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Karen Markel of Majestic View sells Native American Indian Dogs (NAID) and mixes thereof for hypoallergenic traits and a wolflike appearance. While the NAID is a fantastic breed and I have had no allergy problems whatsoever, you should avoid this kennel like the plague. Karen does not breed for health OR temperament, and SO many people have had problems, though she tries her best to cover up any complaints. She has even admitted to not knowing her dogs were pregnant. Countless dogs from her lines have ended up with major health problems even at a young age - including hip dysplasia, glaucoma, cataracts, heart murmurs, and pulmonic stenosis - despite her claim that there have been "no health problems" with this breed. When asked about health history, Karen will say the dogs are all healthy, clearly because she does not take any of them to the vet. Her dogs/puppies are also not socialized, and many are very fearful and timid, while nearly all are escape artists and destructive. My own puppy showed signs of abuse, which was determined by an animal behaviorist and trainers. It is also common knowledge that if you confront her about diagnosed diseases, illness, or major behavioral problems, Karen will either blame you for the dog's condition, accuse you of being an abusing owner, or tell you to euthanize the dog and maybe she'll give you a different dog after proof of euthanization. She does not take her puppies back and rehome them as she has stated in her contract. There is no health guarantee (though she used to have one), and she is rude to anyone who complains to her. She also has over 65 dogs on her premises, all kept outside with limited shelter and probably not even adequate water or food...the resource guarding and water hoarding tendencies of her pups prove as much. So many regret getting their puppies from her, myself included. She ought to be shut down for animal abuse and deceitful business.
I agree 100% with all of the above. I am one client who purchased a "healthy" puppy but after our first wellness check, our puppy has a heart defect. We have kept the breeder in the loop since day one and after a final diagnosis and screening by a specialist, the breeder tells me I'm not using my brain since we have decided to keep our puppy verses destroy him (as she suggested last month). We have seen her kennel in person, the amount of dogs on her land is mind boggling. She has her dogs birthing litters every month, by the masses. How do you feel about your new puppy (you already put a deposit on) trying to feed on raw meat through a thick plastic bag? Eat plastic before meat. Is that how you wheen a puppy off the mothers milk and introduce meat? You be the judge. Pictures attached. Our puppy is among those feeding.
She doesn't stand by her word, all she wants is money. Stay clear.
As for our dog, we will take care of him and keep him with our family. We will jump over the health hurdles as they present themselves and do our very best in giving him a happy life.
I believe that the white spotted puppy is my Chara and she does in fact, have a very sensitive stomach. Can't eat any kind of chicken product and has diarrhea often. I have another NAID from Karen and at 1 year old cataracts where found. They are both timid, one more than the other. Shed like crazy and set off allergies immediately. I paid a lot of money for my dogs and am heartbroken to hear my dogs are not the only ones suffering.
I have been to Majestic View Kennels several times in the last few months since first learning about these dogs. I have never in my life been in the presence of so many beautiful, intelligent, gentle dogs. I have seen first hand while volunteering there, that every one of these dogs is loved, happy and well cared for. It is obvious that these dogs are Karen Markel's passion and dedication. The time, energy and care she puts into these dogs is unbelievable, and the fruits of her labor are incredible. It has been my pleasure to have met Karen Markel and the amazing dogs at Majestic View Kennels.
Denise Demmink-Lowell, MI.
You are a liar. You are a planted troll for the Worst breeder ever.
I guess it depends on when you got your puppy from here, but I can definitely speak for MVK nowadays in that she can't keep up with all those dogs, she doesn't know how to handle them (was shaking a broom threatening to beat a few of them when we did a tour), and she gives out false information to her buyers. She told me no health problems ever in her lines, then my puppy got hip dysplasia at 6 months old. When I complained to her, she said she'd give me a new dog if I euthanized that one. No thanks, I wouldn't kill a baby with a disease n favor of getting a "better" one, so why would I with this pup we bonded to? Her dogs are beautiful, yes, and maybe she was a good breeder back in the day, but it's time for her to retire and stop charging people thousands of dollars for dogs with health and behavioral issues.
I have to agree.. And my guess is it's like the saying .. The path to hell is paved with good intentions. Now, after paying 3k for a sibercain pup and spending over 10k in vet bills and another 3k for training we are pleased to say our pup now 16 months old appears to be healthy. The facility has a good 60 dogs .. Our pup wasn't socialized at all. She has lived in terror.. Fearful of everything and everyone it has taken a lot of effort and time and money.. Patience working with her to learn she is safe. She is still fearful in New situations or with new sounds but she has come to be loving and trusting of her masters she was so sick with worms (3 types) has been on a special diet, prescription Then raw with supplements, colitis meds and is now on a high quality kibble. She broke a foot, and sprained a leg.. It's been so sad and such a challenge.. I never bothered contacting Karen.. As I read reviews that she won't pay vet bills but will replace the pup after you uthenize .. I couldn't do it. Not when you look into the poor eyes of a perfect soul. I don't know what will come of our sweet pup.. I pray we don't see any further disease. I highly recommend going to a different breeder. I met a woman with two NAIDs who told me how great her breeder is, how he spends so much time socialize them. I recommend if u have one from this puppy mill that you look into supplements .. Can't tell you how much work the diet has been raw and eggs with pulverized shells supplemental oils veggies etc.. But her coat is now beautiful as we as her skin and eyes. We have had to keep her very protected and never put her in uncomfortable situations. It's been gradual she was to be a service dog which will never happen although Karen was absolutely positive she could and would with her level of intelligence.. . she is cute sweet funny loyal.. A great companion! A great breed .. Just not from this breeder!
