Shinemore Maltese

Bisou is from Sunnydales and I had a good experience with buying from her. I did fly there to pick her up but it was about an hour (or so) flight for me too. Shinyoung, the breeder does have very limited English, but personally that was not a problem nor an issue for me. (I'm used to that- that's already my life in China)...so I was very patient about communicating and we could understand each other- no problems at all with that.

All the photos she showed me of Bisou- well that is what Bisou looked like when I picked her up. Her husband is a Vet and he performed her spay beforehand (Shinyoung gave me the choice of either with her Vet/husband or with my Vet -as I was intending on spaying her).

She's completely healthy. She's fully vaccinated as that is required for immigration reasons (but I would have had her vaccinated anyway) and up to date on all her shots. I was given all her records and health certifications (as I needed them to enter China)....but really everything went very smoothly. She does use a pet relocation agent, who spoke perfect English and sends her puppies to Europe and the States. Her agent and I communicated for awhile as I thought about having her shipped but then decided to just go get her myself.

I did ask a million questions ....Sometimes she was busy and got back to me a few days later, but she always responded and answered all my questions. If I still lived in CA, as I did before SH, then I would have probably still flown to Korea. I don't think 9 hours is so long for a flight (it's long but there are longer) ...and you can take the puppy to the bathroom with a pad. Also you can usually take the puppy out of the carrier and hold her/him on your lap...depending on the stewardess.

In assuming you are not going to Korea to pick up here is my experience with shipping cargo. I would call the airline Shinemore or Sunnydales uses and ask them myself what their rules are. Before getting Romo his breeder assured me with confidence that he would be fine to ship cargo by Continental. Continental airlines is one of the very few who has climate controlled (same temperature and pressure as in passengers area) cargo area for live animals. Not all Continental aircrafts are the same (Express aicrafts are not climate controlled) but I would assume if using possibly Korean Airlines that aircraft would be (assuming).

I almost didn't get Romo because I was so worried about him having to fly 8hrs (with 1 stop). I just didn't understand how safe & comfortable he could be. I know if I fly for more then even 2hrs I am jet lagged and anxious to get off that plane. So I worried for days with many sleepless nights because I wanted him so badly, he was the perfect one for me. That said I still didn't want to put him through a long flight. Eventually after talking with the airline and breeder I decided to do it. I also had the breeder write into the contract that if anything happens to him whether it may be an illness with vet costs or a tragedy from being shipped then breeder would be responsible. Having said that it wasn't for the $ factor, but the breeder happily agreed because she felt there would not be an issue and was confident he would be fine. It just made me feel better that if breeder would put that in writing then that reassured me Romo would really be ok. I would have been devastated if I was the cause of harm to him just because I wanted him. I was assured that even the best of show dogs are shipped internationally.

When I picked up Romo, Continental employee brought him out a seperate door and handed me his crate. I had to show ID and sign for him at their office. His crate was locked but they had also added some plastic straps all around to ensure it didn't come open. The breeder had a water bottle attached to his crate along with a food and water dish that attaches to the crate. The airline will not allow food or toys in his crate. Just the water bottle. The airlines do not want to be responsible for choking on food. The breeder taped his food in a plastic bag onto the outside top of the crate along with a big note asking them to feed him (she wrote down when he was last fed). I know they fed him because when I opened the crate he had food on the floor of the crate (must have fallen out of the bowl), This made me feel much better that he didn't starve!

I took with me bath wipes, paper towels, garbage bag, pee pads, food, water and toy to the airport. I was well prepared for I thought he would be covered in pee and poo after 8hrs. But he was clean as a whistle!!! I didn't need to use a thing to clean him. I did put out a pee pad for him at the airport but he didn't go. I offered him food he didn't want it. He just wanted out of that crate and to be in my arms! He was alert, happy and so excited to see me. What a relief!

As soon as we got home we layed out a pee pad and he went right to it and peed! I was amazed thinking "wow, he's pee trained!" But of course he still has accidents, lol. He ate when we got home too. No issues at all with eating, playing or potty!

My mom still goes to Korea (yes, I am Korean but haven't been back there in 35yrs myself). From Upstate NY she has to fly into JFK or Chicago but it takes her over 24hrs to get to Korea. She hates the flying way too long for her.

I am not saying this happy ending is always the case but in mine I was lucky and very happy. I think for those who never had their puppy shipped it would they would be against it (like I was at first) but that is because of the unknown. Even with my good experience there is a difference in an 8hr flight vs. 24hrs.

I would PM Shiloh's mom, Moshi Melo. Her gorgeous girl is from Shinemore. I would love a Shinemore baby (Lee Na Rae just emailed me last week says they have a girl). I wouldn't worry about language barrier many Koreans not only understand but speak the English. Did you know that Korean pop singers sing American pop songs in English! LOL. Just more info for you. :bysmilie:

One more thing...If you decide to go to Korea and pick up then have her with you as a passenger. Continental airline told me puppy is not allowed out of the carrier. Like someone mentioned it may be ok if you get nice stuartist though. So whether you go and pick up or puppy is flown by herself it's still flying.

