Comment

Comment by Yuki & Ellie on October 5, 2011 at 1:37pm

One of the bigger reasons to leave a pup with its mother/father/litter mates longer is that they learn important social skills from one another.  One that comes to mind is bite inhibition.  Puppies learn that it is not acceptable to bite during play and other activities.  Yours will still be able to learn those skills, but it will be up to you and your Shepherds to do that teaching, instead.

Comment by Jane Christensen on October 5, 2011 at 1:36pm

Glad you are in contact with your vet...he may be better off at your home than there a couple more weeks.

Comment by John Wolff on October 5, 2011 at 1:36pm

If I had it to do over again, I would invest a LOT more time and very deliberate, planned effort into training.  I'd do more research, plan my work, and work my plan.  I'd keep a training notebook and calendar, list and define each goal and command I want the dog and myself to master.  I'd make sure the entire family is onboard and with the program and understands what is expected.  All of this work will pay for itself over and over and over.  And it's lots of fun.

"Really Reliable Recall" a.k.a. "emergency recall" is discussed on this site.  We had some success with that without vast effort.

Many people think 8 weeks is too young to break up a litter.  Try to get them to keep the litter intact until at least 10 weeks.  CPWCC insists on 10 weeks; we didn't get Al until 12.  They learn social stuff, including bite inhibition.  You'll have a less bitey puppy.

Also, if the pups are outside, that's another bad sign.  Carrie Hale, our breeder, always has her litters right in the house, with the dining area blocked-off.  Tell these people that this is important, the pups will get human socialization that way [why on Earth would they not want the puppies inside with the family?!?].  They'll be better dogs, IMHO.  Not too late; ask them to do that.  Of course, you DO have to have a puppy-proofed, puppy-safe area.

 

We like the Wellness kibble, but mostly feed raw meat.

Comment by Stephanie & Brian the Dog on October 5, 2011 at 1:21pm

Ok...  called our vet and they said that it is early but it is OK.  As long as he is eating well and thriving, it's fine.  He should have his first vaccinations before leaving his old home and it's fine to do at 6 weeks.  I have emailed the seller and want to make sure that is done before we pick him up.

Comment by Stephanie & Brian the Dog on October 5, 2011 at 1:00pm

*our Germans...

Comment by Stephanie & Brian the Dog on October 5, 2011 at 12:58pm

Hmmmm... I thought it was a little young myself.  These people aren't really breeders.  They are just a couple that had a corgi and decided to get a stud and breed her so they could go through the whole "having puppies" once.  I don't think they are very educated in the process of having and selling puppies.  They asked me about shots yesterday.  I told them that are Germans came with one set of shots when we picked them up.  So?  Do you think I should email her and let her know that they really shouldn't be sent to homes yet?  I'm a bit concerned because these little guys are outside now and it's starting to get cold at night.  I'm kind of scared about leaving our little guy there longer than the 2 weeks.  What do you think?

Comment by Jane Christensen on October 5, 2011 at 12:44pm

6 Weeks???? That's very young! 8 weeks is "normal" and I keep my pups till 10 weeks. 6 weeks is too young for shots. I did get Livvy at 7 weeks as her breeder says she always did this.

Comment by Stephanie & Brian the Dog on October 5, 2011 at 12:24pm

Wow!  Thank you all so much.  This has to be the best Corgi neighborhood ever!  Too bad we all aren't neighbors :)  I wish I could find a site exactly the same for the Germans...  but there isn't anything this cool :D

 

Thanks for the nice words on the food issue.  It's a hot debate for sure.  I do agree that you can't follow all the trends or advice.  I just want to make sure I'm not feeding them bad food.  Our Germans are 6 and 4 and they really do seem to be thriving dogs.  The oldest has soft stools here and there but then he is our most neurotic so who's to say he's not stressed over the evil mailman.  

 

Thanks also for the information on vaccinations.  We are meticulous with our Germans, but it's been a long time since we've done all that so was wondering what should already be done when we pick the little guy up.  Now... here is another question if you all don't mind answering...  The people with the puppy say that we can pick him up in 2 weeks when he is only 6 weeks old.  Is this pretty standard?  Jen mentioned that her pup had first shots at 9 weeks.  Well, if we pick this little guy up at 6 weeks, should he still have one series of shots?  Or is 6 weeks too young and I will have to have all of the shots done?  

 

Also... we were VERY good with our Germans in not taking them out until their rounds of shots were finished.  But, I don't necessarily have to wait until the rabies is done do I?  I realize that I shouldn't take the little guy to the dog park through the canyons...  but is it ok to start socializing in the neighborhood, businesses and friend's homes and such?

 

Thanks again everyone!  

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on October 5, 2011 at 11:47am

I grew up with German Shepherds and Shepherd mixes and I think you will find a corgi is very much like a little shepherd, minus some of the neurotic behaviors shepherds sometimes have. I wasn't allowed a big dog in my apartment and I am a renter so for the most part German Shepherds are banned from most apartment complexes so I decided to get a corgi, big dog in a small package. I couldn't be happier!

As others have mentioned, if you've fed your dog Iams forever, no reason to switch if they are doing well on the food. Don't follow the hype, seems the current trend is natural, organic, grain-free, or raw. Many of us have fed exclusively Iams or Science Diet and have incredibly happy, healthy, and old dogs. I personally feed Taste of the Wild, mostly because it was the only food that didn't give Frank soft stool. Wellness was way too rich for him and he was skin and bones on purina and science diet. He gained/maintained weight on Taste of the Wild.

Talk to your vet about shots. Every county, city, state has different regulations as far as shots like rabies go. Parvo and distemper are core, never skip them and never take your dog out in public until it is fully vaccinated for these diseases. All the other shots are location dependent so that's where your vet will come in to play. Make sure to keep your pup on heartworm preventative starting around 4-5 months old and given once a month for life.

Also like others have said, be sure to watch the Shepherds around the puppy. My shepherds have always loved to play with their paws and it can result in a smooshed corgi! lol. The pup also won't know that it isn't a huge beast of a dog and will push itself too far when playing. Frank has had one two many injuries due to him thinking he was superman!

Comment by Jane Christensen on October 5, 2011 at 11:12am

Another thought....make sure you very slowly change food to your new one...this can cause chaos if not done over a period of 10 days or so. Just don' want your new addition to get sick!

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