First of all it is spelled Sibercaan. I own one of these beautiful dogs. My Sibercaan is well tempered, beautiful, 10 years old, and very healthy! My vet says my Sibercaan is so beautiful and has the teeth & coat of a 2-3year old! I could not ask for a better companion and protector over my grand children. Karen you have done a marvelous job! Keep up the great work! These haters posting must just be jealous of your abilities to breed the perfect animal. Thank you so much for this awesome member of my family! You have delivered well on your word! I am asthmatic and I can vouch for the fact that the Sibercaan is the perfect breed to own! I believe he is truly 'hypo-allergenic' as Karen says!
Thanks so much for correcting my spelling! Damn spellcheck! (and i was posting from my phone)
I'm so glad that you are happy with your dog, I love my dog as well, and agree with you, she a wonderful companion, she has absolutely bonded with the family! She brings us great joy ever day! However, she will never be the service dog that Karen promised because of her lack of socialisation and inability to be around crowds, or in new and unfamiliar places. Yes she is beautiful! But that does not negate the fact that she is very sick, as a matter of fact she will see the vet again next week because the diarrhea has started again, as well as vomiting! My thought is that your dog is ten years old, and as i stated Karen had good intentions, she is brilliant indeed! But as time has gone on .. maybe greed or complacency took over! Hence, my comment about the path to hell being paved with good intentions... i think she needed to slow down! I have spoken to other breeders ..they all will agree. even those that got their first dogs from Karen.
My post was not intended to trash Karen, but rather to inform the public, Its a wonderful thing to be able to see other experiences good and bad! and that is the power of the internet, shame on me for not doing my research, my hope is to help others to think twice before making a financial and emotional investment in their next addition to the family!
I just happened to stumble across this site this evening for the first time. To share my experiences...I am a 2 time NAID owner. Both of which came from kennels "approved" by Karen and from sires and dams she has had on her website. To begin, I have loved my sweet babies from the moment I picked them up in MI 10 and 11 years ago. And I would not trade them for anything in the world! That being said, people need to know the struggles we have had. The first one was what I would call timid. Extremely shy. But very sweet with me. We socialized her in every possible way. She went to work with me every single day. We took her to restaurants, to friends homes, to my horse farm, on walks twice a day, etc... But now at almost 12 years old, she is still timid and shy. And not approachable by most humans. She does however love other dogs. Regarding health... at 6 months old she developed a lump on her neck that was thankfully removed by our vet and determined to be a hystiosytoma, non cancerous, and a non issue. For the following 6 years she had no additional health issues. But by 7 not only did she develop cataracts, but also severe glaucoma in both eyes. Despite laser surgery and 3 types of medication in her eyes twice a day for the rest of her life, she is completely blind. She has adjusted reasonably well to her blindness but it's very sad to hear others have had similar situations with their NAIDS who have "No health problems". For my 2nd NAID, whom I also became so incredibly bonded too I can't even describe it... she is younger by one year. Regarding her personality... timid or shy does not even come close to describing her. Her fears of humans and sounds and most things during daylight hours, truly are more of a feral animal. I am the only human who has ever been able to put a leash and collar on her. And hug her and groom her, etc... Our vet comes to our house to do wellness exams and give vaccinations, etc. because as she got bigger, 93 lbs she simply was too strong for me to control if we ran into a human or anything else that scared her. It became dangerous for her well being for me to take her to the vet clinic. So for the most part she has lived her life in our home and privacy fenced yard with as minimal contact with humans as we could provide her. She too got along great with other dogs. Our pack has been 2 siberian huskies and 2 NAIDS. And they all love each other for the most part. She did become alpha female and the enforcer between the huskies if they got out of line. Please understand that although our efforts in socializing her failed, she lived a very happy life with us. And as far as we knew was strong and healthy until 2 weeks ago, at which point she stopped eating. We had her checked immediately and I was devastated to find out she had a very aggressive type of cancer, hermangio sarcoma, on her heart. Her prognosis was 2 to 4 weeks with no treatment. We instantly took her to the university vet school we are blessed to have with in our reach and decided to have a surgical procedure done to help make her more comfortable with the hope of doing some chemo treatments to extend her time with us. The surgery was successful, and although her stress level was beyond describable, vet school understood her unique needs and treated her wonderfully and allowed special accommodations for her and me to be with her when ordinarily they would not. She healed quickly from the surgery, but the cancer was too much, and she did not make it to her first chemo treatment. She passed Sunday night in my arms, and my heart is so broken their are no words. There will never be another sweet soul like hers to be found. I loved her and all of our pack more than anyone could know. But please please please, be aware that it takes a very unique family/person to be able to contend with all the social issues that came with both of my NAIDS. You must be completely dedicated and patient and kind and understanding and able to take the role of alpha over them, to be able to make a happy home for them. It is not for the faint of heart. They are not the happy go lucky, healthy, social dogs as advertised. I wish I could say I would never have another one, but I have such a fondness for fearful furry kids that I know I can help make a happy world for. But for anyone who can not dedicate themselves completely to a dog with severe social issues, should not even consider having a NAID. I can not tell you how many humans have said they would never have kept my girls if they were me. I feel although I paid good money for them, I actually rescued them. They have had as happy a life as we could provide and all their needs and wants met. They have loved us as much as they are capable. And truly bonded with us. I'm only sad they could never enjoy the attention they could have had for their beauty and uniqueness from so many other loving humans. Although missing my 10 year old terribly and in a depression right now, My 11year old blind one is still doing well but she has an appointment at the vet next week so they can check out some additional lumps that have presented themselves. I pray they are simply fatty tumors. But please puppy lovers beware. Know fully what you are getting into, before you purchase a NAID. They have both social and health issues that are not minimal.
