Showboat Kennels - Thomaston, Georgia

K M.

We adopted our shiba back in July 2024. She has grown to be a wonderful, playful, and beautiful dog. It was a wonderful experience working with Deborah. I can tell she raised the very best dogs and does a good job desensitizing the puppies. Our vet and groomer are impressed how calm our shiba is! She even slept through fireworks and thunderstorms with zero issues.

Be prepared for tons of compliments on how beautiful your shiba is and whether they can pet your dog.

Teri P.

My husband and I had decided on the Russian Bolonka dog breed with its wonderful temperament and traits which checked every box to be the perfect dog breed for us. We learned about the top reputable breeders on the AKC website, and Showboat Kennels, owned and operated by Deborah and Gary Howington was on the list of recommended breeders. We contacted Deborah and learned about her available puppies. Deborah’s professionalism, knowledge of the breed, her history of breeding and showing several breeds of dogs for 43 years all gave us valuable information and much confidence in her experience, expertise, and integrity as an outstanding person and owner/breeder of Showboat Kennels. Deborah’s communications with us were excellent and we scheduled a date to drive to Georgia to pick up our new Bolonka pup. Upon our arrival we met Deborah, Gary, and Jennifer their assistant who were all so kind, helpful and supportive. The kennel, office, and property were very clean and organized. When we met our six month old pup Louie we knew it was love at first sight! His friendly, adorable personality is a complete delight, and he’s very healthy, and the most handsome Bolonka we’ve ever seen. It is so obvious just how much tender loving care has been poured into Louie during his first six months by Deborah, Gary, and Jennifer. He truly has been taken care of so well, and socialized with people, children, and lots of other dogs, is accustomed to daily grooming and also bathing, which have all helped to make a smooth transition for Louie adapting wonderfully to our home and lives. We will always stay in touch with our new friends Deborah, Gary, and Jennifer, and share photos and updates on Louie with them. We highly recommend the Howington’s and their Showboat Kennels.

Ana F.

I have mixed feelings leaving this review. A few months ago we purchased a 1 yr old female Shiba, to be a companion for our current 4 yr old male Shiba.

Positives: She's a sweetheart, seems to be healthy and gets along great with our boy.

Negatives: She was expensive. We wanted a older pup thinking it would be easier and more affordable but she was $2500 (same as a brand new pup by other breeders). She has REALLY bad anxiety and paces constantly. She is deathly afraid of men. She has absolutely no training and trying to potty train has been very difficult. She's managed to squeeze out of a fenced yard (twice) & getting her back has been near impossible due to her anxiety and fear (the entire family spent 6 hours on Christmas night trying to recall her with her only running AWAY from her name- it was absolutely awful).

We are experienced dog owners & Shiba owners. We are hopeful and praying that she will grow out of her anxiety and fearfulness. But why is she so anxious and afraid in the first place? It's the worst we've ever seen.

It sucks cause we are attached now, but we also wish we would've adopted a baby instead- with possibly less trauma.

Nolan Q.

My wife and I have gotten both of our shibas through Showboat Kennels and we couldn’t be happier with our sweet dogs and the overall adoption process. Deborah is a consummate professional, very easy to speak to and has an obvious love for all of the animals in her care. We highly recommend anyone wanting to add a dog to their family to go through Showboat!

Meghan A.

We could not be happier with our Shiba Inu puppy! When we picked our Yuna up, she was healthy, happy, and trusted us completely. This is clearly a testament to the breeder, and shows that her first 8 weeks were in a loving and safe environment. Showboat maintains professionalism while making you feel like you’re part of the family.

Both Deborah and Dakota communicated well with us, giving updates on her growth and pictures of our specific puppy. We felt confident and assured, as first time Shiba owners, up to meeting her and taking her home. They gave us a sweet care package and were clear about her vaccination and deworming records. Her first vet appointment went great, and the vet said she’s a perfect, healthy, happy pup!

Our Shiba has brought so much joy into our lives. She makes us laugh, and we’re constantly stopped in public with questions and compliments. Yuna was well worth the wait and price. If you’re considering getting a Shiba Inu, please look into Showboat Kennels—I could not recommend them more!

Update: our 3 month old Shiba is as healthy and as happy as can be. Endlessly grateful for Deborah and Showboat. Thank you for changing our lives!

Hasnaa A.

I had a very good experience with this breeder. Everything went smoothly from payment to delivery. The puppy looked exactly like what we wanted and has a good temperament . If I ever decide to get another puppy I'll be coming back to Deborah.

Brian L.

This post is long overdue. A little over 19 months ago we brought home our little Shiba Inu pup that we named Hiro. He is very healthy and has the sweetest temperament of any dog we’ve ever had. Shiba Inus are very special dogs and they are different from most traditional breeds. Please research and understand this before ever committing to one. They are not people pleasing Golden Retrievers. They are independent and stubborn yet they develop very deep relationships with you in ways that I cant quite explain. They communicate with their eyes and with body language, are quiet, clean, SMART and just overall amazing. Once they bond, it runs deep. I highly recommend Showboat Kennels for anyone considering getting one. The only breed of dog we will ever own going forward in life is a Shiba Inu. If we’re fortunate enough to have another in the future, Showboat Kennels is the first place we’ll look. Thank you for the life changing little Shiba Inu that is the center of attention within our family. He’s well cared for and has a special relationship with each of us and he continues to bring us tremendous happiness each and every day.

Karlin W.

I got my beautiful Shiba from Showboat Kennels! They were so helpful and answered all my questions, and my dog arrived safely in NYC from Georgia. I love her so much and am so grateful to Showboat!