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Permalink Reply by Beth on April 5, 2014 at 6:15pm

So exciting!    At 6 weeks, a Pem litter should be quite curious and adventurous. They should want to meet people, though depending on when they've last eaten and napped they may be a little sleepy, or more interested in playing with each other and digging and picking up sticks.  Expect lots of mouthing and nipping, crawling over shoes, etc.   You will want to meet the dam and see how she behaves.  I would talk a lot about yourself and your experience with dogs and what you plan on doing with the pup so the breeder can make a good match.  

Hopefully you've already done your homework with the breeder, but the pups should be clean and in good weight and free of parasites.  The area where they are kept should be clean and dry.  They should seem like they've been handled a lot and not startle from normal human activity.  Pick them up, jiggle fingers at them and gently clap your hands to see how they respond.   

You can ask the breeder what their vaccination schedules have been and some specific questions like whether they've been in some kind of crate/pen, whether they've been in the car, etc.  

Most breeders like to talk about their dogs a lot.  They also like to hear YOU talk a lot and watch you interact with the puppies.   In this meeting, she should be sizing up how you are with the pups to see if what you have told her about your experience matches with how she sees you interact with puppies. 

I always tell people to NOT be alarmed if the breeder's house looks like it needs a new roof, there are piles of mail on the table, dust bunnies in the corner, and a dead shrub in front of the window.  Many times (not always) people who keep animals such as dogs and horses spend so much time with the critters that their house gets a bit neglected.  DO make sure the dog facilities are clean and in good repair.  Depending on how many dogs she keeps, she may or may not have outside kennels and/or a crate room in the house (if there are more then a few, there is usually some level of crate-and-rotate going on), BUT it should look like the adult dogs get plenty of time loose in the house and the puppies should be kept in a living area, not a shed or barn, in order to ensure they are socialized to normal human noises like phones, tv's, dishwashers, etc.  

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on April 5, 2014 at 11:00pm

If you've picked a good breeder, let her guide your choice.  Looks are attractive, but temperament and personality are what you live with.

If you are an assertive person, you can get a more assertive pup, but if you are non-assertive or have small children, a more submissive pup ( the type that likes belly rubs ) will suit you better.  Personally, I would not get hung up on male or female in a pet either, as I find the rest more important in the long run.  Exciting times!

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Permalink Reply by Grace on April 15, 2014 at 7:15pm

Hello all!!

So I went and met the puppies, they were adorable!! Super friendly and definitely interested in me! I definitely got chewed on a lot, but overall I think they responded well to me getting them interested in a toy or distracting them with something else. Difficult when there are multiple puppies chewing on you of course!

The place seemed nice, they are kept in a sizeable pen together. The breeder just moved them down to the basement so they have more room. The area was clean and had lots of nice toys to play with. The adults were quiet in their crates and responded well to the breeder when they did get a little noisy. I didn't get to talk much, puppies were very interested and kept me busy!

I did ask a little about what type of training she will be doing. They won't be leash trained by the time I get them or crate trained. I was wondering if this is a "red flag" to any of you? I was talking to my boss (dog trainer) and she was very adamant that it's important for the puppies to learn to have some alone time away from litter mates. Also the breeder was vague on where (if) they will go out to socialize in the world. She mentioned the vet is all. Boss also didn't like the sound of that.

I however think those are little things that can easily be worked through once I get the puppy (10 weeks). What do you all think?? Should I push the breeder to begin introducing the crate and get them some more outdoor world time? I doubt the breeder would allow me to take the puppy on a day trip until it's officially mine.

I do plan on asking to go back and visit again around the 8 and 9 week mark. She will be picking the puppy for me, but hasn't yet decided which one I'll be getting.