I purchased an NAID from Karen in 2015. I had done extensive research on both the breed and other breeders in the area, most of which got their stock from Karen and MVK. Our first visit to the Kennel was amazing. Yes she has numerous dogs but we visited each kennel area and saw each dog and she told us the history of every dog. Because of their cost I told her it would be year or so before we could be able to afford one, but my goal for today was to make sure that this was what I wanted to spend this much money on. We do not have allergies so that really wasn't an issue, I was more interested in the uniquness. Our second visit was while we were on vacation in Michigan. I wanted to swing by and introduce her to my husband and family and also introduce my family to the breed. We had been in constant contact because the weather was bad. When we arrived we were unable to see any of the dogs because she felt that safety was an issue after several days of rain. It was raining when we got there and we were willing to get wet but she was not willing to accept the liabliltiy. After deciding on an NAS because the price was lower and paying my deposit, I was eagerly awaiting my puppy when she advertised a sale on her NAID puppies. I was able to negotiate a purchase of an NAID for the price of the NAS. All good so far. When my daughter and I arrived to take the puppy home, the puppy cowered when my daughter bent down to pick her up. My daughter was 18 not 6 and unaware of how to approach a puppy. She and I had both had therapy dog training and were excited to train this dog to be a therapy dog, but I knew the second the 8 week old puppy cowered from her that this would probably not happen. We had a long conversation and chose to take the puppy anyway because we knew that it would need special attention and didn't want someone taking her who was not prepared to handle the situation. For a year we tried to socialize and expose her to situations in an effort to calm her fears about the world but finally realized that she would not be happy as a therapy dog and just made her our pet. She is headstrong, smart as a tack, beautiful as can be and I would not trade her for the world. However, she sheds something fierce. Once her undercoat came in and was shed the first time, it never really stopped. I can brush her daily and get a handful of hair no matter what time of year. Worse in the spring when the undercoat does shed. I truly do think she is hypoallergenic, but she brings a lot of leaves and dirt in on her because her coat is so long. Our last experience with Karen came when we had a difference of opinion regarding when the appropriate age was to spay her. Yes, we did sign a contract stating that we would spay between 10-11 months of age but after talking to several veterinarians and doing my own research, I felt it was in her best interest to spay earlier. We were not refunded our $100 which was fine because my dogs heath was more important and I truly felt we were making the best decision for our dog. Unfortunately our relationship with Karen ended at this time because she disagreed with our decision and let's just say it got ugly. Kaiya just turned 2 and is beginning to turn the puppy corner and finally enjoys interacting with "her people". She always has to reaquaint with visitors but once she does she is very good with kids and anyone who would like to show her affection, she is just very slow to trust. This is not an AKC breed but a designer breed. Yes it is a breed that is comprised of many other common breeds but with the intent to breed for traits and specific desired qualities. Most pure bred dogs are a combination of at least 2 breeds so if you are interested don't let that scare you. I would definately get another, probably an NAS as they would be more apt to go the therapy dog route. I would just recommend that if you do buy from Karen, do it with eyes wide open and if you see something you don't like don't buy. Happy Bend Kennel in Arkansas would be another alternative. His breeding stock came from Karen From a health stand point, that remains to be seen. When we brought her home we stopped on the way and she had some diarrhea. I didn't think anything of it at the time because stress can cause diarrhea in a dog. 6 months later and several tests and suggestions her diarrhea finally resolved. I just think that she has a sensitive system and many things cause her stress possibly manifesting as diarrhea. As of age 2 she checks out just fine at the vet. We are looking forward to many years with her.
I owned a peer bread naid when i was a boy the dog lived to be 24 years old with NO health issues none. I live in oregon and my family was gifted the dog from a klamath native who cculd not keep her, she was bread and raised on the reservation here. She was indeed only coyote and dingo nothing else, her temperment amazing smarter then most dogs. My opinion and mind you thats all it is is my opinion is that because this women karen treats them as a designer dog project they are reacting that way. Hence the health issues short life span and behavioral issues. Any of the naids from the untanted reservation have no health issues and no behaviour problems. Yes she was more farel then most but it wasnt an issue when we went places or new people places and sounds arose. That dog was amazing i loved her with all my heart and i will get another. But after reading reviews from this womens kennels good or bad. I can tell you from first hand experience with one of these dogs that if you dont try to breed for desirability and just breed normally and responsibly (meaning no incest) then yes you have a perfect healthy long living dog that is hypoallergenic with litterally no healt issues. When. We took our poor girl to the vet on her final day with us we asked what was causing her death the vet simply replied "old age, its her time" and at 24 years old we were not surprised. So to read alll these reviews i am rather disturbed with the downward spiral breeders have put on this dog by breeding for desirability. Thats not why you breed. You breed for good genetics and good personality so as to have a good dog. Now incest and mixed breeding are and epidemic with breeders and it wouldnt suprise me to find these kennels have it happen "accidentally" (really its careless ness) i have seen the breed bread here in oregon with no incest or mixing and it looks nothing like any of these breeders dogs nor do they act like them. Hence why they are "designer breed" why do peer breads usally have more health issues? I can tell you why its bwcause of the masss amounts of cross breeding and incest they have to go through before there is a constant color and build the dog throws. It os sad to me they are tainting a rather feral breed just because they think they should look a certain way. Sad really.
Hi, Max. I too have seen responsible breeding in Oregon. So much different. Bred for healthy mind and body. Breeder is very protective of his fur family. I know this first-hand.
Can you tell us who the respectable breeders are? I have been combing this thread trying to see if anyone has any respectable ones but its just complaints about Karen (understandably! lol but I want to know better places because hers is the first that pops up when you search NAID!)
