Need Advice,

My boyfriend and I are still in the process of getting a corgi puppy. But I'm starting to worry that maybe my boyfriend is not ready for a puppy. I have grown up with dogs and have had and raised 2 puppies. However my boyfriend has never really had a puppy. Does anyone have any advice for us, or know of any good books/ websites we can read so that he can be better prepared for the fun adventure of bring a puppy in to our lives.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on July 10, 2013 at 6:45pm

This is what I would tell my daughter:

When you get a puppy, you should plan on having that dog for 12 years. With a boyfriend, you may not be able to ensure that you will both still be together for those 12 years. My advice would be to only get a puppy if you are willing to take on that responsibility by yourself and willing to stick to it no matter what. If you are, then the joining in the experience by your boyfriend will be a plus, and how he interacts with the dog and how he handles some of the sacrifices/demands a dog may put on the relationship, can ultimately give you a window into the relationship....

If you are unsure about this in any way, wait a little longer to test those waters.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Payerl on July 10, 2013 at 7:11pm

Have you actually asked your boyfriend if HE really wants a corgi puppy, too? Are you BOTH familiar with corgis? Lots of people see them and think they are cute little dogs but are surprised to learn how energetic, bossy, and mischievous they can be. Does your boyfriend know that your pup will most likely not be a calm couch potato, at least not for quite a number of years? Puppies are a lot of work and if he is not ready for that commitment, maybe it's not time for a puppy.

I grew up around lots of great dogs, although I never had one of my own. Hubby's experiences with dogs involved strays and rescues with behavior issues that his aunt took in and he wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of having a dog. He agreed to get a one but wanted to do research to ensure we would BOTH be happy with the dog.

We checked out tons of books from the library re: choosing a breed. We wanted to get a breed that would fit well with our lifestyle, not just one that we thought was cute. Lucky for us that corgis ticked all the boxes! There was one book called, "The Right Dog for You" that rated various elements of AKC recognized dogs across various categories (physical features, behavior, personality, common medical issues, feeding/grooming/exercise needs, etc.). That was helpful as there were things we hadn't really thought of that the author addressed. That was so long ago I'm not sure if it's still in print. We also went to some dog shows and dog parks and talked to people who we ran into walking their dogs about their dogs and ask about "tips" for training, etc. We also read lots of training books. We checked out several of Patricia McConnell's books on dog behavior too --- not just training dogs but why dogs do what they do.

Good luck! A corgi puppy can be a fun adventure but only if both of you are ready for it.

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Permalink Reply by Roxane Teixeira on July 11, 2013 at 3:00pm

He was actually the one that first brought up the idea of getting a puppy. And since we have started the search for a puppy, I have constantly been asking if he really wants to do this and if he is ready and he says yes. I just want to make sure he is some what ready and knows what to expect.