# Marquis Diamond Standards



## Khaleesiandthepoms (Feb 25, 2014)

kmart said:


> I am very impressed with this breeder and I am getting a standard from them. I have only really heard good things.
> I was just wondering if anyone here has had any experience with Marquis Diamond? I have read through some old threads, but all the ones I've found are a few years old. Specifically, have you ever met a poodle from this kennel? Talked to the owners?
> I live a few states away, so I can't visit the kennel and I'm a little nervous about buying a puppy from so far away even though I've only heard good things.


I was actually going to get a pup from Susan a while back after hearing many good things but I dunno perhaps we just didn't hit it off well. In the beginning Susan was nothing but pleasant and helpful but long story short I found her sort of...wishy-washy and seemed cross when I had questions (but I took it as just a miscommunication and gave her the benefit of the doubt) and never updated me on my pup's week to week progress while other expectant pet parents were, I got nervous after 4 weeks of no news and no arrangements for payment were not made I figured she must have changed her mind and just didn't want to say so. It wasn't until she said she was maybe giving the pup instead to her co-breeder (who she'd previously told me had no interest in the pup) that I thought perhaps I should look elsewhere I never seemed to get a straight answer and the last straw was I was informed a woman who was a late interest being told she was going to be given the female. I wasted several months of searching and fell in love with a girl pup I was likely not getting. I ended up with a beautiful cream female from Valcopy and I was actually extremely fortunate to have this happen, Khaleesi is PErRFECT. I went and picked my puppy up 4 hours away from my home, I got to see her home, her environment and her mother and father, I had lunch with her breeder and spent a long afternoon talking about resources for showing. Her breeder was so welcoming and the Puget Sound Poodle Club members were amazing especially since I was heartbroken and ready to give up. I think though my experience is not the norm with Marquis Diamond as I've heard she is not usually like this, so *shrug* maybe we just weren't compatible and it could have been handled better.

There's a Marquis Diamond dog that is good friends with my standard female at the dog park I believe her owner does flyball and field work with her, she's very smart and sweet and everything you'd want in a standard so maybe you'll have better luck.


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

I sure hope so, I put down a deposit. I am 100% confident that I'll get a quality dog, so I'm not worried about getting a dog from her. 
My only issue is that, as you said, Susan is hard to communicate with. Oddly enough, once my husband emailed her, she shaped right up, laid out the specifics, gave us payment info, and has given us several updates. 
I am inclined to think that she gets a lot of half-hearted inquiries about her pups and doesn't really know if people are serious until they put down a deposit. 

I'm always cautious and never want to say that something is definite, but I'm really hoping that we're on the same page.


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## Khaleesiandthepoms (Feb 25, 2014)

kmart said:


> I sure hope so, I put down a deposit. I am 100% confident that I'll get a quality dog, so I'm not worried about getting a dog from her.
> My only issue is that, as you said, Susan is hard to communicate with. Oddly enough, once my husband emailed her, she shaped right up, laid out the specifics, gave us payment info, and has given us several updates.
> I am inclined to think that she gets a lot of half-hearted inquiries about her pups and doesn't really know if people are serious until they put down a deposit.
> 
> I'm always cautious and never want to say that something is definite, but I'm really hoping that we're on the same page.


 don't think that was it. She and I had been talking since the day of the breeding and after the breeding when the female I wanted arrived I was told I was welcome to her (she was the color and sex I wanted) she also said I could wait on the deposit if I wanted the female was up for grabs with me first. I insisted on a deposit but again Susan told me to wait. The first sign of trouble was I was informed her cobreeder wanted the pup maybe, then a few days later she didn't. Perfect! Then her cobreeder maybe wanted her again?? I said okay I'll just wait for word from you. No response, no pics, no info for several weeks, I then checked in and asked a few questions about the girl's status, got some short answers that were off putting, borderline rude and seems like she just wanted me to go away. But I was told I was welcome to her again (??) and then I found out both myself and another person were promised the same pup so I'd had enough. I was very nice when I told her I think I am going to look somewhere else but thanks for her time, I got a response of good luck Denise! This is not my name and Susan had always gotten my name correct in every interaction, I'm not sure if this was an intentional thing either but it made me even more disappointed my name wasn't even important enough to get right when we'd logged a lot of time into our talks and she'd always gotten it right before. I can be sensitive so it was hard for me to keep looking after the runaround I was gunshy especially after a year of disappointment, I really liked that pup. I WILL say you will definitely get a quality dog though I've met a few Marquis dogs besides Khaleesi's friend Queenie they've all been wonderful.


