Mount Olympus Boerboels

We flew out to Texas from California to bring our puppy home. Richard and Michelle were fairly responsive and accommodating throughout the process. Their property was clean and seemingly adequate, and our puppy was adorable. When we picked him up we noticed that his eyes were a little runny and it turned out that he had severe entropian. We discussesed this with Michelle and her initial response was that he would likely grow out of it. He is now three years old and the entropian has been exacerbated by bacterial skin infection resulting from environmental allergies. We have since spent thousands of dollars in an effort to remedy his condition. However, our dog cold not otherwise be more perfect for our family and we wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. He is a relentless & fearless protector, a total sweetheart with my girls, and an indispensable component in our household. I can’t take him out in public without admirers litterally stopping in traffic and asking about him; and have even had motorist park their cars to take pictures. He is especially obedient and was not difficult to train at all. Had it not been for his genetic deficiencies, our overall experience would have been A+. I would like to reiterate that we would do it all over again as he is an excellent dog and a critical part of our family.

I am writing this review so that another family won’t be devastated as we were/​are. After falling in love with this breed, South African Boerboel, I thought I did my homework and decided to go with this family breeder that keeps their dogs in their house (so we thought) and let’s them swim in the pool (see website for pics). I hit the jackpot when I called and they already had a litter with very unique blue pups. The parents were Afrika Mars and Mt. Olympus Rhea which I recently discovered that her dad Chaos has bad hips. We picked her up from the airport at 8 weeks old. She had fleas which I was appalled at since I had other pets in my home. We treated that and she also had a hernia which my vet said needed to be repaired. Michelle said that it would fix itself. Anyway, Bella got along famously with my other pets and was very gentle with small breeds. After a couple of months she got mange, the kind that is passed on from the mom. I took her to the vet and got some cream and the vet told me that the mom should not be bred because of that. I always sent Richard and Michelle pics and updated them on Bella so I also passed on this bit of info to them as well. They didn’t agree of course saying that all dogs have it so I let it go. Then she got a urinary track infection which along with the mange is a sign that the immune system isn’t working properly. When she was about 10 months old I was playing tug with her, very gently, and she fell down and couldn’t get up. Her rear leg was limp and she couldn’t stand on it. She had a luxated patella. I had given her joint supplement her whole life as Michelle requested me to do. I told Michelle what happened and she recommended doubling up on the joint supplement and taking her for acupuncture. Well I did the supplement but not the other. I rested her and spayed her around the same time and it did eventually heal after about 3 months, thank God BUT then her aggression issues surfaced. She started randomly attacking people and other strange dogs. She eventually bit my 29 year old son when she was in one of these aggressive attacks toward another dog. I contacted the breeders continually about this because she was dangerous. Luckily she was very sweet with us. She also from the day we brought her home had many fears. I think her aggression was fear related. I have come to learn that this dog had bad nerves and Michelle and Richard finally admitted to me that some of their dogs can not be around invited guests in their home. I was appalled again! Do you realize I have a lot of company? Many of them being my kids friends! I would have to tie her up when people came in for fear she would jump them and bite them, which she did to about 6 people in my home. Luckily I was right there to intervene. Once I actually took the bite by jumping in her way. When she hit 2 ½ years old she stopped eating for a few days so I took her to the vet. She did blood work and many tests. After another week on a special diet and meds she got worse. We had to rush her to the hospital. She had an auto immune disease called AIHA. After 4 blood transfusions and 2 weeks in the hospital in I.C.U. and after just 5 weeks of showing symptoms she passed away. Even though she was aggressive we loved this dog more than you can imagine. My whole family was devastated. We are still paying the $ 10,000 bill from the hospital (this happened December 31, 2011). I think that people that want to breed potential killer dogs should have to pass many tests and learn about breeding for health and temperment FIRST and foremost. I have a new boy now who is almost 10 months old and this time I did my homework thoroughly. I still cry over losing my Bella so young but I think that it must have been a blessing in disguise because I really believe that she would have hurt someone eventually. I do not recommend this breeder. I really feel that they do not fully understand how a bad temperment/​bad nerves in a dog this big is very dangerous. If you kennel your dogs all day and don’t take them anywhere to socialize them and interact with people and dogs in every day life, then how can you possibly say that they have a good temperment? I socialized Bella daily taking her everywhere with me. I took her to training as well. She was a great dog until she reached sexual maturity. Then it was like you turned on a switch with her. That is not normal! Do your homework is all I can say and visit the breeder. See where they keep their dogs and if you can pet them. The breeder I just got my new boy from interviewed me to see if my home and lifestyle was suitable for his pup. He encouraged me to visit and I know people who have and they got to see his working dogs and pet them. I also know someone who he refused to sell a pup to because he didn’t feel she had the appropriate place for him. He also doesn’t take deposits and he doesn’t sell off a pup when they are 8 or even 10 weeks old. He thinks it is just too young. Good luck!