Hi! All of these comments/complaints are so helpful. I have been researching the NAID dog breed for over a year and would love some advice on where to find one that has been bread for the right reasons.
Thx!
Beth
BirdInSomePoetry@gmail.com
Firstly, I marked my attitude as "neutral" due to fact I have not had dealings with this kennel/person. Has anyone reported this person? Has she ever been investigated? If so, what was the outcome? This makes my heart so sad.
Has anyone had their dog's DNA tested for Wolf? Only those who have bought from Karen. I bought my NAID a year ago from Karen. He is wonderful but has taken a lot of work and has suffered some minor health issues. We had to have him professionally trained. The trainer did a personality test on him and is convinced that he has wolf in him. It explains the shyness and unique demeanor. The trainer has worked with wolf hybrids before.
Yes, I have had my NAID from Karen DNA tested, and it did come back with low amounts of gray wolf. When i brought it up to Karen with the certified results, she ignored me entirely. Don't trust this lady. I'm lucky wolfdogs are legal in my state, but they aren't where she's breeding. She's a liar.
Wow. That's crazy. Do you remember the names of your pup's parents?
Hi Aclaw3048. According to some claims by DNA test companies, they have the ability to determine the origins of Dogs, which all come from wolves. So it is no surprise that your NAID tested positive for wolf DNA.
Something that always bothers me is the only good things people have to say about Majestic View are that the dogs are beautiful and Karen is nice. That doesn't negate the fact that my full NAID developed hip dysplasia when less than two years old. I paid $2500 for her, and yes, she is beautiful and very loving, but she was clearly unsocialized with how badly she shies away from everything. Paying that kind of money should at least guarantee some health testing on the parents. The worst part? I got her tested through Embark, the most reliable DNA testing out there, and she came back positive for wolf. Luckily she's legal here, but I sent the results to Karen, and she completely ignored me. Insane. This lady is a fraud. No wonder the dogs are hypoallergenic - they have wolf in them!
I am so happy I have found this thread as Karen markel is butting heads with me currently literally denying at DNA TEST and saying her dogs have no wolf. My dog is deathly afraid of all people but me and will literally crap al over himself if people come near. He is very loved and cared for even though she tried to say he is like that because we abused him which is definitleh not the case. In fact he was delivered to us at 4 months old covered in vomit and diarhea and deathly afraid of everything. A month later when a spot opened he was sent to trianging for 1500 dollars for socialization and behavior. They wound up keeping him longer to see if he needed more time but we're still unable to fix the problem. I will be reporting her to every organization and facility that had authority in the matter. What she is doing is illegal and I am fully inclined to take legal action against her. Your stories will seriously help my cause if you don't mind me using them to stop her.
Do you remember the names of your pup's parents?
There are many breeds who do not have a doggy odor, this does not mean that they are wolves, according to the wolf expert L David Mech is Evolution and Behaviorist at the University of Minnesota.He has studied wolves and their prey since 1958, as well as several other species of wildlife. He states that wolves are NOT scientifically hypo allergenic. I have seen many breeds such as the German Shepherd, and other sensitive breeds who are shy, and need special socialization to adapt to everyday life. I don't agree with Ms. Markel's breeding tactics, but to label any dog who shows supposed wolf behaviors is wrong.
I think ur and every other story on this page is full of [censored]. I have a NAID from Karen born in 2013. Never had a problem of socializing him in fact he loves people.
Not even scared of fireworks. When I first got him he was very clean as were the other puppies. He has a sensitive stomach
and may get diarrhea if his food is changed
but he has been on Royal Canaan brand for 2 yrs and has been fine.
Karen originally bred wolfdogs. When her state went illegal she killed all of the high content wolf dogs and started breeding the low contents. So her breeding stock definitely has wolf in them.
That is really disturbing that she didn’t rehome the dogs to legal states. She didn’t have to kill them. That’s ridiculous.
I totally agree. A lot of people in the wolfdog community dislike her and warn everyone away from her.
Oh wow. That’s crazy. Do you know of a group or Facebook page of people who have wolfdogs? We have two including the one from Karen. The other one we rescued. We love them so much and it would be awesome to see others like ours!
There are plenty of groups if you just search wolfdog you should find them. There is a wolfdog do not adopt/buy/sell group that Karen is listed in. If you search her name in those groups too you should be able to find threads discussing her
We purchased a Siberian Indian Dog and I Native American Indian Dog from Karen. The SID was purchased in 2008 and the NAID was purchased in 2011.
Very coincidentially after we had both of their teeth cleaned at the vet, the SID in 2016 and the NAID in 2017, they both began to have intestinal problems. The SID was not able to have normal bowel movements, and the NAID developed diarrhea. We thought this was very strange, and thought it was too coincidental that both developed these health issues after having their teeth cleaned. Both dogs had extensive tests trying to resolve the problems. With the SID, they could not diagnose the problem, and she ended up dying at the age of 8. She died right in front of us. We think something ruptured internally as she ended up throwing up blood just as she died. The NAID also some extensive test done, and they found 2 large tumors on her spleen, which not only caused the diarrhea, but at the end, also pressed on her bladder causing her to lose control. Both tumors we were told together were the size of a basketball, and one was already starting to bleed which led the vet to believe it was malignant. We ended up having to put her to sleep as a result at the age of 7. Our question is "has anyone else who acquired a dog from Majestic view had this similar issue".
