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Comment by Jane Christensen on August 20, 2014 at 9:40am

 Also...getting a dog that has been returned to a breeder can make a great service dog as long as the breeder can see what potential the dog has. The 2 I have had returned had nothing to do with the dog BUT more about the people:( I have rescues that are wonderful dogs too and certainly could be service dogs...but they would need more training due to their environment till they came to live with me.

Comment by Jane Christensen on August 20, 2014 at 9:17am

I truelly believe that PWC can make great service dogs. Granted my own pup Sage is a Therapy dog BUT her sister is also, I chose these 2 for their personalities and both are wonderful at what they do. If a breeder you chose takes the time to really assess the dog and keeps them till they are 10 weeks so they have more of a chance to see the dog mature would be a great plus. ALL of my Corgis have daily contact with people who have various mental health issues and do very well. TRAINING is a must and starting as early as possible. This means outside training with a good dog trainer. Early socialization and introductions to many things will be needed. Hope this makes sense.

Comment by Linda on August 20, 2014 at 6:44am

I do have to agree with the others about getting a young adult dog.  Max was 5 when I got him and Katie was 4.  Max was a rescue who went back to his breeder thru no fault of his...his personality of being laid back, liking being around people and engaged with them was easily seen.  The same for Katie...she is a retired show dog....and it was easy to see that she could be easily startled by loud noises.

I understand wanting the distraction of a puppy...they do take up a lot of time...but you have no idea what their full personality will be until mature.  Unless a breeder is serious about doing personality assessment you won't have any idea which way your puppy will go and even an assessment is still only an idea of what the dog may be like.

Comment by Judith Andre on August 20, 2014 at 1:33am

If I were thinking of an older dog for this purpose I would be sure to get it from a trusted breeder that really knew the dog well as opposed to a rescue that may have issues that are not apparent at first.  Also, my experience with both male and female PWC...males in general seem to be more social, less likely to be nervous....of course I realized that is just a generalization.  Good luck.

Comment by Julie Alain on August 20, 2014 at 1:09am

Thank you everyone for the replies! The reason I want a puppy more than an older (though I have considered it) is because the puppy can be a major distraction for me. I am a big thinker, and if I dont read (televesion or internet makes it worse) it can get pretty ugly in my head so a puppy will keep my head preoccupied (I know cause it worked when I had my Chow Chow that I raised since he was a puppy). Also my meds, and my night terrors wakes me up every 4-5 hours so waking up at night to take the puppy outside is not really an issue for me.

Though your replies made me feel a lot better. I still want to have an open mind, and visit the Cardigan Breeder, and afterwards I will go from there

Comment by Vicky Hay on August 20, 2014 at 12:34am

I'd second Holly's recommendation about seeking a young adult PWC (I don't know Cardigans well enough to speak to that issue). Cassie, who was 2 years old when she came my way, is also something of a couch potato, in the sense that she's quite mellow and very friendly. However, she does love to chase balls and go for walks. She's a superb companion and I expect she'd make a good therapy dog.

Raising a puppy is a challenge, and you never know for sure what the animal's personality will be like until it nears maturity. I just spent the past three hours destinkifying the tilework in the living room, where my dear seven-month-old totally housetraining-resistant PWC pup has saturated the place. Two days of rain revealed that detergent and enzyme deodorant do not do the trick. Since I was ready to bite after a couple hours of this chore, I imagine that a puppy issue like that might not be soothing for someone who needs a therapy dog. A grown dog that already knows how to live with humans might be more helpful.

Comment by Holly on August 19, 2014 at 11:16pm

Hi Julie. When it comes to disability issues there are many opinions and misconceptions. I am sure you will hear many conflicting and possibly negative ideas unless you research reputable trainers of service, companion, and therapy dogs. Is every corgi a good candidate for a therapy dog? No, but neither is any breed of dog. Also, the training for service dogs (such as those used to assist blind people) is very strict and only a few breeds are typically considered.

A dog used to support someone with PTSD fills a very different role from a service dog. Therapy dogs and companion pets are important medically to people, but they don't have to make life and death decisions. I am in the process of getting Sully trained to become a therapy dog for students with PTSD, and /or a reading therapy dog for children who have reading related phobias. I am sure some corgis would be too hyper to handle that, but Sully is unique. Also, like most corgis she is smart and eager to please. I wouldn't be qualified to advise you about choosing a breeder, but very few people truly understand service, therapy and companion pet regulations and training. Breeders are smart, but their expertise usually lies in other areas.

Personally I think adopting a young, adult corgi would be the easiest way to insure you get one with the right temperament but that is up to you of course. I fell in love with many pups during my online search (mostly Pet Finder) but I waited a LONG time to be sure I found one that could live happily with my physical disabilities. Sully was advertised as a couch potato, which is accurate, but she can also be assertive and show some spunk on occasion. More importantly, I have found the typical independence/eager-to-please mix very helpful during training, which is an extensive but fun commitment I think. Physical activities, such as bringing food and medicines to people may be hard, due to their body structure, but Sully will bring me my shoes and keys happily. She is gentle and excepts all ages and people so I think she will easily assume the role of supporting others. I am sure that is true of many corgis and other pups.

Temperament is the main issue for therapy and companion pets and that varies widely, even among dogs of the same breed. Many animals, especially dogs, offer the strong, stable support and consistent companionship that helps people with many types of disabilities. This forum is also very helpful and supportive about issues or questions related to the breed. I wish you well! 

Comment by Linda on August 19, 2014 at 10:50pm

I think that type of work depends more on an individual dog rather than a breed.  I have 2 PWCs...Max is a trained therapy dog, he has the personality for it.  Katie on the hand...forget it, she would not be good for any of that work.  I know a service dog is different than a therapy dog, I just used that example because it is what I have experience with.  It's the dog not the breed.

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