UPDATE…
After posting our unfortunate experience with this breeder on Unilocal and filing a complaint with Better Business Bureau, we finally got refunded our deposit of $ 200. While the money was never the issue, it was more about principle.
Below are the emails that transpired between Mount Olympus and ourselves. Up to the point of getting our emails, he still felt the need to send emails defending himself against the other reviewer and how he «did everything he could». It is my OWN personal opinion, that the «said» available puppy never existed as you can judge for yourself in the emails below. As soon as we said we wanted to check out the newly available pup that was born, he was quick to go on the defense and ask us if we were really interested ETC…
Additional emails were sent with him badgering us for a response about how we empathized with the other reviewer, but we ignored his insistent emails.
****EMAILS LISTED FROM OLDEST TO MOST CURRENT AT BOTTOM FOR YOU TO JUDGE***********
Hello, I emailed you on ⁶⁄₂₂ but didnt receive a reply. I am emailing a second time for documentation sake that I am contacting to tell you as I did on ⁶⁄₂₂ that I have a puppy that was born, a fawn female. You stipulated a June/​July 2012 delivery in your complaints to Unilocal and BBB. This pup was born in that time period and is the gender and color you requested. I offer her to you and am offering to you again. We have your reservation and it is your choice as to accept the pup or not. I am fullfilling our original agreement. This pup is what you requested and born in the time frame you requested. I will be fowarding this information to the BBB and Unilocal and filing disputes against you complaint. As The agreement was fullfilled as told to you and agreed upon by you, you do not have a complaint as I have fullifilled our argeement. Let me know what your intentions are for the purchase of this puppy. I have other buyers awaiting your decision.
Regards,
Richard
Hi Richard,
Would you be so kind as to send us some pics of the puppy, also who are the parents so that we can see what they look like to?
Regards,
Aubrey
Aubrey, Are you actually interested or trying to actually see if there is a pup and color that is light? You seem quite upset about things and I feel I have reason to question your request and intentions. After all, I am now dealing with both sites and resposes to your complaints. Have you decided not to buy from Atomic? I know them well. I actually have a minister from Florida waiting for this same puppy.
Regards,
Richard
Richard,
We are still keeping our options open and would like to have a look at the puppies and see if they might satisfy our requirements.
Aubrey
Aubrey,
My wife discussed the situation tonight and feel you better suited going with Atomic or whomever else you so choose. I do not keep your credit card information on file, so please forward you credit card number and exp date of the card the deposit was placed on and I will reverse the $ 200.
There was a breeding as I stated and there was a light female produced. This is true. And yes they did whelp on the day stated. I cannot control these issues. The Dam was Zeus’ sister and she produces excellent pups with a proven breeding history. She is a large and healthy pup.
I also wanted to say that you don’t know the circumstances with the other person you spoke of ‘feeling for’ on Unilocal.I actually refunded them full purchase price for the puppy they are referring to prior to them making a complaint. Travel expenses of a pup I have no control of and I arrange them for buyers merely as a courtesy. I prefer they pick up their pup in person to meet us see the facility and meet their pups’ parents. As to having pups die in heat last summer, that is totally untrue as the breedings did not take in the first place and no pups were born as there were no pregnancies during the last Summers’ heat. And we also do keep all the pups inside to prevent any potential heat issues.
I also have video of their puppy playing very happily with my 20 month old son and my 10 week old son as well 10 minutes after taking her out of the crate from the airport. No aggression. My Vet certified the puppy with no aggression. An international Schutzhund trainer of the USA and Germany certified the puppy as not aggressive. The puppy has been sent to another family and they have sent me numerous videos of the pup playing with their children and not showing any aggression and I have their statement to this as well. This family also took the pup to their Vet and she certified the pup as not aggressive to her and/​or any of her staff during two separate visits too.
So you see, circumstances are not always what you hear or read. But of course, in your eyes, I am wrong, bad breeder and buyer beware.
Again send along the credit card info and I will reverse you $ 200.