Hi Sara My wife and I also purchased a Sid and Naid from her in 2010. I just had to put dowm my Sid Nanook at the age of 12&1/2, he was a big boy about 165 lbs, the gentlest sweetest dog I have ever had. After having had many dogs over my life I knew he was not feeling well, I could see it in his eyes he had such a strong spirit he could convay his feelings and thoughts with his eyes and at times mostly I could tell what was on his mind. I recently retired this past spring and he seemed to perkup and be more active, but he was starting to have problems with his hind legs. On Oct 7 at 6 in the am my wife woke me to tell me some thing was wrong with Nanook, I could see he was In distress and I took him to the vet immediatly. I knew it was serious the vet told me he had some very large tumors and a big one on his spleen. He said that there was nothing they could do, he was howling for me. We had a special bond I held him and felt his beautiful spirit leave his body. My naid is very sad and we are at a grest loss. You are not alone Russ Simmons in CT. PS I wrote to tell her of our loss no response.
I wish I read these before I got my puppy from her! I am sending her a letter that I finally drafted tonight. It's actually hard for me to type this as I am still shaking from anger and sadness! My puppy is only 5 months old and was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with double hip dysplasia! He needs a double hip replacement, or be euthanized, which is not an option! Each surgery is $8000! And get this, this is not the dog that we originally selected. She by accident delivered that dog to a family in Florida! Something smells fishy to me!
My puppy can't walk and lays in his bed all day. Every time I come home, most dogs get excited and run up to you, this one can't, and the tears start rolling down my face. The very least she can do is offer us a full refund! It the only decent and moral thing to do, especially being a total God person, which she always seems to mention and that she goes to church every Sunday. Obviously she has a lot of repenting to do! I will keep you all posted on how she responds to our letter.
My heart breaks for you and your puppy. I received a puppy NAS Native American Shepherd from Happy Bend Kennel which had used Karens dogs for breeding. I think he learned his business practices from her also. My little pup at age 4 months was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia . Be persistent! I was first told my vet didn't know how to take x-rays, I sent the x-rays to OFA and they got a rating of Severe . I was then told by the breeder, it could be my fault for ether putting the puppy in a kennel or letting the puppy play too hard. Seriously? After not backing down I finally got a refund from the breeder which of course didn't even come close to what the surgery was, but it was something. My puppy is 2 1/2 years old now and I still get tears in my eyes but now its happy tears from watching him run and play. He will never be an Olympic jumper but we both can live with that! I tell my friends he is lucky he is so cute because he was the most expensive "free dog" I have ever had. I feel so bad with what you are going through . Keep us posted on what happens.
I got a dog from here back in December. I went up there to pick him up and she probably has close to 60 dogs, way more than she can handle. It was snowing outside and I picked my puppy from a shed. After reading reviews, I was not gonna purchase him and just forget about the deposit, however, I could not keep in that condition so I ended up taking him home. He was the cutest puppy but everyone kept telling me he looked like a wolf so I got a DNA testing done. He was almost 40% wolf (by the way, wolf hybrids are illegal in Michigan). My other dog is part wolf (only 12.5%) so I'm prepared to handle this, but just know, training a wolf hybrid takes a lot more work than a normal dog. He also drinks ALOT. I'm unsure if this is a wolf trait because my other dog drinks a lot as well, but this is an unhealthy amount. So i'm getting him tested for diabetes insipidus this week. So just be warned if you get a dog from this breeder.
My sweet boy Maverick (from Majestic Kennels) would of been three on April 4th 2019. He passed away from Blastomycosis this past weekend. We are completely devastated and currently sitting on $20K worth of medical bills from trying everything to save his life. We were told it mainly happens to immunodeficient humans/animals. Immunity disorders can be caused from over breeding. I did inform Karen and she did not seem shocked at all. That is extremely concerning given that its not a very common infection for dogs to catch. We feel completely traumatized. We have another wolf hybrid who is very depressed right now from losing her brother. If anyone has any recommendations on breeders with a much better reputation, please let me know.
Who were Maverick’s parents? My dog also died prematurely, parents were Uniquely Blue and Lowaci? I’m so sorry about your loss. I have been devastated.
She never cared. She laughed when I told her the Naid just killed my kitten.
I recently bought a NAID off of Kijiji without even knowing it. I was told he was an Alaskan Husky with therapy and service dog blood lines, hence why I got him. I am trying to
train him as my service dog and he is VERY timid and cries constantly and is impossible to crate train. He is super super sweet and my vet says he's 100% healthy which is good. I just hope he doesn't get bad health or behavior problems down the road.
He also looks EXACTLY like a wolf, so I have no idea if it's in him or not..
If you are looking for a service dog from a breeder, they need to do temperment testing on the whole litter to see which, if any of the dogs are suitable for such a task. If none test #3 or 4 on the testing. They are not suitable. Funnyfarmpets.com test all their naid and naid mixs and posts the videos on you tube. Pups are not allowed to be picked out until the testing is done so people get the best matching personality for their family and lifestyle. Funnyfarmpets.com
My pup thankfully does not have the behavioral issues mentioned above, but did have issues stemming from the kennel. First, he was absolutely covered in feces, mud, and who knows what else. We had a 5 hour drive in the car with him like that... Got him to a bath as soon as we got home. First day at doggy daycare, the sitters were concerned about hip dysplasia. Thankfully the vet doesn't think he has it, but also says its too soon to really get a good check of it. He came home with giardia which has been difficult to get taken care of. He also cannot eat any commercial food as it makes him extremely sick. Its unfortunate that this is such a great breed, but the breeders aren 't.
My NAID from Karen had diarrhea for 6 months! We had to give him an injection of tylon every day from tractor supply. We found that Taste of the Wild dog food worked best for him. You might want to check that out!
