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Comment by Alice on January 12, 2009 at 1:33pm

You mentioned finding a couple Pembroke puppies that were very fluffy and found this unusual. I just wanted to mention that this can happen and doesn't mean they are not purebred corgis. There is a gene that produces a longer, fluffier coat so occasionally a "fluffy" will show up in a litter. This means they cannot be shown but are otherwise just as wonderful as any other corgi.

I'd have to agree with Bonny on the breeding. You really should consider neutering him and leave the breeding to experienced breeders. Without knowing more about the breed, how genetics work etc., it is really not a responsible decision to breed. I know puppies are fun but you have to keep the animals' best interest in mind.

Good luck with training! I agree that you should sign up for an obedience class. We are attending one with our puppy right now and not only is it effective but it's fun as well. :)

Comment by Bonny on January 12, 2009 at 12:59pm

I used to take mine out into the unfenced yard when we had one, and they would stay in it quite well. If they started to stray, I could easily call them back. But I put in lots of time walking, and teaching, which generated a habit of them looking to me often for direction and praise. When dogs feel like they are part of your pack (not you part of theirs) they will listen and follow much more consistently, and if you make it positive and fun, they will always be hungry for more from you.

Comment by Tina on January 12, 2009 at 12:54pm

Ein used to be a real picky eater also. He would take a few pieces of kibble, take them to the carpet, put them down, and then eat them one at a time. When we got a second dog he stopped that. But, anyways, we didn't like that he would just eat and then leave the food. So, start limiting the time he gets to eat. Don't leave his food out all the time. Start with a longer time period if you want, but people recommended to me that I put the food down for about 30 minutes and then pick it up. That's it. He doesn't get anymore until next feeding time. He'll learn quickly to eat what is given.

The door thing-keep in mind we are still trying to get our two dogs to work on this with us. But, teach them to stay. Stand right in front of your little guy, have him sit or down, and say stay. For about 2 seconds give him as many little treats (and I'm talking little treats) as needed to get him to stay in place. If he moves or changes position, say "all done" or whatever release word you want, and walk away. Try working up his time slowly, and began spacing out how many treats you give him. Our trainer says that under 1 year, your dog should be able to hold a stay for 30 seconds, over 1 year they should be able to hold it for 1 minute. After Stanley has a stay learned while you are standing right in front of him, begin moving a bit while practicing your stay. Try walking backwards a bit, just a foot or two, then back right away to give him a treat for not moving. Once you get this learned, ask him to stay as you try to leave the door. Try it a few times with a leash on so he doesn't get away. The first few practice sessions, just go outside. Shut the door, and come back in.

I don't know about no fence. We still haven't gotten our dogs to cooperate fully off leash (we've had Ein since last July and Ed since November, both are around 1 year). We have a fence in our back yard and any time we take them somewhere without a fence, they are leashed.

Comment by Bonny on January 12, 2009 at 12:48pm

Hi Gina and Stan,

Well, it sounds like you have lots to work on! Here are a few thoughts and suggestions based on what I've learned going through two puppies.

First of all, with the breeding idea, you will find that most people on this site take breeding very seriously, and advocate against breeding unless you have a strong commitment to producing the highest quality dogs. We have so many dogs in this country that are euthanized each year that came from causal breeders. Unless your dog was sold to you as "show quality", came from registered, high quality, or show-proven parents, and you intend to show him yourself, I would personally recommend getting your dog neutered. There are plenty of corgi puppies out there to be bought, and many of them will not find good homes. Not to mention the amount of work and expense that being a responsible breeder requires. Please consider waiting until you've got more experience with the breed.

On the issue of training, my first and best suggestion is to get into an obedience class. Your problems are really pretty simple to fix, but going through a class will give you so much information and guidance, especially if this is the first dog you've trained. You are lucky that corgis are a eager and capable learners, you just need to know how to be a good teacher. I've gone through two obedience classes with two different dogs, am about to start my third, and have read widely on dogs, dog training, and dog behavior. Though it sounds like a lot, I really am not an expert at all. Working with dogs is definitely the type of thing where, the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know! And keep in mind, the more you invest in your dog, the more he will give back to you in love and enjoyment.

Here's a basic how-to on the "stay" command. With your dog on a 6' leash, ask him to sit. I use food rewards, and have found them to be highly effective, so maybe have a handful of small pieces of cooked chicken nearby. With you dog sitting and you facing him, move your hand to his nose as if you were telling someone to stop, and say, "Stan, stay". If he remains in his position for one or two seconds, reward happily with a treat. Keep your hand signal the same from now on. You're going to start small, and very gradually increase the time and distance you are from him. Repeat what you just did several times, maybe increasing it to 5 or 10 seconds. Practice this for 5 minutes a day, even broken up during the day if you like, for a few days. Keep it simple and positive. If he lays down, that's OK. Then when he's consistent with you being in front of him, give the command and move backward as far as the leash will allow, and only ask for a short amount of time. Return to him and reward. Eventually, you can end the exercise by having him "come" and "sit" in front of you. If he breaks the stay, let him take a few steps away, and then with the leash, give him a few light corrections on the leash back to the spot he left, saying "no, no, no" with each tug. Don't use their name when correcting, as you want them to only associate positive things with their name (this is really a hard one to follow!!)

Do this in different parts of the house, and don't forget in front of the door! Once you teach him this command, you should use it EVERY time you let him pass through a doorway, no matter if it goes outside or not.

With the door, no dog should ever go through a door with out permission from you. This is not only good manners and teaches them to follow you, it could possibly save their life. They should respect the door as your space. With "stay", you should be able to give the command in front of the door, open the door, stand just outside of it while Stan waits. If he starts to come out, step forward and block him, and correct as you would when he breaks the stay. When the leash is not on him, you can also ask for space from him before opening the door. I use the word "back" if the dogs are crowding me, and walk into them until they back away and sit down. Repeat if they don't stay where you left them. That is how you claim ownership of any space in your house.

And for the food, issue, what are you feeding? This is another topic that is of great interest to most of us here :) Mine were picky too, until I gave them higher quality food. Sometimes if we're traveling and my female doesn't want to eat, I mix in some plain yogurt or pureed pumpkin or squash. I also don't leave any food down outside of feeding time. If they don't eat, I just take it up and offer it again next time.

Good luck with your little guy, and hope you found some of this helpful. I've always been pleased with the help that others on the site have offered, it's a great resource!