saying that fleas and tapeworm on puppies are normal and that I am making stories up to extort money from Paul Lee. I have met other puppies from Paul Lee and they all had fleas and tapeworm when they got them as a puppy. Paul Lee told me on 2/10/18 that I need to return my Shiba Inu to him like my Shiba Inu is some kind of rag doll he can throw away. My Shiba Inu is part of my family, I am writing to let him know all the charges incurred because he says he guarantees his puppies to be healthy.
I want to prevent Paul Lee from selling unhealthy puppies to prevent other owners from incurring bills and the emotional rollercoaster of having their Shiba Inus unhealthy.
Do not get your puppy from bamboo and shibas!
Yes, I am on a meetup app with other owners and they said the same thing. Go to Sunshine Shiba or Kawamasu instead!
Hi, could you elaborate more on your experience with Paul Lee? I was looking at his website and was considering buying a puppy from him but would like to avoid your experience if possible. Have you spoken with anyone else with similar experiences?
Wow! I got my Shins from Paul and other than the worms he was ( and is ) totally healthy. I am madly in love with him! He is so smart funny and adorable!
Crystal Becerra
It’s not normal for puppies to have worms...
I have told you my experience, I’m not sure how more elaborate I can put it...I’m preventing other people from having the same experience. If you choose to buy from him, that is up to you. Don’t say you were not warned.
36% of all dogs have worms...google it. I've known 2 shiba pups (of friends) from "reputable" breeders that got worms.
I got my Shiba Inu from Paul in April 2016 & she has had none of the issues described. Mika has been healthy from the start. I picked her out when she was a few days old & Paul was always welcoming me to come visit my baby. I would purchase another from Paul — Virginia
Good for you, you are one of the few. Most people I talked to said that he never answered their phone calls. My friend first contacted him to get a Shiba and never got a phone call back, she was lucky. I would never recommend him. He’s inconsistent and does not take care of his dogs.
I got Shiba from his place. And he is healthy and he is 3.5 months old now. Tapeworm should be controlled by feeding flea prevention medicine monthly. Maybe your situation was a coincidence.
Yep, after meeting a reputable breeder and seeing how much different they raise their pups (indoors, health tested parents, already potty trained, prenatal care, etc), I am so glad I did not go with Paul and did my research + saved up for years before finally deciding who to go with. In fact he never called me back like he said he would, so we are SO thankful we didn't go with him... GO FIND A REPUTABLE BREEDER WHO HEALTH SCREENS THEIR BREEDING STOCK AND BREEDS ETHICALLY! No responsibly bred puppy should come with parasites or health problems. BTW I am asian, and I get the cultural difference in how he rears his dogs and breeds 'em, but still you should be supporting a breeder who is trying to improve the breed through ethical means and not just doing it for profit. Anyone who supports Paul has clearly never seen or met a real responsible and accredited breeder and only selfishly want the iconic doge. Yes, his dogs are cheap / more "affordable"- but come with many problems. When I asked him if he health tested, I think that's when he realized I wasn't a fool and after our first visit to his kennel he just never contacted me even though he said he would put us on his list. It was then I continued my research and met with an actual show breeder who health tests and raises her pups right (only 1-2 litters a year - paul has like a new litter every month, the poor babies were born right on the ground with no bedding!)... my pup was raised indoors, came potty trained (5 months now and never had an accident! Slept 8 hours through the night since 14 weeks old), well socialized, confident and loves everyone and everything. Loud noises don't scare him, he was raised inside with dish washers and household noises. The difference is real, yo. My pup is proof that you get what you pay for. The most important thing is not how much you spend, cause if you really want to make sure your companion will be healthy to the best of your ability for next 15-18 years of their life with you then money is not an issue. I save many years to afford my puppy from a well bred line around 2k. That's only a grand more than what Paul charges and yet comes health tested lines and lifetime breeder support. We get to visit our breeder every other month, and my boy even gets to see his relatives and mom. They help us whenever we need assistance, whether that be training or health advice. That's the difference in what you pay for!
If this is these are the only complaints that folks have regarding Paul Lee's shibas, and he has litters "like every month" with an average size of 3 puppies in a litter...and since the first post that was in August 2016, then simple math means that in the 26 months of there were 78 puppies, with 1 that had issues ...so that means that it's a 1.3% chance of pup having issues with worms...note, 36% of all dogs have worms (a stat you can find on google).
Your pup can get fleas and worms from things other than the litter or the breeder...like you let it potty in areas that other dogs have taken care of business that were sick. Or things like doggy daycare and off leash areas...you get the point. Not all dogs are vaccinated. All puppies don't have a great immune system. You should have flea treatment on your pup anyways...
As a responsible owner, you should have had your pup checked by a reputable vet right after you got it...which they would have done all the stool and fun tests for worms and etc...
