Hightest Kennels

My heart was broken on 12÷9÷14 when we lost our beloved forever dog Murphy at age 13. He was a titled dock diver and a certified Therapy Dog and was loved by so many but most of all — me. I never thought I would find a dog that I could love again but knew I couldn’t stand a house without paws. I searched everywhere for the best option, rescue, breeders at the dog shows, breeders recommended by AKC, friends with labs, etc. I was looking for a field lab. I didn’t want a show dog. I am not crazy about the short legged, wide faced stocky labs I see in the show ring. I wanted an athletic, well rounded, happy, healthy dog who loved the water. I found Hightest through my searching and discovered that they were having a litter from the two best looking and sounding male and female in their kennel. Wizard and Sage. I wanted a black male. I spoke with Kristie and Olé, the head trainer and learned that there were 3 dogs left. After several conversations and a visit to Hightest, I found my puppy there. The grounds are beautiful. The facilities are impeccable. I had the opportunity to meet and play with Wizard, my puppy to be’s Sire. He was gorgeous, happy, and just the energetic and sweet natured type of dog I was looking for. Then to meet the 3 puppies. 2 males and a female. All three were perfect but my puppy reached out and picked me. I named him Merlin after his Dad. Today he’s nearly 6 months old and every day is a new learning and adventure. He has me wrapped around his paw and I am enjoying keeping my new friends at Hightest up to date with news and pictures. He will be ready for dock diving as soon as he’s eligible. He loves the water and dives right into the deep end of the pool. He’s loving and gorgeous, just like his daddy and much like his predecessor who I think would have loved him too.

An AMAZING training facility, best in its class! The Staff is wonderful and they get awesome results. Hands down, the best place for training, boarding, breeding and puppies!

I am very disappointed the way our dog was trained and cared for at Hightest Kennels. The owner is probably not aware what is going on and I would highly recommend that you do not take your dog there. They do not care for your dog «as if it was their own».

We recently drove from San Diego to get a puppy from Hightest and couldnt be happier! The staff was amazing about sending us updates on the pup as well as answering our many questions! If we didnt live 10 hours away we would happily send our pup to them for training! Went in for a puppy check and our vet who is 75 years old he hadnt ever seen a healthier and better bred lab! Thank you Hightest for making our family complete!

Hightest does a really good job, as far as I can tell, of screening dogs for genetic problems. This is so important for labs, as well as other breeds, and after 3 labs from backyard breeders who had hip dysplasia, we came to Hightest. But they wean the pups from the mother at 4 – 5 weeks, which is much too early. They insist you take the puppies home at 6 weeks. We asked if we could pay to have her stay with the mom and were told «no». It is illegal to sell puppies at 6 weeks in California without permission from a vet. Hightest does not seem to care about this, and they don’t seem to have that permission. There are very good reasons for not taking the pups from the dam so early. They aren’t in any sense properly socialized. They bite a LOT more and don’t understand authority. We were told by a vet not to get a puppy taken from the mom that early, but had already committed. The vets we took our pup to after we got her were actually angry that she had been taken so early from the mother and that she was sold so early. They told us it was illegal. They also told us that Hightest gave shots at 5 weeks, showing that the pups were weaned way too early, and that Hightest apparently did not understand that those shots had no effect, since the mom’s immunity was still in the puppy at that point and would fight off the shots. Hightest also gives the puppies absolutely no socialization to people, so if you could leave the puppy there she would be with only the other pups from the litter. That lack of socialization to people AND by other adult dogs would be even more harmful. Our little pup is very smart, and hopefully very healthy. But she is not like the other lab pups I’ve trained. She doesn’t care about pleasing us. She bites much more than the usual puppy at the same age. I would not get another puppy from this kennel. Caviat emptor. We didn’t know.

I have gone to Hightest for Labrador puppies for decades, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Hightest pups are not only born with an extraordinary retrieving desire, but they are also the calmest and friendliest labs you can imagine. I wouldn’t dream of trusting anyone but Debra when adding a new canine member to my family.
I have also used Hightest for training, and again I couldn’t be happier. I have trained a couple gun dogs myself over the years, but I’ve never been able to match the amazing results of John, Olé, and staff. I’ve seen them work magic even with particularly willful dogs — whether or not you like to hunt, your quality of life with a dog can be dramatically improved by the professional training Hightest is able to impart in only a few short months.
Perhaps the best service provided at Hightest is the boarding. I travel fairly frequently for business, and if my family goes with me then there’s nobody home to take care of the dogs. We’ve used other boarders before, but we’ve felt badly about the dogs being cooped up for days in tiny kennels, with only cursory attention from the staff. Hightest is a whole new ballgame. I think the dogs are happier at Hightest than they are at home! Hightest’s facility is unmatched, with fields to run in, ponds to jump in, and dedicated staff members to make sure the dogs are well looked after while I’m away.
Five stars, without hesitation.

We bought our lab puppy from Hightest this past fall. She is now a beautiful, healthy, energetic little retriever who can’t be kept out of the water. The Hightest staff were very professional and had great advice for us first-​time retriever owners. Their facilities are amazing, surely a labs version of heaven. We will be sending our pup up to them for puppy and gun dog training, having been thoroughly impressed with the training staff and seeing their trained dogs work. Highly recommended.

Hightest has been one of the most positive and professional all-​around service vendor to date.
Our first dog was a rescue that had no formal training, and was left to die on the street. We took him in to our home, and put Montana in the obedience program shortly thereafter. After six weeks he was such a fantastic dog to be around and own. We placed him into a family that love him dearly to this date. Hightest gave him the postive start to his new life and probably saved his life from misery.
Hightest also trained my hunting dog Max and they did a fantastic job. Max was full of energy, and they maintained his enthusiasm while making sure he knew what to do, and most importantly not to break on the gun. After the three month program he quickly got his HT JH title and now hunts full time at the duck club.
Most importantly, whenever I go on long trips Hightest is the first location that I would send my dogs. They are worth the six hour round trip because I know my dogs will have fun, retrieve, and be treated like a family member. I have also bought a dog from them, and she is now running Field Trials and competiting with the top dogs on the west coast.
Hightest will always be tops in my books for the premium dog location in California.
Loren

I would give them 0 out of 5 if that were possible.
I gave Hightest a visit before deciding to go through with their training. Everything seemed to look fine, so I dropped my dog off at their facility for a 6-​week obedience program.
Two weeks into the training, I received a phone call from one of the owners stating that they had brought my dog to their veterinarian. Apparently, she wasn’t eating. The trainer noticed that she wasn’t herself on Friday, but decided to wait until Monday to do something. Well, it turned out that she developed a serious case of pneumonia. I brought her to my veterinarian immediately. My doctor said it was one of the worst cases of pneumonia that she has seen in a long time.
After several weeks of medication and having spent $ 1,000 in vet bills, she was back to being healthy.
Hightest will NOT pay for any medical bills even though your dog is under their care. Do yourself a favor, and find a reputable trainer.