Our NAS from Karen also had issues with diarrhea very early on and when we questioned Karen we were made to believe it was all our fault. So needless to say when Denali developed Canine Discoid Lupus (affects the nose, face and snout) we saved ourselves the pain of trying to contact her to let her know that she should not breed his parents any longer because it's auto-immune related. After reading the above account of her killing her dogs instead of spaying and neutering them I would NEVER have purchased a dog from her, EVER. We are blessed that Denali is the sweetest, kindest, most loving and intelligent dog we've ever had but I would never have supported someone that did what she did.
That is actually extremely common within the breed itself. High protein diets and probiotics along with pumpkin are great for these guys. Some are sensitive to certain kinds of meat or grains as well
I have a NAS from a small breeder who got her parents from Karen. I can't say anything about Karen personally other than I know she gets defensive when you ask her questions. My baby is the sweetest, most beautiful, smartest dog we have ever had. But she was also cared for by a woman with only a few dogs to handle, so she was not abused. She's not timid or shy. In fact, she is the most sociable dog I have ever seen! And yes, she looks like a wolf, or so about a million people have told us, even my vet. My question to all of you posters is, if all this is true, and I am not doubting you, why is she still allowed to practice? These allegations seem to be plenty serious enough to warrant at least an investigation. Does anyone know if that has been done?
Do you mind sharing where you got your pup from?
Just had an interaction with her recently. Everything people say about her being a rude whackjob is true - if you're going to buy a NAID, you're better off going to Jaace's or just doing anything else you can in order to not deal with Karen. She shouldn't even be allowed to own dogs.
How is she still alive! I bought in 1990!
Anyone hear of Night Eyes in CA, Jaaces in AL, Mainly NAIDs in MA, Native American Kennels in PA ( NA village dog) . I know where not to go, any suggestions on where to get a healthy, we’ll socialized pup? Thanks!
Everyone seems to be very happy with their NAIDs that they got from Mainely NAIDS. They are located in Harmony, Maine and the breeder is a complete sweetheart.
Hi Darci! Did you ever find a good breeder? Would love to speak with you. My name is Beth. My email address is BirdInSomePoetry@gmail.com.
Thx!
If anyone has any most recent updates about any dogs coming from that kennel please let me know. She is not licensed to have a kennel which is why the dogs live in gross conditions because having a kennel license would force her to use pea gravel or cement slabs down.
We were considering getting a puppy from Majestic View Kennels, and already put a deposit... but after reading the above, I am beginning to second guess this decision. Many have said they recommend looking at other places - does anyone have good references for a different place to get a Native American Shepherd? Thank you in advance
Funnyfarmpets.com
IF you choose to buy from Karen(MVK) you should know that there is a good chance that your dog WILL have some degree of wolf in it. (In most illegal states even a "little wolf" can get your dog killed if Animal Control finds out... some won't even allow an animal with 1% wolf to "slide") Know as well that if you try to shut her down and her animals are DNA tested ALL animals that have wolf in them will be put down! I go back and forth with myself over this. Which is worse, getting most if not all her dogs killed or allowing her to continue to use and abuse them by continually breeding them. I couldn't do it back in 2001 and I'm not sure if I could now.
I went to MVK just after 9/11... yes THE 9/11... to transport 2 of her most beloved wolfdogs to a rescue out East. At that time, she had the option of keeping all her animals if she neutered them. When wolfdogs first became illegal in MI, they would allow you to keep those you already had as long as they were spayed and neutered. Karen chose to kill every animal that was known to be a wolfdog and/or looked wolfy. These animals were not humanely euthanized. They were taken into the woods and shot by her husband because they could no longer be used to make money. They were shot because a bullet is cheaper than euthanasia. The two that I transported were only saved because they were her favorites but, she still wouldn't spay/neuter them in order to keep them. At that time she did have the most amazing kennel set up, I'd ever seen but, that didn't change the fact that she was evil incarnate! My friend who went with me and I were WARNED to not disagree with her. To smile, nod and pretend that we were honored to be there. That she was doing a wonderful, selfless thing by allowing us to transport her "beloved" animals to a sanctuary. It was the hardest thing I have ever done! Knowing that all the animals I saw had seen her and her husband lead their relatives and friends into the woods, heard the shots, felt the loss as those "dogs" died, one by one; smelled the death on their owners when they returned for more to lead into the woods... After all the years, all the time for my soul to heal and I am still in tears as I type this. My heart is still broken for all those she killed and I am still beyond angry that I could do nothing to stop her unless I was willing to get more animals killed. So, I swallowed my rage and my screams of horror when she showed us a litter of NAID pups and calmly told us that she culls pups that aren't tricolored just in case they end up with a wolf colored coat. In case you don't know what it means to cull a pup; it means to KILL them. So this nice, Christian woman who loves her dogs (Insert the heaviest sarcasm you can find) was taking new born puppies who weren't the right color from their mom and KILLING them. Some nights I dreamt of killing her, some nights I had nightmares of having to silently watch as wolfdog after wolfdog was dragged into the woods and shot and puppies being drowned, having their heads bashed in, left to starve or die from hypothermia... I don't know how she killed the pups so, I dreamt of every conceivable method. It took months for me to come to terms with the degree of evil she possessed and the knowledge that I was silent so that TWO could live, was and still is small comfort.
Hi Thomas. Can you recommend a good NAID breeder? I have been speaking with the owner of Night Eyes NAIDs and she is lovely. Do you know anything about her dogs? I have also spoken with the owner of Funny Farm Pets who is also very sweet. But have no idea about the inbreeding issue etc. I would love any insight you might have to share on breeders.
Thx!
Beth
Feel free to email me at BirdInSomePoetry@gmail.com
So true This is exactly how she is.