I was feeling really good about this breeder and her answers. They seemed perfectly fine to me, after all I would rather the puppies be socialized to eachother and learn bite inhibition, get used to home sounds, being friendly with new people, etc.. than leash and crate training which can certainly be done later in life and easily. However, my Boss rained on my parade a little bit and now I'm questioning whether I should question/push the breeder more.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on April 15, 2014 at 9:47pm

Don't let your boss rain on your parade!  The breeder sounds just fine..  The fact she is keeping the pups until 10 wks is an excellent sign that she cares, as pups get labor intensive and many people can't wait to send them to their new homes before that.  Most breeders consider it too risky to expose pups to the "outside world" ( and rightly so ) as they are minimally protected by the shots received at this early age.  As for crate training, yes it's nice, but you are again right, you can do that yourself later.  Go visit them again and relax into the experience.  Your observations and thinking are correct,  trust yourself more.  It sounds good to me.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on April 15, 2014 at 10:05pm

I agree with Anna.  Your boss is expecting a lot.  I've never heard of a pup being started on a leash before it came home.   If they can get some time in ones and twos separated from the litter that is a bonus, but it's not realistic for most breeders to have the space to do that.  As for taking the pups outside the house to socialize, that is risky when pups don't have shots.   Depending on where the breeder lives and how much time she has, some of them might take the whole litter on a single outing or maybe two.  Many won't.  I wouldn't really care one way or the other--- I'd be impressed by the breeder who did but wouldn't deduct any points from the one who didn't.

You are bringing the pup home at 10 weeks, which means you still have a good 4 to 6 weeks of the initial socialization window left to do those things yourself.  If the pup has been in an ex-pen, chances are the crate won't seem like a big deal.    And if she is having people in to meet the puppies, they are getting socialized that way.  If they were interested in you and friendly, then that means they are getting what they need.

Trust your own judgement.   You have done your homework and your decisions seem good.  One thing that I learned early on is that no matter what choice you make, there will always be someone who second-guesses you.  :-)     My breeder suggests when someone gives unsolicited advice to just say "Oh really?" and move on.  It's a good lesson to learn--- and one I am still working on.  :-)

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on April 16, 2014 at 8:36am

I agree with Anna and Beth. What people don't realize at this pup age is that they are a handful. Just taking them to the vet is quite interesting. Loading them into 3-4 crates and carrying the crates is not easy. Just getting them outside is interesting until they get the idea also.

If you go to my videos and find the one titled This Place is a Zoo you can see how active they are.

It's great that she keeps them 10 weeks and also either ask her if she sends small blankets/towels with pup and parent smells on. I would bring some (18"X18" is fine) if not and then put them in a large zip lock to keep clean and use only as the old ones are dirty. This helps the pup by having all those smells. Something to sleep and lay with:)

Leash training is not a reasonable request. Getting them used to collars might be but really not necessary if she doesn't have time. When I have gotten a pup they were not use to this and my own pups I did put on occasionally but when they are all together...they can get chewed.

One thing I always sent with my pups to their new home was a Martingale collar to be used everytime they go out...just incase they freak and try to back out of their regular collar the martingale keeps them from being able to do this. I would suggest always using one when walking but of coarse to have the regular collar on too. The martingale needs to come off when they return to the house.

Good luck...you're going to have so much fun:)

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Permalink Reply by Marina Holshevnikoff on April 16, 2014 at 12:13pm

It's so cool to see your "Journey to Corgi" on this forum!  I had read a ton of posts on this site before I picked up my puppy in January, but I never posted.  I wish I had because the advice is so great!  It's continued to be an invaluable resource as I'm hacking my way through puppyhood, lol.  It's nice to know you're not alone.

Looking forward to hearing which puppy is meant for you!  Only 4 weeks left!  Such an exciting time!

From my limited experience, everything you mentioned about the breeder sounds great.  If you feel confident, then that's a huge part of it.  The more you can anticipate and figure out your plan of action before the pup comes home, the easier a transition it will be for the little guy (and for you too). :)

So exciting! 

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Permalink Reply by Grace on April 20, 2014 at 9:14pm

Thank you all for your calming me down! I've spoken with a few other people, and gotten similar opinions on other blogs as well. It seems the consensus is for the breeder to no crate/leash train and not really get them out. I believe my boss sees so many problem cases, with puppies coming from puppy mills, that she over thinks and tends to think a little negatively. Additionally the other trainer, her dogs (one is a rescue) have a lot of leash/crate problems.

Thank you again!

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