Devils Den Kennels — Local services in New York

We purchased a supposed "pedigree"  puppy from this breeder that was claimed to be reputable, and was supposed to come with registration papers and pedigree.

After 4 months of patiently waiting while the breeder stalled repeated attempts by us to obtain the papers from him, we called him out on it, at which point the communication turned sour.

It is very disappointing as he seemed trustworthy and was responsive to messages and questions prior to purchase. I thought I had done my due diligence with research and asking the right questions, so I want others to be aware. You can purchase a puppy without papers, or adopt from rescue, for less than a 1/4 of what you'd pay at this kennel, and without those papers, the dog isn't worth what they are charging.

It should also be noted that the seller does not health test the parents prior to breeding and stated that only the original dogs in the breeding program were health tested 15 years ago.

EDITED TO ADD REPLY We were told the mother was registered as an APBT with one of the kennel clubs and that the puppy would have pedigree papers. I realized afterwards that she is a Classic American Bully. He NEVER stated the pup was a "mixed breed." He stated it was an APBT. I didn't have full knowledge of what was required to be a pedigree dog at the time of purchase, and I trusted Devil's Den's word. I asked dozens of questions, and to state that I didn't ask anything is egregiously untrue. $3000 USD for a mixed breed, non-registered puppy is unheard of. (It cost us over $4000 CAD, plus about $1000 for travel and shelter as we travelled internationally.)

The point was we were promised pedigree papers, and as such, the puppy was represented as a pedigree puppy.

Further to this, I checked the kennel clubs for breeder registrations and was never able to find Devil's Den as a registered breeder. This would indicate that none of their dogs are registered.

If Devil's Den is a registered breeder, they could successfully refute this speculation by posting their breeder registration number publicly, as all reputable breeders do.

As far as health testing, every reputable breeder and veterinarian will tell you that every dog intended for breeding will need to undergo health testing, despite the previous dogs in the lineage having clear health tests. It appears that Devil's Den doesn't understand genetics. They line breed and inbreed their dogs, sometimes done in pedigree breeding and in itself isn't an exclusion of reputable breeding, but is a huge risk for health issues. All dogs, regardless of type of breeding, need health testing prior to being used for breeding.

Temperament is also important in breeding, and dogs considered for breeding should be socially conditioned with a sound temperament. I learned afterward that both parents had reactive temperaments, and Devil's Den mentioned that he thinks the mother would bite delivery drivers if she could and that the parents were dog aggressive.

In failing to health and temperament test, Devil's Den is not a reputable nor ethical breeder.

Update: I wanted to add that while we were there, we noticed the family was treating the puppies poorly and a family member tossed a puppy who fell on his face. They were kept in an outdoor kennel outside. He separates puppies from mother at 6 weeks which prevents mom from teaching bite inhibition and acceptable behavior and contributes to serious behavioral issues. He antagonizes newborn pups by banging on the bins he keeps them in and whatever welping box he uses. It would appear he is intentionally creating dogs with behavioral issues.

While I love my pup, she is very reactive and has become dog aggressive. We've spent thousands on behavioral modification, counter conditioning and desensitization. If you have dogs already or plan to own more than one dog, this would be another reason to avoid Devil's Den. They're nothing more than backyard breeders with a fancy setup. I won't be so bold as to say they are breeding fighting dogs but all the ingredients for the...

I am very disappointed and disheartened by my experience with Devil’s Den. We were so hopeful for a new addition to our family after we lost a senior dog a few months earlier. We went to visit Mike a few times to see his litter of puppies before ultimately bringing one home with us. He was kind and welcoming and was happy to show us his other dogs, except for the mother of the litter, which now looking back in hindsight was a problem. The puppy we got has a level of anxiety we have never seen in a dog before and we got her from Mike at 8 weeks. She’s never had any traumatic experiences with us. She is completely people aggressive and she cannot be left alone when others are in our home. We are now at the point where we have no other options but to put her in a very expensive board and train program with the hopes that she is rehabilitated. Mike is aware of the issue and has done nothing to help us, logistically or financially. This is my first experience with a breeder and I will not be doing this again, with him or anyone else. He breeds for demeanor but our dog is far from a friendly family dog. While she is great with us, anyone other than my husband and I is in danger when crossing the threshold of our home. We are both so upset with this whole process and now have 10+ years of dealing with a dog that...

After months of searching and almost getting scammed, I discovered Devilsden a legit kennel 1 hour away from NYC. I contacted Mike Gallo who has decades of experience breeding American Bullies. He introduced me to his associate Tim Kaps who had recently had a litter, I was able to purchase my beautiful pup NoLo. I am very thankful and great full. Everything from questions and picture updates Tim was more than helpful to me, and most importantly professional through the entire process. He was very knowledgeable and patient with me.

My Pup NoLo is now a year old. He is healthy and definitely has the proper temperament. I trust him with my grandkids nephew and nieces. His structure is correct and is definitely a quality pup. My pup is ABKC registered. I still speak and have contact with Tim Kaps, even now he answers my questions and shares his knowledge of the breed. I would definitely recommend doing business with Devilsden Tim...