What are some questions you should ask a breeder before you take home one of their puppies? What sorts of answers should they give? Is there anything you wish you'd asked your breeder? As a breeder is there something you think prospective corgi owners should always ask?
Let's talk about the discussion you have had with your breeder before you brought home your dog!
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I for one understand both of your angles. I don't think I'll ask, in the same way many people don't open their test results for something really bad.
I'll tell Les about it, and maybe he will want to ask. I don't think I should turn down a puppy just because it might have DM though, since there are so many that might have DM.
Thanks for being civil to one another, but let's please keep this about your discussion with your breeder, not politics. Thanks!
Pups should not be removed from littermates before 7 wks of age. There are behavior problems associated with removing the pups too soon, which will show up in the adult dog. This is especially true for households in which the pup will be the only dog. If a dog is shipped, the minimum age, by law, is 8 wks. Best time to take a pup home is between 7 and 12 wks, depending on the situation the puppy is coming from (i.e. what kind of socialization it's getting at the breeder's place) and what situation the pup's going into, especially how much time it will have to be left alone. It's not all right to crate a young puppy more than 3 hrs. at a time (after it's properly crate trained) except at night. Don't buy the line "they have the denning instinct" it's one of the most mis-understood and abused concepts having to do with dogs.
Our breeder let us take Chloe and Carter home at around 5 weeks. Both of them are both well rounded dogs. Gets along very well with other dogs and very good with kids.
Part of your success is due to the fact you took two pups, so each pup still had a littermate. I don't know of any reputable or knowledgeable breeder in any breed who would let pups go at 5 weeks, unless there were exceptional circumstances to demand it. You were lucky, and I am happy for you and your dogs, but your experience should not encourage others to follow the same path, whether buying or selling puppies. That would be a definite red flag.
Is your breeder part of the PWCCA (Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America)? They require that puppies not be released until 8 weeks. That is a bit of a red flag to me as well. I am glad Chloe and Carter turned out great though; but I'm with Anna that I would attribute that partly to them being brought home as a pair as well.
This is all really helpful info. I apologize for not directly replying to everyone. I'm taking notes, though! ^_^
Very interesting bit about the DM.
I plan to take my puppy home at 10 wks of age.
Question: When I ask my breeder "what are you doing to socialize the puppies?" what are some good responses and what are some bad responses? I know they can't socialize them too awful much when they are super little because of chance of disease, right? I plan on taking him/her to puppy socialization classes at a local (amazing) dog training facility where I live, and with me to some of my activities to meet people and get passed around and see life in all it's craziness.
Is 10 weeks too old to start if the breeder isn't doing much?
I guess I should also ask when they were/will be vaccinated.
The pups should be in the house, where they are exposed to normal house sounds. And they should have trusted people coming in regularly to handle and play with the puppies. Ideally there should be some other healthy adult dogs around besides Mom that they can interact with once they are weaned.
They should have the opportunity to walk on a variety of surfaces. In summer it's nice if they are exposed to water, like a small pool, as well though that is a bonus.
If it's winter should they be introduced to a bath tub with water maybe? How can the breeder or myself make sure swimming is a pleasant experience for the pup when it gets older? Sorry if this is a little off topic, you just got me curious!
I think that it would be a very dedicated breeder indeed who would try to introduce all pups to a tub! Consider it a bonus if you find a breeder who does, but don't penalize one who doesn't.
If you want a puppy to like to swim really it's best to get them at a time of year when you can take them swimming when they are young. Jack loves water but we never had him to a place with a gradual sloping bottom where he could swim, and he hates to swim. Loves to wade, hates to swim. So if swimming is important to you, get a summer puppy and take him out as soon as it's safe to do so according to his vaccination schedule.
Having said that, I should say that my one who LOVES the water and swims like a fish was a winter puppy. Not sure when she was introduced to swimming because we got her as an adult. So you can have a dog who was not in the water as a pup who loves it, but to be sure it's best to introduce them young to anything you want them to be happy with as an adult.
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