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Comment by Kaley and Ravioli on March 15, 2012 at 1:52pm

thanks for the info about adopting a rescue. the thought has crossed my mind often, but i've heard so many horror stories about people who have adopted a rescue and right away they end up having a lot of problems (actually, the most recent one i read was yours Melissa about Kirby!) and i know it always ends up being worth it in the end, and i know it's not the dog's fault that he wasn't cared for properly. however, i don't think i will be financially ready to take care of so many issues right at the beginning. 

this actually brings me to my next point addressing Jen's comment. first of all, thank you for your concern. your concerns were a true mark of an animal lover, trying to put in prospective what's the best for the dog as well as myself. i appreciate it =) to make things a little clearer, i only work part time, but i make and work enough for me to be more than stable right now. i'm a saver, not a spender! this also means i have quite a large reserve of money in case of emergencies. i'm financially stable to handle vet trips, the only thing that i am not 100% on is if it were to be a very big emergency and the visit would cost thousands of dollars. then is when i'd dip into my reserve. i'm just not 100% because i hate the idea of taking money out of the reserve because i know how hard i've worked to save that much. but that's what it's there for isn't it? emergencies. so i'll just have to get over it. this is another reason why i want a puppy from a really reputable breeder, to minimize the likelihood of needing to take trips to the vet for genetic issues. i've mentioned this in other posts but i've been planning and preparing myself for a year and a half for this time in my life when i am ready and the time is right to add a new family member. this is why summer is the best time in order to take care of and train my puppy when he is young. this is also why if i'm not able to find a puppy this summer, i'm going to wait until next summer. and if the case is that i'll have to wait another year, then that is fine because everything happens for a reason. i graduate next year so if fate says that after i graduate is a better time, then so be it. however, i do feel more than prepared at the moment to take care of a puppy. i've been preparing myself for a year and a half for this, but before that i was a huge admirer and fanatic of the breed already. i read a lot about them, their history, and watched lots of dog shows where they were featured. 

and i also do plan on setting some ground rules for my roommate as far as training and habits goes. i'm very very serious about training my dog to be extremely well mannered. my mom isn't a huge fan of dogs and HATES dogs that beg at the table, get overly excited and jump, and she hates ALL animals that jump on her furniture! so i want my dog to be very well behaved when i take him home with me to visit my parents. it will be a lot of work and i'm ready to devote the time. 

Comment by Jane on March 15, 2012 at 1:41pm

Most are super slow to respond to emails. I only emailed 3 with Luke, but one took a month, and another a month and a half. Both offered me dogs so I think my original emails were okay lol, but I had already found Luke at that point. As Melissa said many breeders won't have extra puppies waiting around for new homes though, often they have waiting lists before the bitch is even bred. I would be very, very careful if you go to puppyfind. I'm sure you can find a puppy in about 10 seconds on there, but many of the breeders are super shady BYB.

 

I will second Jen and Chris's concerns though...are you 100% sure this is the right time for a puppy? Add up how many hours you're at school, work, sleeping. Then add in time for homework, cooking, cleaning, etc. Kiss going out like..ever...goodbye lol. How much time does that leave for a new puppy each day? I don't want to seem rude or mean, but it's very important to be realistic.

 

The puppy will probably bond very strongly with your roommate as well since she is around most of the time. My boyfriend was laid off when we got Henry and he bonded very strongly with him. I remember trying to play with him on the bed instead of letting him go in the other room where my bf was, and he growled at me and I cried about it, lol. I won't lie, it was a big, fat, disappointment. Henry was my first dog and I REALLY wanted that "heart dog" people talk about. Well yeah, no. Henry is an absolute sweetheart but he's definitely my fiance's dog.

Comment by Chris West on March 15, 2012 at 1:31pm

Here is a discussion about websites & puppies:

http://www.mycorgi.com/profiles/blogs/1150197:BlogPost:101981

And another about the total costs for a corgi in the first year:

http://www.mycorgi.com/profiles/blogs/actual-costs-of-a-puppy

If you look at the top of the page, there is a "FAQ" link that has a lot of really helpful links.

I also feel that if you don't have time for a puppy (school/work/etc) why are you considering getting one?  Why don't you just wait a couple years until it is more appropriate?  It sounds to me like you are maybe in your 20s??  If that is true, then come on, you haven't really been waiting THAT long.  I waited 15 years to get my first corgi, not that I recommend waiting that long, but I'm just saying, that's waiting so long lol.  Getting a dog should not be taken lightly, it should be like having a kid.  Would you say... I want to hurry up and get pregnant so I can have a baby this summer while I have some free time before I go back to school and work.  I am not trying to be mean or offend you, I am just asking that you please consider the responsibility of what you are doing.