Karen gave me a NAID in 2009 to see if it could be trained for search and rescue. The dog had highly unusual behavior and I went on a discussion Yahoo list to ask about it. I knew the pup I had was part Canaan dog. I discovered that Karen had gone to Israel to a kennel claiming she wanted a dog from the Land of Jesus. They sold her Championship Lines stud dog. It is very much against the Canaan dog group to not breed pure Canaans.. Karen mixed this stud dog into her NAIDS. I recieved an email from the Kennel in Israel asking me to help find the Canaan Karen had gotten rid of him.
My dog never develope appropriate social skiills. She was as close to a wild animal as a dog can get. She was very reactive. Had she gone to an experienced dog person they probably would have had to enthanize her as she would bite if startled. Some people she didn't like and she would scare the heck out of them.
She was the smartest animal I have worked with and lived to the age of 12 when she had to be euthanized with cancer
We are heartbroken. Our beloved NAID that we got from karen Markel of majestic view kennel 6 years ago has just passed. Her story of sickness started at two and a half years old. I came home from Christmas shopping and there was blood all over the house. Our sweet girl was bleeding out. She stayed in the hospital for over a week and we didn’t think she would make it. She was diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopenia. Her platelet count went to almost 0. She was put on mycophenalate, an organ rejection medicine, and high doses of steroids to prevent another bleed out. Steroids caused food aggression and incontinence . For a year she was on steroids. She remained on the mycophenalate. Then about a year after that she was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia in both hips. Our vet had never seen hips that bad. She screamed from the back room where they do the x-rays, “ oh my god, those are the worst hips I’ve ever seen!” We had to use a body sling to get our 4 year old sweet girl up for a while. We took her to a specialist at a local animal hospital who put her on carprofen, a doggie NSAID, and discussed with us the option to do a very expensive hip surgery. On both hips. We tried the carprofen as a first line of treatment and it worked. We thought ok, maybe things will be ok. This sweet, peaceful, amazing spiritual dog deserves a healthy life. Then a year later she stopped eating and started vomiting. Her liver values became dangerously high. She was put on two different kinds of antibiotics and denamarin. No improvement. We went back to the animal hospital and they did a liver biopsy on her. She had severe liver damage. She was put on more antibiotics and back on steroids. And she was still on mycophenalate to prevent another bleed out. She got worse, we took her to the hospital for anther five day stay and back home with more meds. A week later she got jaundice and she had bloody diarrhea so we took her back to the hospital. Another week in the hospital for her. She now had a severely low red blood count and immune mediated anemia. And a blood clot in her portal vein. A few days in she needed a blood transfusion. We were not blessed with children, this was our child, and we faced the painful reality that she was dying. We had to make the heart breaking decision to end her life before it became too painful for her. So a few days later, we said goodbye. Seeing her look at me with those beautiful amber almond shaped eyes for the last time was traumatic. My sister adopted her sister the same time we got our girl. Her sister died last year at five years old. She had immune mediated poly arthritis. Another heart broken family. This is immoral to breed sick dogs. We are devastated by her loss. Our sweet girl is gone.
I was looking into getting a SID from MVK. I've heard of them over the years. I purchased a SID in 2012 from Breton Brooks, which I believe got some of their dogs from MVK. I was about to contact MVK ( SID breeders are far and few) when I came across this page. It has raised more than enough red flags for me to look elsewhere. I can't imagine how any breeder could handle 60 plus dogs in a loving, caring manner and socialize them properly. Thank you for the info. I could not handle getting a new pup only to have it suffer the health issues as described,
She throws them whole chickens to tear apart:) This is what she told me when I got my pup out of a stable:)
I have never purchased from Karen at MVK. We did have a GID from HappyBend Kennel who unfortunately just passed away very unexpectedly. She would have been 8 in March.
For everyone's comments about false information and those that don't believe it, this section is straight from her website on the Shalom Shepheard.
" MAJESTIC VIEW'S INMUTANKA
EUROPEAN IMPORT GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG. CERTIFIED AS A PERSONAL PROTECTION CANINE, NARCOTICS AND EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DETECTION CANINE."
I'm not taking sides on information but I will say she brags about Inmutanka being a certified canine. It is literally IMPOSSIBLE for a canine to be certified in both narcotics and explosives.
Think about this, canine's indicate in different way when they locate a smell the were trained to locate. They can not indicate to you differently between the narcotic they smell. If they can't indicate the narcotic differently, how would they indicate between a narcotic or na explosive? The dog indicates on an explosive and you think it's a narcotic = a bad day.
Don’t know about Karen Markel personally but have been doing a lot of research on the Native American Indian Dog breed or NAID. This ‘breed’ was first bred by Karen Markel. She founded and trademarked the breed back in the 1990s. The breed is supposed to look wolf like. They are a mix of Alaskan Malamute, Chinook, German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, and sometimes others to. You can do DNA testing on yours if you have a NAID. All NAIDs originally came from her line at some point, other breeders might bring in other DNA through more cross breeding but essentially these dogs are all from the same ‘lines’ this can lead to dogs being very inbred and prone to problems, on top of other concerns mentioned.
We have a wonderful dog from Karen Markel. She is almost two years old, she is sweet, loves people and adores to play with other dogs. Very socialized. We live in Florida and she get a lot of fun in the ocean. A good swimmer! We are very happy with her.
Magali Grando, Fort Pierce FL
Hi Magali!
Can you recommend a good NAID breeder? I have been doing so much research over the last year. I have spoken with the owners of Night Eyes NAIDs and Funny Farm Pets who have been wonderful to speak with. Do you know anything about them? I know Night Eyes is a registered breeder and Funny Farm is not. Would LOVE some advice and insight if you have time! Feel free to email me if you feel like it. BirdInSomePoetry.com
Thx!