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

That is unfortunate. So far, it sounds like I'm having better luck than you had. Since my husband has been talking to her, things have been going smoothly. It was just a little touch and go in the beginning. I wish I could find a member her who actually has a MD poodle.


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## Khaleesiandthepoms (Feb 25, 2014)

kmart said:


> That is unfortunate. So far, it sounds like I'm having better luck than you had. Since my husband has been talking to her, things have been going smoothly. It was just a little touch and go in the beginning. I wish I could find a member her who actually has a MD poodle.


There's a few members here with Marquis Diamond poodles maybe they'll chime in and I've never heard of anyone being unhappy with their dog from Susan if that helps.


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## amarantine (Sep 5, 2014)

I have a pup from Susan and so far so good. I was one of those puppy buyers who was pretty nervous before putting down a deposit, and went back and forth a few times. I really wanted to visit her house but it was six hours away and snowed that weekend, so no go. I wound up visiting a couple who had two dogs from her and talked to them for a while.

Email communication post-going home have been super helpful. She's saved me a couple expensive vet ER trips when I was scared the puppy had parvo, kennel cough, what have you. I do get the sense she has 1) a lot of clients, 2) a lot of dogs. The second didn't bother me since she doesn't have another day job and seems to spend a lot of time grooming, grinding raw, etc. When I picked up my pup, she also had along an older pup (4 mo?) from another litter that she'd kept longer to socialize - the little guy was on the shy side, went everywhere with her and now seems to be doing great with his family. So I figured she does right by her puppies.

Bottom line I think she's a great resource and reliable, especially if you're upfront in what you want. I don't think she tends to sell show prospects, and if you want a high drive performance pick you may want to be choosy about the particular parents. But for a well adjusted, healthy puppy, not much bad to say!


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

Thank you so much! 
Can you tell me what communication was like between when your puppy was born and when you got your puppy? 
I definitely admire the way she cares for her dogs and she definitely seems to know what she's doing. I guess I just have the "new mommy nerves."


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## amarantine (Sep 5, 2014)

Hmm, if I remember correctly...seemed pretty normal? She encouraged me to get in touch with some other breeders closer to home and also put me in contact with a family who had gotten puppies from her earlier. I did get the sense that she had a lot of emails to respond to, on top of taking care of her dogs.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I have a Spoo from Susan and Brian Cook at Marquis Diamond that just turned 6 years old. He is awesome. I was looking for a Service Dog prospect and have trained him myself, with the help occasionally of a few select trainers who helped me know what to do. I just came back from a SD convention where he passed 4 tests with 100%. AKC CGC, CGCA, CGCU, and PAT. 

I had looked for almost 9 months for a spoo pup that passed all the temperament tests the way I wanted, had a health history back 3 generations, and that I thought would become a really good SD. I too had problems communicating with her before purchase.

Now I communicate with her at least once a year so that we are updated on how he is doing, and she has good suggestions when I have a question. I would be glad to have another of their spoos.


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

That is fantastic!!! And a relief that you had such a good outcome. I got an update last night, so that also helped put me at ease. 
I also am hoping to do some SD training with my spoo. I feel like I'm really doing the right thing by going with her. I don't like to get my hopes up.... but I'm cautiously hopeful.


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## kool-aid (2 mo ago)

Just bumping this thread to mention that I recently got a red standard poodle from Suzy and the experience was excellent. I found her to be very responsive and the information / products she provided when I picked up the pup was really impressive. Much better than anything I've ever seen in the past. I got to meet a few of her other pups when I picked up mine and they are really really nice dogs. Would highly recommend MDS to anyone looking for a spoo and I'm very happy with my boy from her.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Congratulations! We love pictures!


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