I've meet "reputable" breeders and their shibas, Paul and his shibas and backyard breeders. The dude just loves his dogs, and likely gets inundated with calls and etc re puppies.
For the record, shibas can be skiddish. It's normal in the breed. And are mostly potty trained when the are brought home, because they are a breed that likes to take care of business outside to keep their space clean by nature (not the breeder's effort).
Sounds like first time shiba and dog owner novices complaining here. I have had 5 shibas from youth to now, and yea I would buy a dog from Paul Lee. His dogs are good looking and pups' parents are healthy looking. Plus they are papered, so you can see the genealogy for in-breeding. Pretty sure he wouldn't offer that if he was in-breeding his dogs. I've seen many "mom" dogs, and his are look relatively healthy (healthier than ones i've seen at "reputable" breeders and backyard breeders.) To me this is like visiting a new city in a foreign country where I do not speak or read the language, and debating whether I would eat at that restaurant...because I do not want to get sick from the food and I want something that is delicious. Granted this is for a new puppy and not a meal.
Even "health tested" dogs will give birth to offspring that has defects...it's genetics. My last shiba was from a reputable breeder with show winning dogs (mom and dad, with dad getting top awards- he became a shiba stud muffin) and very much involved with the National Shiba Inu Club and etc...my dog was found to have health defects - floating patellas and some eye issue. Yes, I paid a lot for my pup.
And this whole mumbo jumbo regarding breeders and them breeding responsibly to improve the breed...it would only matter your pet created offspring.
Keep supporting backyard breeders to your hearts content. You obviously have never worked with a real reputable breeder who is trying to improve their lines. If your dog ended up with all those issues, maybe your breeder wasn't even testing for hips, eyes, and patella. Your bad. Do your research.
Also, I'm asian, I get his whole way of breeding. But with the tech we have these days, you can avoid most these issues. Not to mention most people with his dogs look off standard. I get compliments all the time when we go to the local shiba meetups, people who got their shibas from him always ask why my shiba looks so much more refined and is more social compared to theirs. Hmmm, I wonder why. Any time I get the chance to educate people on supporting a reputable breeder vs byb, I will try. Often I meet people with bamboo shibas and they ask why their shiba is so small or different color than the show shibas (a creeping black/tan shiba or pinto markings).. Or why their shibas are so scared of things. Improving the breed also affects your own dog. So what you're saying is all [censored]. Like I said, keep supporting your favorite backyard breeders, nobody cares. They gotta pay their bills somehow, so go ahead. I will keep supporting reputable breeders and doing my research. You maybe have spoken to 1-2 breeders in your whole life and that makes you an expert? I have a connection of friends of breeders from Shikoku Ken, Hokkaido, Kishu Ken, Kai Ken, Akita Ken, to Shibas. I'm not a novice shiba owner like you say. But have fun with your backyard bred dog.
BTW no accredited shiba breeder will know or agree that Paul is a "good reputable breeder". Maybe try involving yourself more in the real shiba community and you will see, nobody has a Bamboo shiba or recommends them. His lines don't make it to europe or any other parts of the world where shibas are shown and bred because it's wanted, right? Even some of the lines here from America like San Jo, Morningstar, Dragonhouse, etc get to be cross bred with european lines and these ethical breeders work with each other to outcross their lines (prevent inbreeding) and also show/work the dogs for titles. But I have never heard of a reputable breeder outcrossing with a Bamboo shiba. None of his dogs even have titles, let alone health testing. I am friends with some amazing shiba people who show, breed, and work with them for over 20-30 years. These people I trust. I do not and will never trust Paul after meeting with him. I have met so many breeders in my 15 year search for a shiba puppy. I used to think he was a good breeder, back before I did my research thoroughly. Now I know better. So yeah, you think I'm a novice but look at you, you can't even tell apart who the reputable breeders are.
Got my baby from Sunshine Shiba’s and he was infested with tapeworms and had some wounds from other dog bites. He is very skittish of everything and WAS very afraid the first few months he was with us. He would cower and hide every chance he could get, he wouldn’t come out for food or water. The dogs are kept indoors but its not the healthiest of conditions. Other than that he is my second Shiba, he is healthy otherwise and a good looking dog.
Compared to Bamboo Shiba’s where I got my first Shiba, the conditions are comparable, but my first Shiba is WAY more sociable and calm. No tape worm or fleas.
Both breeders had health checks and blood work done before I picked up the puppies.
If I was to buy another Shiba I would probably go with DaKine. Their Shibas look wonderfully cared for and spoiled.
I got my girl from Paul Lee back in 2019.
I had absolutely no problems and she is a calm, healthy, beautiful girl who trained up quickly.
I know 7 other people with dogs from Mr. Lee purchased pre-pandemic- everyone has been very pleased with the dogs.