Comment by John Wolff on March 15, 2012 at 1:14pm

http://wendtworthcorgis.wordpress.com/

http://blacksheepcardigans.com/

http://rufflyspeaking.net/blog/

These are a couple of blogs you might find useful.  One of them, or somebody else here, has a post about how to spot a bad breeder's website.  There's a lot of stuff right here on MyCorgi.

Do your homework.  You're gonna be with this dog a long time.  Be patient.  This is for the long haul.  You've waited a long time, you might wait a lot longer for the right dog to come along.  It's like fishing.  You wait.  You prepare.  You lurk.  Opportunity comes, then you pounce.

Do not do anything impetuous!  The sorriest corgi I've ever seen: 

"How old is your puppy?"

"Three years"

"Where'd you get him?"

"Pet store in _____.  He was sort of an impulse buy."

Contact the local corgi club and do a lot of word-of-mouth (a picture's worth 1000 words; a phone call's worth 1000 emails).  

Figure out who you want, and don't be in too much of a hurry, or you'll probably end up with somebody else.  That said, don't be so inflexible that the perfect dog escapes your attention because it doesn't match your preconception. 

Do as much research on breeders and puppy training NOW.  You'll be too busy later.

Yes, you do have to make sure that everybody in the household is on the same page, consistent, with excellent communication, the same goals and vocabulary (I made this mistake).

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on March 15, 2012 at 12:26pm

When I was looking for a cardigan, I e-mailed 28 breeders, only about 5 responded. So you really have to stick with it. Call if you get no responses, e-mail again if necessary. I actually just stumbled across Franklin when I was on my puppy search, but still it took me 5 months before I found "the one". I then had to wait 3 weeks before he was ready to come home.  Many really reputable breeders don't have "extra" puppies. They have waiting lists that you have to get on for litters and they try to plan litters around times when they won't end up with a bunch of extra pups needing homes. I've been seeing A TON of puppies needing rescue on shelter sites and craigslist so this may be a route you might want to consider. There are puppies as young as 10-12 weeks on there frequently. You can check puppyfind, although the more reputable breeders don't use that site. Just make sure to really ask a lot of questions of the people posting on there to see if they meet the standards you are looking for. I found Franklin on puppyfind before I knew a ton about "good breeders", but honestly I would probably do it again in a heartbeat because Franklin's breeder was amazing. She was a small hobby breeder but her dogs did compete. All the puppies went to their new homes potty trained and crate trained and she had complete health records for her adults and kept in contact with almost all of the puppy owners. She went above and beyond what would be expected regarding Franklin's health guarantee, so it just depends on the caliber of breeder you are looking for. Good luck!

Comment by Yuki & Ellie on March 15, 2012 at 12:17pm

I e-mailed at least twenty breeders, though probably more, during my search for Ellie.  As Chris has said, many breeders don't check their e-mail often.  A phone call might get you a lot further than an e-mail.

On another note, are you certain you are prepared to take on the responsibilities of a puppy at this time in your life?  By the sounds of it, you have a lot of things going on at the moment.  A puppy takes a lot of time and effort, especially if you want him/her to be well socialized and properly trained.  Everyone in the household will need to be on the same page regarding training and follow through with that training.  If your room mate will be home with the puppy the most, you also must be prepared for the possibility that the puppy will bond with your room mate most closely than he or she bonds with you.  If you were to lose your job, would you be able to still afford the puppy's care (Veterinary bills, food, toys, etc.) until you find another job?

I don't intend to discourage you, as I don't know what your situation is, but I do remember my own college days verywell.  As badly as I wanted a pet when I got my first (as well as my second) apartment, I also knew that I would not be able to juggle work, school and a puppy or kitten all at the same time.  A health emergency could have meant multiple days of missed work and school and, at that time, school simply had to come first.  I do apologize if I'm overstepping some bounds here, but I really do urge you to look closely at your life and make certain that a puppy, rather than an adult dog, is the right thing for you right now.

Comment by Chris West on March 15, 2012 at 11:40am

I have emailed/called at least 30 breeders.  One thing you should take into account is that many breeders, for one reason or another, are not often on the computer and don't check their email often.  I would recommend that after you email a breeder, you follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and let them know you sent an email.  Something short that won't take much time like "Hi, I am Kaley and I just wanted to let you know I recently sent you an email inquiring about a puppy"

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