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Permalink Reply by Beth on December 7, 2011 at 8:46am

Here's what I would do:  I would definitely call her again.   Be cheerful, ask if that offer to visit her dogs still stands.  If it does and you go, rather than ask her to mentor you per se, I would talk about how interested you are in learning more about things.  Ask if she is looking for people to help socialize puppies, exercise other dogs while she's with a whelping bitch, etc. Be prepared to listen a lot and talk a little.  Many breeders love to talk about their dogs, but some are honestly much better with animals than with other people!   They are all different.  A single woman who has dogs as her main hobby in life is perhaps more inclined to have room to take someone under her wing than someone who is already trying to juggle 8 dogs, 2 kids, a spouse, a full-time job, etc.  

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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on December 7, 2011 at 9:11am

I would not straight up ask her to be your mentor... I feel like that's something that will happen if you like her and she likes you and she thinks you'd make a good dog person.  Like Beth said, definitely call her back and ask to visit the dogs!  When you go to visit, just ask her a lot of questions while you're there.  Show her that you're interested in Corgi health, Corgi behavior, Corgi structure, etc and you don't just like the breed because they are cute or popular.  The more genuinely inquisitive you are, the more willing the breeder may be to see you again and talk about MORE stuff with you.  I would not push the issue or ask questions until the point of fatigue, though.  I think it may be beneficial not to say you are interested in breeding a this point, too... If I were a breeder and someone who has never seen my breed comes over and tells me they want to breed them some day, I may misjudge the person and refuse to talk to them anymore to prevent the rise of another BYB.  I would mention it only after you've had a Corgi (one of her Corgis??) for an extensive period of time and you realize you actually do like the breed and are good with them, and want to help in making them better.

Personal anecdote: Whenever I am in town, I visit my breeder.  I have learned so much about Corgis and dogs in general, breeding practices, health issues, dog showing, etc and my breeder knew from day one that I was the type of person to be interested in all that.  I ask her things and she goes out of her way to be sure I know the answer.  She even gave me the PWC illustrated standard to study, as well as some handouts about front assemblies and the like.  I teach her, too.  I'm a university student with access to our journal library and I know a bunch about canine nutrition as it relates to biochem, the pet food industry, and the dogs themselves. We're partners, teaching each other about a field we both want to know more about.  She's not just my breeder anymore, she's a very good friend, and her and her husband will take me out to dinner and let me come over whenever to play with the dogs and probably ask questions about whatever has been on my mind.  This relationship just sort of happened, but it was helped very much by me being a prepared and already pretty knowledgeable future-Corgi owner.  We have never discussed that one day I may show/breed dogs, but I'm sure she assumes it and I'm 100% confident she will support me in that endeavor if/when the time comes.

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Permalink Reply by Chris West on December 7, 2011 at 11:03am

I would definitely call her again and go visit.  I would NOT consider asking her to be your mentor until you have met her, seen her home, and talked to her more.  Asking her to do something like that could be very awkward as you are currently a stranger.  I would wait until you get to know each other better before diving into something like that.  If this is something you really want to do, there doesn't need to be any hurry to rush into doing it RIGHT NOW.  Relax about it, maybe try meeting with a bunch of breeders.  You could try attending some events (confirmation, agility, obedience, etc) and meet breeders there.  You don't have to pick this lady just because she lives by you.  Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Jane on December 7, 2011 at 11:18am

You say you're interested in breeding, but are you interested in showing? That's going to be one of the main things a good breeder focuses on. If you are, the next time you call I would express your interest in learning more about the breed, and maybe ask if she's going to any shows in the nearby area that you could attend to get a feel for what goes on. If she seems open to it, you could offer to help her out holding dogs while she's in the ring, or giving the dogs potty breaks, or whatever else needs to be done. I wouldn't flat out ask her to be your mentor. Not to sound mean, but I honestly just don't think a seasoned breeder is going to take on someone who has never owned a corgi. It's sort of the cart before the horse IMO. If you want to get into seriously showing dogs and possibly breeding, I would start with a "pet" corgi from a reputable breeder, and work hard at putting on some titles in rally, or obedience, agility, therapy, etc. to show that you are totally dedicated to furthering the breed. Breeders can be VERY picky about where they place their show pups, and you want to be able to show that breeder that you will do the absolute best for that dog.

