Worried if Corgis are the right breed for us!
Hi all - new to the board!
After living in a no-pets apartment for 5 years, we've finally moved...and are in the market for a dog. We have a friend (several states away) who has a Corgi. While visiting, we became enamored of "Blueberry" and are seriously considering Corgis as our breed of choice.
We've done research, and unfortunately there are several things that are giving me pause. So I'd love to get some input from experienced Corgi owners before taking the plunge...
Details about us: both experienced, dedicated dog owners - we've had both large and small. Our last one died of old age 5 years ago...and our landlord implemented a building wide no-pets policy. We live in NYC, in a 2 bedroom coop (1100 square feet.) We both work. I tend to have long hours, but my husband's work is flexible. Back when we had our older dogs, we always made a point of 3 walks a day. There's also a park, right near our home. (My husband is interested in the possibility of training our Corgi for agility, though it would be a new experience for us.) We can live with fur. That's not a problem.
We also have a 6 year old cat (he has his claws, and didn't seem bothered the one time had some pups over for a few hours, as part of a rescue transport.)
In researching, I've read that Corgis are intelligent, energetic - and can be really destructive when left alone. Our dogs are always members of our family - but I don't want to make the mistake of getting a dog that ends up destroying the house from boredom...or barking incessantly and bothering the neighbors. Is a Corgi a reasonable breed for our situation? Or do we need to rethink this, and consider other breeds?
**As a side item - my husband is insisting on a puppy, since he's afraid that an older dog might be a danger to the cat. But if that's not the case, we'd love to do rescue (older, though still young enough that we'll have several years with him/her and don't have to go through the heartbreak again, too soon.) Welcome anyone's thoughts on this!!
Thanks,
--Janet
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Pam on
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Kandy Boll! I spoke with her when we started looking and she was so nice! She put us in contact with Karen and Sue.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Isn't she! Every time I'd talk to her I'd be at least a half hour. At least!
And Ann didn't even have any pups, but invited us to meet the dogs she had at the time just so we could see if Corgis were really for us. We met her Joy, who went on to be BOS at the national specialty a couple years ago. I have found Corgi people to be oh-so-helpful, at least in this area.
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Permalink Reply by Janet Goodman-Clarke on
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Thanks to everyone for all the input: BTW - my husband Phil has already nicknamed our so-far non-existent new member of the family "Battle Corgi" - and is planning little leather jackets and studs for Halloween. (Help!)
And he makes fun of Pug people.... :P
We're still thinking rescue. But if we end up with a breeder and puppy, what should we expect to pay? I've seen a huge variety of prices: all the way from $500 - $2500. What's reasonable for a healthy Corgi who doesn't need to be show quality? :)
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I am thinking in NY you will be paying much more than out here in the boonies in MN.
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Permalink Reply by GPN on
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I already posted the name of a breeder two hours N of NYC she will be having a litter in the fall. I paid $600. That was with a first round of shots...I've been looking at an additional $600 in vet costs (a number of vaccinations, boosters, and an ID chip). Greg N
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WOW...I know my vet is cheap but that sounds like a huge amount of $$$$ just for a few more rounds of shots and a chip...
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Pet insurance. We got it for Elli and get back 80 cents on the dollar after the deductable. Worth every penny.
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I would like to hear what company you use. A deductible sounds reasonable to me, my main concern is if I get hit with a $10k bill for something that could be fixed I would like to have the option of doing that. My main concern is that companies have a remarkable way of disqualifying this and that. I bet they disqualify drugs for example and that's often a big part of the costs. GN
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Hi Greg -
Who was your breeder again (and do you recommend them?) We'd like to definitely tour the facilities - so being within driving distance makes sense (still hoping on a rescue, but are keeping puppies as a possibility...)
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dawndujon-at-yahoo.com
Put an @ where you see -at- .
Although at first I was thinking about doing a rescue I found the organizations very difficult to deal with and the whole process became more of an ordeal to prove I was worthy rather than getting a dog.
Now that I have Dipper, I am learning about dog ownership and glad I went the route I did. It is a lot of work having a puppy but I am a Dad and participated in all the aspects of my son's raising form birth till today so I figured I could handle it. So far, so good. Dipper is very popular in the neighborhood and my dog expert friend told me he is a "very well balanced dog." Well his left ear tends to flop in hot weather, so maybe not completely well balanced.
Anyhow he's a cutie. He's getting kinda big though. When I drive my son to school Dipper sits on his lap but I have a feeling that is not going to last.
Greg N
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Have you ever thought of having a pup shipped? I don't personally believe in it but I know Bev has some great dogs and I actually checked in with her breeder when I was thinking of adding a pup. I would have driven there but you might want to check. Her dogs were $1200-1500 in MI.
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Steve, Nathan & Lu on
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Hi, I did a bunch of research on Corgis here in California, and couldn't find a reputable breeder in Northern California that matched the one I found in Missouri: (in the biz for 10 years, lots of socialization, etc., really pretty dogs). Note: I'm sure there are some great breeders in Nor Cal, but I just didn't find them on-line; an example is the breeder in Woodland: she owns the shop where I take Lu for grooming, but she's not on-line.
Anyway, I purchased Lu at Cartwright Corgis in Willard, Missouri, and had her shipped to SF in October of 2006; (I had been in discussions with the breeder since in July 2006). I purchased Lu for $550, and had her shipped for $250; she was not a "show quality" dog, (those were for $750), and I was required to have Lu spayed within 6 months of receiving her here in California. (That was fine, as I wasn't interested in breeding her anyway.)
I was in regular contact with the breeder from the beginning; Lu was born in August 2006, and I was sent pics from the very start. I specifically asked the breeder for a "mellow" pup, and she sent me a series of pictures via the internet, and I chose Lu fairly quickly (at her recommendation). I have Lu's pics on my page here at Mycorgi.com, in case you'd like to see her progression from 5 days to 4 years.
Lulu arrived in October 2006, and I picked-her up at the SF Airport without incident; she was just fine, and wasn't traumatized by the experience at all. Lulu has been a great little girl; she's now 6, and I can't imagine life without her. I was careful to train her using a Corgi-specific breed book when we first got her (10 weeks), and she took to the training well. The only problems I had with her initially was her sharp teeth; I actually purchased welding gloves at one point because her baby teeth were so sharp, and she'd bite while we were playing!
She grew out of that phase, and she was never destructive with my things, though she did try to chew on the legs of chairs for awhile. I bought the "bitter apple" product, and that stopped any chewing. Also, "Nature's Miracle" is great stuff for cleaning-up after accidents. I purchased a little playpen (specifically for pets, not children) for Lu, and used it with the crate to help her get potty trained. It worked like a charm, and was totally worth the price. You might be able to buy one used.
As an adult, Lu does well with many dogs, though she can be a bit "barky" with some; it just depends on the dog. Overall, I'm able to let her run free in the park without problems. She is quite friendly and happy, and gets along with everyone (kids included) very well. She's a shedder, and I have to brush her every week, but that's to be expected for a Corgi. Overall, I would buy her again in a minute; she's my first purebred, and my first Corgi. Wouldn't change anything. She's my sweetie! :)
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