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Permalink Reply by Linda on June 27, 2013 at 10:52pm

Congratulations!  You are in for the ride of your life.  One of the best things you can do is obediece puppy classes.  They help build a bond between you and your pup.  They teach you how to train your dog, it is a lot of fun for both human and dog.  And consistency especially starting with a new puppy is very important.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea on June 28, 2013 at 12:36am

I second this! Do i after your pup has had all rounds of parvo vaccinations though. Don't want her catching parvo.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on June 28, 2013 at 12:52am

Socialize, socialize,  socialize...if you have any friends that you know their dogs are up to date on their shots you can start now in your/their home. Calm kids/noises/people anything that you can do now will help later. Then (after more shots) puppy classes, trips to the pet store and more places are good. Invite friends over and have fun. I agree with Linda on the training and consistency. Do be aware that pups can tire easily so keep the visits short. Also watch carefully with children, I am always afraid they will try to pick up a pup wrong or trip over them.

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Permalink Reply by Bella & Chiba on June 28, 2013 at 8:59am

Thanks everyone!  I just signed Chiba up for a Puppy Socialization class that also covers basic obedience.  I found it about a week, but I wasn't sure I should take it until now.  It starts July 10th, and I'm quite excited!  I'm sure Chiba would love the challenge.

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Permalink Reply by Madeline and Bella on June 28, 2013 at 10:44am

Congrats! Owning a pembroke is a rewarding experience. When we got our first pembroke, also our current pembroke, Bella, she wasn't a handful at all. I am glad you signed her up for socialization/obedience class, that is probably most helpful to you and your puppy at this age. Also, consider dog parks (after she's had shots) a little while after her first few classes if it's going well. Dog parks will help introduce your pup to different sizes of dog and different behaviors of different dogs (outside of class). We signed Bella up for an obedience class as a baby but we got kicked out because she wasn't serious at all about learning; she only wanted to play and lick the trainers. We didn't have a well functioning dog park either, so she overtime socialized, but it was hard because she was super shy (luckily not aggressive). Although, she developed a fear of large black dogs because she was attacked by one running loose in our neighborhood. She didn't know how to defend herself, so it DIDN'T end up pretty... but enough about me. Those 2 mistakes I made I hope you never do, enforce her socialization strongly at a young age, or she may have a fear of _____ later on! 

Best of luck!   ~Madeline &Bella

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Permalink Reply by Alex deGuzman on June 28, 2013 at 11:18pm

Congrats fellow Corgi lover/owner!

Our Thio is also our first dog. He's actually my first dog, my wife grew up with Irish Wolfhounds and Great Danes. So far, I'm loving every moment with him. 7 weeks is quite early, we had ours around 10-11 weeks.  Like everyone else here said for advice, I agree wholeheartedly to puppy obedience classes, which always does include socializing. Introduce your puppy with new things such as, kids, babies, umbrellas, helmets, etc etc.

You'll learn alot from the puppy classes. And you'll enjoy training and learning from each other. Have fun!

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