My boyfriend and I have been fans of corgis for a few years now, but the time was never right to get a dog until a few months ago. We dived into doing our research on the breed, local breeders and rescues, and ultimately decided to go with a breeder because even though our previous dogs while growing up were rescues, we've never experienced the joys of raising a puppy. We have shared our excitement with several people, and while most were very happy for us, a few basically made us feel guilty for not going the adoption route even though we explained that not all breeders are puppy mills, and yes, we are fully aware that there are tons of dogs that deserve a good home. I'm a bit sensitive, so I really took it to heart and it's been a downer on our puppy acquiring experience. Has anyone else dealt with this, and if so, what do you do and/or say back?
On a side note, I just want to say how much I enjoy this site! I've been stalking the forums and blogs for a couple of months now, and I'm so impressed with the wealth of knowledge and support here. Thanks, all!
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I got my first Corgi, Stella, from a breeder, and when anyone asked me why I didn't adopt I explained that given my history with dogs (raising all from puppies) and Corgis (I had no experience with the breed at the time), I felt that it was the most responsible decision to make. I don't think that adopting is the "right" thing to do in all cases and circumstances. I did not feel experienced or prepared to handle an unknown breed with a most likely unknown history. Also, breeders need to be supported, too! I recently had the opportunity to adopt a second Corgi, Stanley, from someone who was moving and could no longer keep him. His previous owner and I keep in touch and we also agreed to find him another home together if it didn't work out. Stella and Stanley are actually doing quite well together in a very short period of time, and I definitely feel that my experience with the breed in the past 4 years has helped.
I think that some people new to the adopting or rescuing trend don't realize the responsibility, preparation, and experience needed in order to adopt. And even if you have experience with adoption, it doesn't mean EVERY dog you get must be a rescue! Try not to take it to heart when people criticize you. From my experience, my sincere dog lover friends with the most experience have not criticized me for getting a dog from the breeder, they are happy that a dog has a loving home. The criticism usually comes from less experienced people just following the trend--and you don't need their advice, anyway! Best of luck with your puppy search!
Thank you all for the uplifting comments! I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not going to change their opinion no matter how much I explain our reasons, and I'm fine with that.
A little update: My boyfriend got in contact with the breeder of our choice (Carrie from Dalarno located in Culpepper, VA), but unfortunately she didn't have any available pups and wasn't sure when she would be having another litter. She still wants to meet us though, so we are planning to meet up at a local Corgi event in a couple of weeks. I have only seen 2 Corgis in real life and I'm just so excited to see a whole slew of them at this event! Carrie also said that if for whatever reason she could not provide us with a pup, that she recommended the breeder that is hosting the event so I'm looking forward to talking with them as well.
One thing that about the conversation stuck out though. When she was asked about our living situation, he told her that we live with 2 roommates that own a male Golden Retriever named Jake. She then insisted that we get a female because if we get a male, him and Jake would surely get in fights. I almost laughed at the thought of Jake getting into a fight because he is the most docile and laid back dog! We have our hearts set on a male, although not for any specific reason other than we just always imagined having a male Corgi, so I was a little bummed about this. Now I know it depends on the dogs that are put together, but since Jake gets along with every dog he's ever met and we absolutely plan on raising a well socialized puppy, should this really be a big concern? I hope this doesn't come off as me trying to bad mouth Carrie in anyway because my boyfriend said she was wonderful to talk to, and from what we understand, a very reputable breeder.
Again, I really appreciate the comments! You all are awesome!
Also, here's the link to the event if anyone in the MD/DC/VA area is interested: http://www.pwccp.org/Match.htm
Corgi breeders recommending mixed gender pairs is very common and something I my self also suggest. Even though Jake gets along well with others, corgis can tend to be alpha types in matched pair situations. I personally feel better when pairs are mixed. It's the breeders responsibility to make sure that the placements are successful and from our experiences in trial and error, matched gender pairs fail at this successful placement more often than mixed gender pairs. That doesn't mean they can't work, just experience tells us the odds aren't as good.
As Wind Dial has already said, mixed pairs are usually the easiest to handle. Corgis in general are bossy/alpha types. They were bred to herd livestock, so they're bred not to be pushed around easily! Even if Jake is a laid-back kinda guy, your pup might still grow up trying to boss Jake around. It's not a guarantee, mind you, just something that could happen. Also keep in mind that Jake only visits with other dogs. He doesn't have one living in his territory 24/7, so things can change once there's a puppy living there full time. :)
I honestly believe it does depend on personalities. I have 4 males(3 are rescues) and Wynn is the only one not neutered...every once in awhile I hear a grumble from one but the norm for my 4 is they get along well. I have also had pups go live with older males from the same line and have never heard of a problem with them either. I understand the idea but have not seen it with my males. Wynn is very laid back. the only time I had a problem was when I had 2 rescues who I had gotten neutered shortly before and they did decide to go after Wynn but this was a rare occurrence and probably due to them coming from a puppy mill. This never happened again and we still have Teddy:)
I got Marshall from a ranch breeder as well (even though he turned out to be a little mystery dog), and I get crap for it all the time here! There's a humane society in town, but because of the area we live, the vast majority of the dogs are either labs, pit bulls, or tiny yappy little things. We're a hunting/college town, so those are what people buy, realize they can't take care of them, and then surrender the dogs. I couldn't find a place that would let me have a pit bull (all apartments either don't allow pets or they must be under 30 pounds), but I really did want to adopt one. I'm not a big fan of tiny dogs, so that wasn't a good fit either. I had babysat a friend's corgi for 10 days and just fell in love, so I knew that was the dog breed for me. There aren't any to rescue here, so I went through a breeder my friend knew personally. There's nothing wrong with going through a breeder to get the dog you really want :)
DON'T feel guilty!! I had the same experience!
I just got a puppy from a reputable breeder after having a disaster of a rescue experience.
I wanted a puppy that I could raise from scratch with no history, positive or especially negative.
I don't know what your response should be to those negative people, but I would just ignore/change the subject!
Good luck!!
I've had 2 males...rott mix and Irish Wolfhound. They got along fine but the rott mix was definitely the boss. We had to care for my FIL's female wolfhound for several months while he was in the hospital. Max & Gwen got along fine but she was an alpha female and he had no problem with it. When we got Katie she proved to also be an alpha female. They get along fine but she has no problem putting Max in his place if she thinks he has gotten out of line. Yet she is a very quiet, sedate girl.
I think it does depend on the personalities of each dog.
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