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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on November 29, 2011 at 6:52pm

1)  A 3 hour drive won't be any trouble.  :)  My Ellie was on a 3 hour flight before arriving and going on a further hour drive from the airport to home.  She was absolutely fine and slept most of the way.  Since your little guy is going to be in an all-new place with all-new people, he'll probably sleep most of the way home so you shouldn't have too much to worry about.

 

2)  It's best, at first, to just feed what the breeder was feeding him.  Puppies have sensitive tummies and you can't just switch his diet right away.  When you do decide to switch his food, then be sure to do so gradually.  Start mixing a small amount of the new with the old and then slowly increase the new while decreasing the old.  When I switched Ellie's food I did so over 2 weeks without issue.

 

3)  Generally it's best to avoid areas where lots of dogs pass through (like rest stops).  You'll also want to avoid areas with puddles or other types of standing water, as they can be breeding grounds for all sorts of yucky stuff.  We try to stick to areas along the highway that are less likely to be rest stops for dogs.

 

4)  My rule is to ALWAYS have a collar or harness on my dogs when they are outdoors, NO exceptions.  You never know when they might run off (they found a hole in the fence, a gate was left open, a leash snaps, etc.) and it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

Also, if you don't already have a tag for him then you should prepare one before you pick him up.  You don't need to get a fancy one and it really doesn't matter what name you put on there for him, so if you haven't decided on one then just pick something temporarily.  The important part is that you need to have your phone number or other contact information on there just in case he does get loose somehow. 

 

Other than that, you sound like you're all set!  Get ready to meet your new best friend and have fun!  If you're still feeling nervous, then read up on things to expect when your puppy first comes home (including introducing him to his new environment, house breaking tips, crate training, etc.)

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Permalink Reply by Jane on November 29, 2011 at 7:58pm

He'll do fine on the ride home. Mine were a 5 and 7 hour drive and both pups slept most of the way. We brought a crate and blankets, but both ended up riding on our laps lol. I'd bring bottled water for the road, but I doubt you'll need food. Probably best not to feed him anyway in case of tummy upsets. And speaking of, make sure you bring poop bags! A kong with some peanut butter might not be a bad idea if he's really fussy for some reason.

 

You will probably get a different answer from everyone you ask regarding food. I would keep him on whatever his breeder is feeding him for the first couple of weeks, and then slowly transition to what you want to feed. Grains aren't all necessarily bad, and not all dogs can handle a grain free food, so whatever you choose I would only buy a small amount just to make sure it agrees with your pup first.

 

Try to avoid any areas with heavy dog traffic. We had pretty much no choice but to stop at rest stops but we just avoided the designated dog areas. Nobody seemed to mind. I also carried them into the vet the first time to avoid walking on the floor in the waiting room.

 

I would keep some form of identification on him when you take him outside if you don't have a fenced yard. It's tempting when they're little because they usually follow you everywhere, but sooner or later they're going to take off for something interesting. :) I would also recommend having him microchipped.

 

Extra things to recommend off the top of my head...lots of paper towels, poop bags, nail clippers, air tight containers for kibble if you go that route, tennis balls, maybe an xpen, and lots of patience, lol. I also highly recommend puppy classes.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on November 29, 2011 at 8:20pm

The most important things to have are : Lots of patience and a sense of humor! Good luck and take pictures.

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Permalink Reply by Melvin Brock on November 29, 2011 at 9:02pm

You need to have the thing all puppies need--- LOVE.  We usually take along a big towel or blanket and let them tell you what they want. Keep harness/ with tag and with lead on while outside of car/house/whatever. If we stop on the return trip, we just sit em down and pick them back up when done. Feed breeder food ( they should give you some ) change over in a few weeks. they are pretty sturdy dogs and can adapt very fast. Like all pups the best toys are what your scent is on. So puppy proof the house. #1 thing about Corgi's besides being so cute.  They shed, you wear you corgi with pride.  We after breeding/ showing/ having all types of dogs, have no carpet in the house and leather chairs /couch.  Just enjoy your corgi, they are the most fun you will ever have.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on November 29, 2011 at 10:00pm

I would use an old towel on the way home just in case. If he goes potty right before you leave I wouldn't even stop. 3 hours is not long at all...I have traveled over 10 hours picking up a pup or delivering one with no problem(yes, we did stop to potty the pup:)) I wouldn't bother with food either just a bit of water.

Make sure either you get a 10 day supply of food from the breeder or ask and buy a  5# bag of what they are giving as you will need to change the food over 7-10 days. I feed my pups Canidae (all life stages) or Taste of the Wild (salmon). My adults also get these 2.

 

Yes, always collar your pup...as I once had someone meet me at my daughter's house to pick a pup and the one ran under her deck...which took us 1/2 hour to get out as there was not enough room for us to get under there. He could get scared and run also.

Take the vet record that you get from the breeder along when you go to the vet also. It should have the brand of wormer and shots he has gotten.