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on December 7, 2011 at 1:04pm

Seems to me that bringing life into this world is an awesome act involving awesome responsibility, so you'd best put a lot of thought and learning and research into it, and have a very clear idea of exactly what you want to accomplish and why.  Especially since breeding is a very deliberate act of creation, shaping these creatures according to our own knowledge (or lack thereof) and intentions, those intentions had best be well-thought plans.

I've only met a couple of breeders, but I get the impression that this is a life-absorbing dedicated passion, a profession, not a hobby.  A big deal.

Al & Gwynnie's breeder demonstrates a remarkable sense of lifelong responsibility to her animals.  She picked Al for us (we did not get to choose) and personally delivered him to our home, spending well over an hour observing him in his new home.  She'd take them back anytime if she had to.  She's spent a lot of time giving free advice.  The relationship definitely did not end with the exchange of money for puppy.  That's the kind of commitment I think you should be prepared for.

I would think a mentoring relationship is not something you deliberately set out to create, but more like something that happens and evolves when you are open to it by undertaking a process of learning and discovery.  Think of yourself as an apprentice seeking a master; that's a serious relationship, so expect it to take some time and searching to find a good fit.  Send out your tendrils, build your network, and the people you need will find you, or vice-versa.  Talk to the "pros".  There are corgi breeders on this site, and they could help you find others who aren't online.  Check them out.  Likely, there are as many different opinions and approaches as there are breeders.  Read everything you can get your hands on.  Haunt some dog shows -- that's where you'll find some breeders, and that's the world you'll be getting into.  As you learn and grow, if you discover yourself getting seriously into this, you'll probably attract the kind of people who'll help you.

I 'spect it's like most things in life -- the more you put into it, the more you'll have to offer.

And it may lead you in wholly unexpected directions; be open to that.

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Permalink Reply by Zigward & Kimberly on December 7, 2011 at 2:19pm

Thanks everyone, for all your replies. But a lot of you jumped to thinking I was just going to go over the first time and jump her bones about it. Certainly not.
I wouldn't be ready for something like this until I lived in a house, and have owned at least a couple corgis for a good hunk of years.. And that's IF I would be ready for something like that.
A big part of WHY I want to have a mentor, is because I know about it. Not even that I have my heart set on breeding.
I guess I shouldn't really ask her, you guys are right.. Though I really hope you aren't all thinking poorly of me from this post because I am jumping to wanting to learn about breeding. I had said that I didn't know if this was something I want to do-because I honestly don't know how owning a Corgi is going to go. (Hope that doesn't make me sound flaky, I wouldn't ever get rid of a dog, even if it wasn't completely what I expected. I would change my life to fit to the dog's lifestyle before doing so.)
The thing is, is I don't know how well I can get into Showing, because honestly, I am probably going to wind up with a fluff.. So nothing serious out of my first Corgi:P (Though, this isn't a set thing, so who knows!:P)
Again, thanks to everyone. I pinky swear that when and if the time comes for me to breed, I will have researched and schooled on it. Thanks again everyone:)

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Permalink Reply by Jane on December 7, 2011 at 4:14pm

You can compete in pretty much everything except conformation with a fluff, and you could still take conformation classes with him/her too. Just having that extra experience in the ring is a plus IMO, and having a title or two definitely helps show a breeder that you're serious about training and attending events. Most reputable breeders will not place show puppies with full registration with an owner unless they know they are serious about showing the dog, and not just breeding it.

 

You could also still help out at shows if you did get friendly with a breeder, as I think anyone can bring a dog into the ring, it doesn't have to be the owner. So there would still be ways to maybe get some experience without actually owning a show dog.

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Permalink Reply by Chris West on December 7, 2011 at 4:27pm

Nobody thinks poorly of you!! I am in sort of the same situation. Always wanted a corgi, but didn't really know a lot about them. I started reading, then I got a "companion" dog corgi. His breeder has been very helpful about letting me help her with her show dogs at confirmation shows. She is also very nice about answering questions and such. I also started calling all the breeders anywhere near me and either going to visit them, or talking to them on the phone, about what they look for when breeding and in the breed in general. I also talk to a lot of breeders at the shows (when they are done showing of course lol). I even made a trip 2 states away to visit a breeder. In my opinion, step number one is definitely getting more information. Talk to as many breeders as possible. You don't have to settle on just one. I have found that every breeder has their own unique opinion. I am also friends with lots of breeders who are not friends with each other. That also gives you an interesting insight into the breed and how everyone feels about things. But anyway, sorry to ramble on, I am just saying, learn from as many people as you can and form your own opinions. Educating yourself is never stupid or flaky.

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