I will also inform Unilocal and BBB to this and wait to see your followup response on Unilocal and with BBB.
richard

Horrific experience with this breeder! BEWARE! Mt. Olympus Boerbels was neither professional nor responsive once an issue arose.
We picked up our 10 week old boerboel puppy after months of waiting on Thursday, May 31, 2012 from the airport. The first few days were fine with no signs of a problem. However, on Monday, June 4, 2012 we took our new puppy for the required vet check. While doing a routine exam, our Mt. Olympus Boerboel puppy growled and tried to bite our vet. Our vet (extremely experienced with mastiff breeds) stated this was highly unusual for a puppy of this age. On the advice of our vet, we immediately set up a session that Friday with a reputable certified pet dog trainer (CPDT)
We returned to the vet’s office the next day (Tuesday, June 5^th) just to give the pup a treat and acclimate her to the vet’s office. The puppy growled and tried to bite the vet tech.
We immediately let Mt. Olympus Boerboels know the issues we were having and that we had a proffesional dog trainer coming on Friday to evaluate. The breeder told us we «overwhelmed» the puppy by not carrying her into the vet office, that this is a «protective» breed, and our vet obviously did not like «breeder dogs» or had an issue with the breed.
In preparation for the evaluation by the professional dog trainer, we asked for the «PAT» results on the pup. We were sent a result that had incorrect parents listed. When we pointed this out to the breeder, we got a nonsensical response. Make certain that you get a PAT test performed by a disinterested and reputable certified pet dog trainer BEFORE you make full payment and get delivery of a puppy from Mt. Olympus Boerbel. I recommend that the PAT test be videotaped to make certain it was actually done on the puppy you are buying.
On Wednesday, June 6 2012 the puppy growled at my eight year old daughter. On Thursday, June 7^th, the puppy growled at me when I gently guided her by her collar from under a bush she was eating in my garden. Our review of the history of the Boerbel breed revealed that growling at family members was absolutely prohibited.
On Friday, June 8 2012 we had our Mt. Olympus Boerboel puppy evaluated by a CPDT (certified pet dog trainer). Over the course of an hour, the Mt. Olympus boerboel puppy growled and tried to bite the dog trainer multiple times. It was clear that this puppy was not the breed standard and did not display the «trustworthy stability» and «even character» as Mt. Olympus boerboels advertise. On the advice of our vet, our dog trainer, as well as our own gut instincts, we shipped the Mt. Olympus boerboel puppy back to Texas on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at the breeder’s direction.
There is a HUGE difference between «protection» and «aggressive». This pup was not trying to protect us on any of these occassions.
Before you buy a puppy from Mt. Olympus Boerboel, you need to make your own investigation regarding the level of socialization the puppy will receive prior to delivery. Do not rely on the Mt. Olympus Boerbel website that says «Our pups are hand raised inside our home with complete socialization on a daily basis… Our pups are raised as part of the family.» The main caregiver appears to be the wife (Michelle Jones) who is the mother of an infant and a toddler — a full time job in itself. Now add about 23 adult dogs. Now also add three simultaneous litters of puppies (probably over 30 puppies). Michelle was very nice, but appears to be overextended.
The husband (Richard Jones) is a chiropractor who handles the business end of the puppy transactions. Richard indicated that some puppies died due to overheating during the summer of 2011. The Mt. Olympus Boerbel website says: «They are not raised outside as kennel dogs with little social human contact.» Before you buy a puppy from Mt. Olympus Boerbel (or any breeder) it is best to personally inspect how and where the puppies and adult dogs are kept. Don’t make the mistake of buying a puppy over the Internet without seeing the puppy and how they are raised.
Mt. Olympus Boerbel provided a partial refund, but we are still out of pocket about $ 1,100. So much for the Mt. Olympus Boerbel website promise: «Our pups are health, temperament, and hip guaranteed.»
When we asked that the full $ 1,100 also be paid to us, Mt. Olympus Boerbel initially referred us to its half executed written contract without referring to any particular clause. When we pointed out the fully executed contract was never provided to us and we were entitled to at least our $ 1,100 out of pocket costs (e.g. remainder of money paid to Mt. Olympus Boerbel, vet exam, and flilght back to breeder) under the Uniform Commerical Code (which has been enacted in all 50 states) and the representations on its website, Mt. Olympus Boerbel stopped all contact with us.
I gave Mt. Olympus Boerbels every opportunity to make it right before writing this review. I will file my own complaint with the BBB today.