When you get home...let him go potty and then let him wander around in the house abit to smell his new home.

****** Make sure you take a small blanket or old tshirt along or both and get the mom and other puppy scent on it. Save it for his crate the 1st night so he can smell his old home...I always sent 2 of these along.

 

It looks like you have plenty of items and were thinking ahead!      Have fun!!!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Laura and Tommy Jefferson on November 29, 2011 at 11:14pm

I agree with everyone else that you'll be fine with the road trip! My trip home with Tommy was 2.5 hours and he slept the whole way - we didn't have to make any stops! I just brought the lid of a box for him to sit in on my lap with a towel in case of accidents.

 

I second Jane's recommendation of puppy classes! - I was hesitant at first but it was probably the best thing we could have done! Tommy has been through puppy and intermediate classes and is now taking advanced.  The classes have made a huge difference!

 

Good luck to you! Looking forward to seeing photos of your new puppy!

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Permalink Reply by Carry Mackenzie on November 30, 2011 at 9:25am

I had a small box with a blanket & 2 little toys we gave him a drink of water on the way it was only a hour...

We took the breeders food, and I kept him next to the bed in a long crate with water & some times food depending after the first week I made him a fenced off area with a tent & bed toys ect against the far wall near the door where he could just get up & walk into the next room to go to the toilet I covered the room with plastic then newspapers... Outside here at night is real cold & dangerous so thats how I did it... Each morning & night I pick up all the newpapers & put down fresh- at night he will use the room with no problem, in the day we try to go outside as much as possible some time in the hour after he just ate is good...

Becareful if you find mess its important not to tell him off unless you see him do it at the time... 

I also add grated carrot/apple/pumpkin to his food & cooked meats fish/chicken/turkey & a  little fish oil every week...I also went on line and made allot of different dog treats to mix with his food & for training...

Also becareful never give him grapes/rasins/chocolate or onion I think a little garlic is OK... Avacardo is a no no... I always gave my old dog 1/2 can peas morning & night he was a big guy... Just check different foods online before you feed them even cranberry did not get a  good review...

Our guy has been here 3 weeks we have a older female daisy that is fantastic in teaching him stuff like not to bite...

 

Also every time he puts some thing in his mouth you dont want him 2 replace it with a toy & take the other thing away- I have lots of bullysticks laying around the house he loves them if they get to small just throw them away because they can become a choking hazard...

 

I also have a little pen $50 on amazon in the lounge if I dont want him under my feet- I put him in there to feed him so he does not eat the other dogs food as well...

 

Becareful with leaving collars on inside- never in the crate they can get hooked...

I dont tell our little guy off very much I never use his name I just say no- Using his name can create a bad association- I watch the dog wispher allot...  Borrow his Cds from the libary he has allot of great advice- Also on the top of this website is FAQ that has a tun of good advice on most subjects... Also out guy loves playing with a stand alone cat toy it has a long fluffy cord with a feather on the end... Also be cafeful of toys- when the toy get ripped open throw all the stuff away the sqeeky things are dangerous- look for toys that squeek but dont have the little squeeky thing inside them...  Also I think hoofs can splinter dont buy them I had to throw mine away the same day..

I put the collar on my guy at 9 weeks and have walked him 5 times- we hiked 1 1/2 hours last week & he did it with ease... 

Corgi males are ment to want to please you so just go easy & he will do what you want him to:)))

Good luck with your puppy & have fun...

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Permalink Reply by Beth on November 30, 2011 at 9:59am

We did a drive of just over two hours when we got Jack, and he cried most of the way.  He was crated.  I'd be afraid of having a pup loose in the car, though many people do it.  Jack was 10 weeks old when we got him and very active, and there was no way he would have sat on a lap for 10 minutes, let alone two hours.  Anyway, despite the comments of everyone else, it's my experience both personally and talking to others that quite a lot of pups cry and whine much of the way home.  For many pups it's the first time they are leaving the property where they were born without the rest of the litter with them.

 

I would not stop to potty.  Just too much risk stopping so close to a road with a pup whose collar might slip or something else.  If your yard is fenced it's up to you if you want to have a collar and leash when you put the puppy down to potty when you get home.  My experience is that many new puppies are not leash-trained yet and won't potty with a leash, since they are too busy chewing it.  If you put pup down with no collar, even in a fenced yard, have at least one other person.  Remember, puppy won't know his name, won't know what "come" means, etc.   Do ask the breeder if she used a word to call the litter and ask her to demonstrate what she did.   Our breeder would say "Baby baby baby" in a high-pitched voice and Jack would come running to that long after we brought him home (he associated it with treats). 

 

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Cindi & Twinkie on November 30, 2011 at 10:52am

My one piece of advice in the wake of what happened to our friend Teddy, is to purchase a kitchen trashcan that is built like Fort Knox!  I have been thinking about the tragedy of his death for days now and I seems clear that doing that one thing could save your dogs life someday.  

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