Help us find our furry baby
My husband and I are looking to expand our family with a furry baby. We have completely fallen in love with corgi's and have our heart set on a tri-color pembroke but really want to allow our baby to keep their natural tail. We have contacted about 10 breeders on the east coast with no luck so far each one responding with a resounding no like we're being rude to even ask. We know other countries have banned docking and starting showing corgi's with their tails so have been kind of shocked at the responses we've been getting. We're willing to make a deposit to set aside a pup or whatever. We have found one breeder in Iowa that says she doesn't dock tails, but she doesn't do any health checks either and seems to have breed her dogs three times in one year and that makes us very nervous. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks so much!
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Ludi on
-
Go with what your heart says regarding that breeder. If they don't do health checks, you don't know what sort of problems you could be getting yourself in to. A corgi with hip dysplasia is a very tragic thing to witness, and while not every litter out of two "Fair" or above dogs will not see HD in their lifetimes, it is at least a preventative step in the right direction. Von Willebrand's is also very difficult to manage over the lifetime of the dog, and it can be tested for as well. These checks aren't cheap, and that's why less scrupulous breeders will forego them. It's not worth it!
There are several other members on MyCorgi right now who are also looking for tailed Pems. Have you considered a Canadian breeder by any chance? in several provinces, the practise has been banned.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Cheryl Rice on
-
Thanks for the encouragement! we're definitely looking for better options. We've thought about looking abroad for breeders (even to europe just to see what would be out there) but the cost seems so high we're still trying for a more "local" option.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Linda on
-
Hi Cheryl....both these breeders are in MA, Crystal Corgis and Heronsway (they are the first 2 listed on the page)....they are partners. Both my dogs are from Karen Baker at Crystal Corgis...they are of Hersonsway stock which is a well known breeder. They do health checks...I won't get a dog from a breeder who didn't. I honestly can't say if they will hold a pup and not dock it. That is something you would have to ask about. Neither of mine were docked. Max was born with really no tail at all and Katie has the tiniest nub so not all Pems are born with long tails. From my reading they snuck in a gene from the Old English Sheepdog to try to breed dogs without tails I believe show standards allow up to a 2 inch nub.
Max we got as a rescue, Karen was the original breeder and he was returned to her at age 5 "because the new wife didn't like him." Katie was one of Karen's breeders, she only breeds her females twice in 4 years. We were so impressed with Max that we contacted her to see if she any dogs she was retiring....she had Katie who was pregnant with her last littler. She was 4 when we got her. I can attest that both dogs were ( and are) healthy...Max will be 11 next month and Katie just turned 9. She is Max's niece.
-
-
Permalink Reply by rae on
-
Machete is from Heronsway corgis, but I know for a fact you can't get one undocked from that line. Which is fine, I'm more concerned with health and temperament than any appearance preferences like coat colors or tails, as in the long run health is far more important.
Like, as long as our puppy is healthy and happy, we wouldn't care what color his fur is.
I've heard of Crystal Corgis, we may have even inquired?
But health > appearance every time. Definitely.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Potus on
-
I agree that health is more important than appearance but the idea of tail docking goes against the philosophy of putting health above appearance- tail docking is purely carried out for the sake of appearance.
I understand that in the U.S tail docking is the norm and whilst Cheryl may have made the decision to look for an undocked Corgi based on appearance (I'm not sure of her reasoning- perhaps its a moral issue too) I think more people should be pushing breeders not to dock Pems.
-
-
-
It is more of a moral issue as I'm not planning on showing the pup I think if God gave him/her a tail they should be allowed to keep it. If it's not much of a tail by nature thats fine I just find issue with docking it for no real reason
-
-
-
rae....I didn't know whether you could from Karen or Anne. Both mine were adults when we got ours.
-
-
-
She docks all her pups within hours of birth, and we did discuss that with her at one point, but she doesn't leave any undocked. Especially since at birth you have no idea of temperament, so you can't randomly set aside a puppy for a family as undocked and know if it's still going to be the right fit.
I do not remember exactly when we talked if she had ever mentioned if she had any litters with pups that had naturally bobbed tails or not, though.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
-
Have you considered a Cardigan Welsh Corgi? They're great too. I would avoid the breeder you are speaking of who does not do health checks and keep looking for a breeder that is more open minded about your request, while breeding in a responsible manner. The problem I see is that many show breeders cannot assess show potential in a puppy at birth and docking is done so very early. There are many hobby breeders that do health checks, but don't do much showing at all ( maybe they participate in other sports like agility, obedience or herding ) or actually work their dogs. These people may be more open to your request. I applaud your effort, which is certainly humane and would keep looking for a pup with an undocked tail ( which, in a Pembroke, as others have pointed out may not be long at all ). I would also take a good look at the Cardigans.... Good luck.
-
-
-
We have gotten that answer a lot which is fine. We're looking for a pembroke for their personalities but if all else fails we have looked into cardigans too. Thanks for the encouragement!
-
-
Permalink Reply by Emily & Scout on
-
One reason you could be getting the "no" answer is because tails are docked at 3ish days, and the puppies do not show their personality by then. So a breeder who picks the puppies for the owners based on personality and lifestyle would not want to chance it and let you end up with a puppy who doesn't fit the personality you desire. Canada may be a good option, and you may be able to find a breeder who does not dock there.
There is a group on facebook for tailless pems so you may find a good breeder that health tests on there. Like you, I also gave up on a puppy because there was no health testing done. Good luck in your search. Here is the fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/473106636084316/You will have to put in a join request but I was approved within an hour. -
-
-
Excellent point about the personality!
-
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
