I Need Some Advice

[Dillydoodle]

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[MrsGrace]

Originally Posted by Dillydoodle

Even spending time outside with this dog, still means that when she gets cold SHE gets to go into a nice warm home unlike this poor dog that stays outside freezing her butt off...it is outrageous... She is lucky i am not her next door neighbor, i would call the ASPCA in a heart beat, i consider that animal cruelty...

That is how I feel about people who keep their rabbits outside in a hutch all day, every day. Sure, back in the day or in the wild, rabbits and dogs were fine. BUT since their domestication, they have changed and are less apt to be able to adjust to climate changes, esp extremes.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Mvons

We got our last pup at 6 weeks because the mom was loosing interest in the pups. She was not bred again. The pups had such good personalities, never a bite, we don't have regrets getting her that early when the mom was done being a mom!

My girls typically want to wean their puppies at this age, but that is not "losing intrest". It's typical for a dog of any breed to not be mothering as much at this age. However, puppies can still benefit from staying with littermates and mom until at least 8 weeks and even better 12 weeks of age.

Peggy

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Dillydoodle

Peggy, another issue could also be that many REPUTABLE breeders wont give one of their puppies to a person who currently has an adult dog that lives outside permanently, I know if i were a breeder, I wouldn't.
Emilie

So true, and it's doubtful I would either.

Peggy

[Chip's Mom]

Dale's mom lost interest with the litter when he was about 6 weeks but he stayed with his siblings until 8 weeks and I have had very few issues with him biting and such so there is a big difference to the good in keeping them with the other pups until that age.

[milles2]

I'm going to chime in here and cut to the chase. I think Debbie, Peggy, et al are being kind. Maybe I will be a bit more direct.

I was 45, owned a beautiful home, had a successful career and wanted to get my first dog. Talking to breeders and the questions they asked me were frankly, insulting.

Here is the issue: Taking in a new pup for their ENTIRE LIFE is a huge responsibility. It is costly and time consuming. Too many people take on the responsibility and after a year or few years, the dog is given up. The shelters around the country are full of them.

I can't speak for others on this list but from your posts, red flags are flying. Not the least is you are not head of your household and you already are keeping one dog outside in the MN winters. It does not sound like your family is supportive of your current dog and it is suspicious that they will therefore have a change of heart w/ a 2nd dog.

This will be hard to take, and I have somewhat of an understanding of what it feels like to hear people criticize you as a possible dog owner. But this is the heart of it.

It took me awhile and lots of hurt feelings to understand this.

The comments are harsh because many people on this list have seen dogs come into rescue who have had lesser lives than they deserve. A warm and safe environment (not an outside dog house), affording proper vet care, training, love and attention - Corgis need all of this. You may be able to give them some of these things, but if you can't be certain that you can provide everything for the life of your pup, maybe waiting until your life is ready for the total responsibility is what people are getting at.

I hope you will have a long and happy life ahead of you and the time will be right for you one day soon.

That's my $.02.

Susan

[CorgiMum]

Thank you Susan, you have said what I was thinking, and I suspect many of us here wanted to say, and you have worded it very well.

[darci]

Susan,
Great post.
The breeder we got Egan from wont sell to anyone who keeps a dog outside 24/7.

[Jespah]

Amen, Susan.

Dogs are our companion animals for their life span, they are not garden decorations, dolls to be dressed up, or babies, or disposable.

I wasn't ready in my lifestyle to have a dog in my life until I was 40. I go straight home from work every single night, I get up at 5:40 everyday, I take them out in every kind of weather, I have taken two weeks vacation away from them in 6 years. And then it took me 10 interviews to find someone I trust to leave them with - and their vacation costs as much as mine. Every weekend is planned around getting them out and about to get extra exercise and variety in their lives. They have both been through general obedience training, they eat high quality natural food and are cared for regularly by vets.

They are not accessories - they are my life, I love them - but it takes more than love, it takes time, money and committment. If you don't have any of those, don't get a dog.

[Fluffypants]

Good points all. If more people considered these things, more dogs would have the life they deserve.

[Dillydoodle]

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[Michael Romanos]

Maybe this thread has gone pass it, but for this young person who wants a Corgi, seven months is much much better than any younger Corgi. Apart from a fascination with Corgis, this person does not appear ideal as a well considered and responsible owner at this stage in her life. Better wait until she is financially better off and a little more level headed with a definitive plan of action and a proper volume of information that has been digested and stored in her mind.
Some people are absolutely suited to care brilliantly for a pup and and dog at a young age- even before their early teens. But the vast majority are not. As I have said before, I recently (published earlier this month) did a story on Chelsea Marriner who is now 15 years old and has five dogs and she has cared for the oldest of them since she was five, but apart from being one of a kind, Chelsea also has a mother (and a father) who love Chelsea's dogs and can care for them well, though not as well. But Chelsea has never gone to a school (schooling from home) . so she is virtually with her dogs 24 hours a day. The dogs who are not a small breed of dog, all sleep in her room with 13 year old Brodi sleeping on Chelsea's bed.

[behinderhereyes]

Good news Guys, I finally got my mom to let me potty train my baby girl Lucy. I am so incredibly happy. I have always wanted her in the house. I told my mother she needs to take into consideration that she is eleven years old and she will take longer then most dogs would, but with love and understanding I know I can get it done.

[Chip's Mom]

That is excellent news - It will be hard work but with persistence you can get her potty trained. I would suggest holding off on getting a little corgi pup though because it will take alot of work and time to get your Lucy housetrained and if you try to train two at a time, it is twice as hard and twice as many messes. You want to do everything possible to succeed with this and your are right, with Lucy being 11 years old and never been housetrained, it will take alot of work. If you had Lucy and a puppy, your mother might get discouraged and move both of them outside and you don't want that. Considering how much you love Lucy, waiting until Lucy is completely housetrained to get a puppy, is a small sacrifice for your beloved dog. On the bright side, you will have Lucy in the house where you have wanted her all along. I am speaking from experience because we had to housetrain 2 dogs at once and it took us almost five months and they were both puppies so it could be longer with an older dog.

[corgimom]

That is good news,

Is your mom going to take over with the training when you are at school - or does she work outside the home? I would guess you may need a crate to help aid you with the potty training of Lucy if your mom may not be around during the day; how do you think Lucy will take to that since she has been an outside dog for so long?

I hope you read the posts that others gave also; there was some really good advice in regards to everything that is involved in caring for a puppy for its entire life; and to really look ahead and see how much your life may be changing within the next 5 to 10 years.