Beth
A dog breed cannot be trademarked. Please do not share misinformation
liar! She is the worst breeder ever. She sold me a dog with wolf genetics!
I adopted (purchased) two dogs from Karen Markel back in 2007. A SID we named Tucker, and a NAID we named Augustus. Our only complaint (WHICH IS NOT A COMPLAINT AT ALL) is that both passed this past year, at over 15 years of age each. During that 15 years, we never had a health problem until the latter end of their lives. Called getting old. You live long enough, you will deal with it as well.
Socialization was not a problem. Both the SID and NAID were so children friendly that my neighbor's kids came over to hang out with them, often using the dogs a pillows while contemplating things that kids contemplate. Ours had to develop relationships with our other kids (two Corgis, an Anatolian Shepard, a Great Dane mix, and three cats) over their lifetime. The only problem came from one of the cats, which Tucker and Gus just ignored. It was a cat issue.
I see complaints of them being "escape artists". Mine were as well. We dealt with that. They are intelligent and resourceful. Tucker (the SID) figured how to open doors and gates. Augustus (the NAID) would dig or climb out. That is a training issue, not a breeder issue. We learned to deal with it and have great anecdotes detailing our lives with our "kids". They would "patrol" our fence every morning, chasing out buzzards, squirrels, etc... .
Bottom line is, you pays yer nickle, youse takes yer chances.
I recommend this breed and this kennel if you are looking for a beautiful, friendly, and loyal friend that you are willing to spend time with and whose company you can enjoy.
You are ridiculous. She sells monster dogs with No socializing.
Can anyone recommend a good breeder for NAID puppies? Does anyone know anything about Nighteyes or Funny Farm Pets. I spoke with both owners and they were sweethearts and very concerned about who they will and will not sell their puppies to. Would love anyone’s advice! I grew up with large dogs and after a couple years of research and perfect timing I have decided on a NAID.
Feel free to email me with any advice or feedback at BirdInSomePoetry@gmail.com
Thanks!
Beth
www.indiandogs.com
Kim LaFlamme has been breeding true "American Indian Dogs" from some 50+ “Rez Dogs” he collected from all over N America some 60 years ago. He has a scientific breeding program, genetic testing, and a plethora of owners you can talk to probably some in your area. We have two of his dogs and could not be happier and know a number of owners who feel the same.
After looking at his website call him. He will interview you for an hour to insure that he can match a puppy with your personality and how you want to train the animal.
Then you have to fill out a sales contract with a down payment and wait for up to a year to get your puppy.
Email if you wish to talk further about this subject, and I will call you back, if you include a phone number.
Luke@TreeAndB.com
My NAID came to us with parvo. Fortunately, he survived, but we had a $1500 vet bill that she refused to help pay for. She did tell us that if we showed proof of euthanization, she would refund our money or give us another pup. She was very rude and tried to blame us for the parvo . I heard she ended up euthanizing the rest of the pups in that litter. Avoid her like the plague!
Can anyone tell me where I can find a native American dog for under 2000 close to az thank you
Not near AZ but an individual has flown here twice to ny for his pup. Funnyfarmpets.com
Don't do it. They are a horrible breed.
I know this is a complaint board, and like Denise above,I feel led to just offer the opposite experience, just for balance. I went to the kennel in April of '22, met Karen, saw the dogs, met the parents, and got an amazing outgoing friendly puppy at 8 weeks old. Her dogs were healthy and given huge outdoor runs. I went in am met some of them, and they were friendly to me a stranger. I had combed over her website pictures many times, and they were as pictured.
The fact many of these comments had to do with wolf content, is odd to me. They originated as wolves that self-selected to be around humans as the original dog of North America. They look almost identical to all the drawings of the different tribes with their native dogs. Some spotted, some more marked like grey wolves, but with more white patches on paws and faces. To get an original Native American Indian Dog from the Inuit tribes (look them up), may actually have more recent wolf blood, as that is what they had to work with. But as that is the origin of the Native American Indian Dog, it seems obvious that they would look wolfy, even with many generations of domestication. My dog has grown to look remarkably like a Northern Inuit dog, and incredibly sweet.
The white patches and paws and blazes on the chest are indicators of the more friendly temperament, which the 1950's Russian experimenters found with breeding foxes for friendliness. The markings may be pretty wolf like, but the friendliness, soft coat texture and the doggy heat cycles are the dog traits. Personally, I would always want to choose my own puppy to be sure of the temperament, or specifically ask any breeder, for a calm outgoing, friendly pup. That is what I value in a dog. Mostly the excessive shyness is obvious in the young pups. And that would be true for any breed.
I am sad for those who experienced a very difficult dog with health issues. I think it is much worse with AKC pure bred dogs, where the breed clubs are not even allowed to require health tests prior to breeding. Look at what has happened to pure German Shepherd dogs, and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
My own pup was very mouthy and not very cuddly for that reason, but with work, she has turned into a wonderful young dog. Mouthiness and need to chew and shred things goes with a northern breed, so I was prepared to always supervise my pup while in the house. She is still not all the way over that, but so much better. I feed very high end food and meat, and so far digestion and stools are fine. And hopefully her health will be good as she ages.
I just wanted to say that so far my experience with Karen and her gorgeous dogs has been great. I would always recommend meeting the parents and choosing your pup in person if at all possible.
I
Ridiculous! Majestic Kennels is an animal abuse center!
We got our dog from there in 2012 and honestly had a great experience. Karen wasn't chatty but wasn't rude. We met the parents, the dogs were socialized and well cared for when we saw them. Our has been of great temperament and health. We may have just gotten lucky, but I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
July 4, 2022 puppy at 8 months old with severe hip dysplasia and mystery autoimmune disease. Wish I dug deeper before purchasing from her.