One last thing...some breeders have a "nanny" service who will personally fly with your baby and hand deliver to you right at the airport. That normally runs about $300 in addition to all other costs.

Sorry for the info overload. I wish I had known all this before when trying to decide. Good luck in whatever you do.

QUOTE (Remy @ Jan 3 2010, 10:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=869584

Shiloh (moshi melo's girl) is from shinemore and she is gorgeous. Narae is easy to communicate with and she is very patient in responding to all questions. I'm definitely getting my next malt from her[/B]

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Thanks Cat. :biggrin: Shiloh says she's in LOVE with Remy!!

Narae's English isn't perfect, but she is still pretty easy to communicate with and she is very responsive; I can usually get a hold of her when I want to, and she's halfway around the world! For the more extensive questions, I made a long list of questions for my Korean friend to ask Narae. My friend translated back to me, and she answered everything to a T. Shiloh got food and water refilled on her 9 hr flight, it was shorter due to tailwinds. Shiloh is a bit on the timid side at first (this along with her size was a reason she wasn't keeping her for show), but once she's comfortable, she loves people. I think her timidness keeps her from exploring and getting into too much trouble, so I don't really mind it much. I couldn't be more happier with her look or her personality. Narae and I still keep in touch, she emails me asking how Shiloh is doing and I send her picture updates. I wouldn't hesitate to get my second malt from her.

As for pedigree, Shiloh's sire is a Champion for KKF (Korean Kennel Federation) and of mostly Korean and Japanese lines. Her dam has Korean, Japanese and American lines...including Marcris' Indecent Proposal which is from the beloved Risque Business! :wub: The other American lines in her are Malta Angel, Sunncrest, Chrisman, Tajon and Pashes. I too am for a broad gene pool.

QUOTE (moshi melo @ Jan 4 2010, 01:49 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=869750

QUOTE (Remy @ Jan 3 2010, 10:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=869584

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Shiloh (moshi melo's girl) is from shinemore and she is gorgeous. Narae is easy to communicate with and she is very patient in responding to all questions. I'm definitely getting my next malt from her[/B]

Click to expand...

Thanks Cat. :biggrin: Shiloh says she's in LOVE with Remy!!

Narae's English isn't perfect, but she is still pretty easy to communicate with and she is very responsive; I can usually get a hold of her when I want to, and she's halfway around the world! For the more extensive questions, I made a long list of questions for my Korean friend to ask Narae. My friend translated back to me, and she answered everything to a T. Shiloh got food and water refilled on her 9 hr flight, it was shorter due to tailwinds. Shiloh is a bit on the timid side at first (this along with her size was a reason she wasn't keeping her for show), but once she's comfortable, she loves people. I think her timidness keeps her from exploring and getting into too much trouble, so I don't really mind it much. I couldn't be more happier with her look or her personality. Narae and I still keep in touch, she emails me asking how Shiloh is doing and I send her picture updates. I wouldn't hesitate to get my second malt from her.

As for pedigree, Shiloh's sire is a Champion for KKF (Korean Kennel Federation) and of mostly Korean and Japanese lines. Her dam has Korean, Japanese and American lines...including Marcris' Indecent Proposal which is from the beloved Risque Business! :wub: The other American lines in her are Malta Angel, Sunncrest, Chrisman, Tajon and Pashes. I too am for a broad gene pool.
[/B][/QUOTE]


Thanks for your response. Shiloh is beautiful. 9 hours is a long flight for a puppy...but good to know that two of you have had good experiences with having a puppy shipped from Korea. When I get closer to getting a maltese, I would defitely get more details and discuss shipping. I don't know enough about the shipping procedure right now to know whether or not it's what I'd want to do or not. I was really just curious if these two Korean breeders were someone to possibly consider in the future

QUOTE (MyFairLacy @ Feb 2 2010, 08:19 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=880924

QUOTE (ilovemymaltese @ Feb 2 2010, 10:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=880636

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Michele, I just want to reiterate so you and everybody else that is considering a pup will know that YES, Shinemore and other Asian breeders have amazing photography skills, and they do enhance photos(I've asked them myself), which may be misleading to some, bit you still can't fake structure. So when buying from them, don't act like you don't know that. Lol And I only know of one other breeder in the states that do enhance photos also(Very, very famous breeder, but I'm not saying any names on this public forum). Also, those of you considering a puppy, I know ALOT of breeders(in the US, and other countries) who say that their lines stain very little, and of course is going to show you puppy pictures without stains(duh, who want to see a dirty-faced puppy picture? Cute, but It would draw me away from buying it) Lol All puppies will have some staining in their lives, I personally, wouldn't believe it. So expect stains.

Okay, I'm done now. Had to get that off my chest. [/B]

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So by enhance, you mean lighting, adjusting how white the dog looks and taking any staining away? Just to clarify that you don't mean enhancing feature such as making eyes bigger or muzzles shorter, etc (think little girl pageant photos where they make them look like a different child LOL)?

