[glencorgi]

Michael asked if I would compile a list of recommended breeders to use as resource for this forum. I cannot and will not do that for several reasons. First I might forget someone and secondly, there are liability reasons to take into consideration.

What I can and will do is offer tools to assist those searching for a puppy - in the US as at least. Some of the criteria can be used no matter in what country one might reside.

I would not recommend using any of the advertisers on this forum as a source to look for a well-bred puppy.

One's first stop should be the parent club for the breed one is interested in. There is a lot of good educational information which can help determine whether a breed might be right for an individual home or not. For Cardigans the Cardigan Welsh Club of America's (CWCCA) site is <http://www.cardigancorgis.com> For the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America (PWCCA) <http://www.pwcca.org> From there one can find a list of members/breeders and a breeder referral contact. Additionally one can find links to regional breed clubs. Not every responsible, reputable, knowledgeable breeder will be a member of a club. Sometimes just because of where they live, there is not access or opportunity to belong to a club, plus the requirements for PWCCA are rather involved. Not every parent club or regional club member will be necessarily reputable either, that is where doing one's homework helps to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. Generally speaking though, club members and additionally reputable non club members will breed according to the standard and follow the Code of Ethics set forth by the clubs. A Code of Ethics is the minimum guidelines one should look for in a reputable breeder. Someone selling their Pembroke puppies at less than 8 weeks of age is not breeding according to the CoE. Most reputable and responsible breeders go far beyond what is outlined in the CoE's.

Learn what the health problems are in the breed and what tests should be done on the parents before they are bred. In Pembrokes: eye problems (parents will be cleared by a CERF exam), hip dysplasia (OFA & PennHip are the two main organizations which examine hip x-rays and rate them) and vonWillebrand's Disease (vWD). There is now a genetic marker, unfortunately the accuracy of which is somewhat in question now. In Cardigans, hips and eyes are also tested and additionally PRA. PRA is progressive retinal atrophy which causes blindness. There is a DNA marker for it and it has proven a blessing for the Cardigan breed. It is now possible for lines to have been cleared by parentage (grandparents on all side have tested clear).

One of the best articles on how to find the right breeder and that right puppy can be found at: <http://www.emrys-corgis.com/> under the "Looking For a Pup?" link. This article has been included on many of the Pem club websites and on the Corgi-L homepage as a guideline. While this article is specific to Pembrokes, it can easily be adapted to Cardigans or any other breed one in which one might be interested.

Books to help with research:
*Susan Ewing's "Pembroke Welsh Corgi Family Friend and Farmhand" is a good one on living with the breed day to day from puppyhood to the golden years.
*Richard Beauchamp's "Welsh Corgis" is good on both breeds; he also now has a good one on the Cardigans as well.
*"Everything Corgi" is great on both breeds and written by list members of Corgi-L. <http://www.corgiaid.org>
*There is another new one out I've just seen recently on Pembrokes, can't recall the name, but is available at PetsMart.
There are also some wonderful, now out of print, breed books that one can find with a little searching. Deborah Harper's "The New Complete Pembroke Welsh Corgi" being one - although it is a little more oriented to those with show interests than the general owner.

Nothing is going to replace doing one's homework and research, but suggestions and advice will be happily given if asked.

Debbie