So..if staining is covered up, has anyone on this forum bought a Shinemore puppy that had bad staining? The photos I've seen of Bijou, Shiloh, and Mrs10 (sp?)'s girl didn't appear to have any staining to me in the photos I've seen of them (sorry if I've left anyone out that has a shinemore dog). I know puppies will usually get a little staining and I'd be okay with slight staining but I would not be okay with severe staining if that makes sense.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Enhance meaning color, saturation, brightness, making a dog seem whiter, putting a gleam in it's eyes, YES. Kind of like pageant pictures, only they add in a lot more in those pictures. LOL

You can always pm the ladies, they like to keep things private.

QUOTE (ilovemymaltese @ Feb 2 2010, 08:33 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=880968

QUOTE (MyFairLacy @ Feb 2 2010, 08:19 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=880924

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QUOTE (ilovemymaltese @ Feb 2 2010, 10:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=880636

Click to expand...

Michele, I just want to reiterate so you and everybody else that is considering a pup will know that YES, Shinemore and other Asian breeders have amazing photography skills, and they do enhance photos(I've asked them myself), which may be misleading to some, bit you still can't fake structure. So when buying from them, don't act like you don't know that. Lol And I only know of one other breeder in the states that do enhance photos also(Very, very famous breeder, but I'm not saying any names on this public forum). Also, those of you considering a puppy, I know ALOT of breeders(in the US, and other countries) who say that their lines stain very little, and of course is going to show you puppy pictures without stains(duh, who want to see a dirty-faced puppy picture? Cute, but It would draw me away from buying it) Lol All puppies will have some staining in their lives, I personally, wouldn't believe it. So expect stains.

Okay, I'm done now. Had to get that off my chest. [/B]

Click to expand...

So by enhance, you mean lighting, adjusting how white the dog looks and taking any staining away? Just to clarify that you don't mean enhancing feature such as making eyes bigger or muzzles shorter, etc (think little girl pageant photos where they make them look like a different child LOL)?

So..if staining is covered up, has anyone on this forum bought a Shinemore puppy that had bad staining? The photos I've seen of Bijou, Shiloh, and Mrs10 (sp?)'s girl didn't appear to have any staining to me in the photos I've seen of them (sorry if I've left anyone out that has a shinemore dog). I know puppies will usually get a little staining and I'd be okay with slight staining but I would not be okay with severe staining if that makes sense.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Enhance meaning color, saturation, brightness, making a dog seem whiter, putting a gleam in it's eyes, YES. Kind of like pageant pictures, only they add in a lot more in those pictures. LOL

You can always pm the ladies, they like to keep things private.
[/B][/QUOTE]

thanks..PMed a couple people... just want to make sure I can make an informed decision.

QUOTE (MyFairLacy @ Feb 2 2010, 08:19 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=880924

So by enhance, you mean lighting, adjusting how white the dog looks and taking any staining away? Just to clarify that you don't mean enhancing feature such as making eyes bigger or muzzles shorter, etc (think little girl pageant photos where they make them look like a different child LOL)?

So..if staining is covered up, has anyone on this forum bought a Shinemore puppy that had bad staining? The photos I've seen of Bijou, Shiloh, and Mrs10 (sp?)'s girl didn't appear to have any staining to me in the photos I've seen of them (sorry if I've left anyone out that has a shinemore dog). I know puppies will usually get a little staining and I'd be okay with slight staining but I would not be okay with severe staining if that makes sense.[/B]

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Yes, I agree that Narae at Shinemore takes amazing photos of her dogs, as does Sunnydales and some others. I, personally do NOT think she did anything major to alter the pictures. It's more the basic photography rule of "white balance"; different light sources have a different color temperature, some warmer and some cooler. For example, a Tungsten light (regular household bulb) will give a tinge of yellow to what you are shooting. With a digital camera, it is usually preset on AWB (Auto white balance) or you can manually adjust the white balance to compensate for what kind of lighting you shoot under. You can also adjust the levels after the fact in programs like Photoshop or Lightroom to brighten pictures a little. I can tell the pictures were not adjusted too much or else the white hair of a Maltese would be "blown out" or washed out. You can see in her pictures that the detail of the hair is still there. Lighting is key and with a good camera lens, it will give a crisp, bright appearance, that we all love.

Also, angle plays a huge factor. Yes, looking up will cause the muzzle to look shorter and looking down will cause the muzzle to look longer. Even when I take pictures of Shiloh, she can move and suddenly her muzzle looks longer that it actually is, and sometimes it doesn't really even look like what I see in front of me. It's just like humans; most of us have a "better side" and there can definitely be bad angles, like shooting from bottom up...thus giving you the dreaded double chin! LOL

With all that said, I think Shinemore's pictures accurately depict the structure of what you get, but if you are really concerned, ask for specific pictures...get a profile shot, that will be the best indication of muzzle length. For me, everything was disclosed to me up front. Narae told me Shiloh had a little tear staining and when I first got her, she did have a little, but it grew out after I changed her food (or at least I believe that to be why it went away). Everything that I asked Narae, she answered them truthfully. There were no surprises here. Honestly, the only thing that didn't show up in her pictures, was Shiloh's loving, sweet and kissy personality. I couldn't be more happier with Shiloh's looks or temperament and will likely get my next malt from Shinemore.