I Need Some Advice

[CorgiMum]

Have you read all the great information in The Puppy Forum here?

http://www.gocorgi.com/forums/before...buy-puppy.html

PWCCA

[Dillydoodle]

deleted post

[Jespah]

Yeah, how convenient that it's happening now. It's a miracle. What a lucky 11 year old mostly deaf dog to now go through "potty training".

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by milles2@rpi.edu

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.

Ok, here's how it works with me, I have to meet the ENTIRE family. If Grandma lives with you I want to meet her. I want to see for myself how everyone reacts to dogs and how they feel about a dog moving into the home.

I do ask questions and if I offend, well, then it's not the home for one of my dogs. And they are my dogs/puppies until they are sold. So I get to decide who is or is not suitable as a home.

I have sold a puppy to a young girl before, she was 12, but before doing so I talked with her parents and made sure it was ok. I also had the family over to see the puppies and meet the family. The girl earned money for the puppy by babysitting. During the time I first met the family and the time the puppy went home with them she came to visit him several times. Sometimes she'd ride over on her bike sometimes her family came too.

Whenever a "child" (meaning under 18) calls me I ask to talk to the parents too. I will not sell to a child unless the parents are ok with that.

Peggy

[milles2]

OK, after the heavy hand... here's a truly bittersweet story!

Lulu started Beginner's Obedience last spring with my Obedience Club. There was this wonderful family, Mom, Dad, and adopted teenager.

As a family, they decided it was time to add dogs to their family. So they got two female Sheltie pups. Dad came to class each week, daughter came to class each week and they trained the two pups. Mom was the objective observer (she had raised dogs before). It was such a pleasure to have the family in class, especially the daughter with us old fogies!

At the end of the session we had a mini obedience trial. The two shelties ended up having a special "playoff" to decide which dog would finish 3rd and which one would finish 4th. Dad and duaghter had worked very hard together with the dogs.

When I heard the truly sad news that one of the Shelties had been hit by a car, my heart just broke for the family. Apparently, the father left the garage door open, the dogs left the yard, and when the daughter went to call them back, "her" sheltie recalled. The other did not. What a heart break.

But even with family commitment, hard work, and training, tragedy can happen. Think how easy it would be for dogs w/o training. It only takes a second.

[behinderhereyes]

I have been bagging her for eleven years and I told her I would get her potty trained. I told her if anything was damaged that I would pay for it. It was really hard to convince her. I have been trying and it has taken so much out of my life. I have always been heartbroken knowing that she had to stay outside. I cried myself to sleep tons of time think how much it hurt me to know she was out there. I always wanted so much for her, I wanted to train her and do all kinds of stuff with her. I just finally told my mother how much it really does bother me. In a sense it hurt me more then Lucy. Psycologicly I was a wreck. I laid up at night think how shameful it is to leave my poor baby out there. She is like a daughter to me and I know I would never leave my daughter out in the cold, so why should she be out there. When she is like a daughter to me. I told her this and she was finally convinced.

[Dillydoodle]

deleted post

[tandemgal]

removed by T-Gal

[corgimom]

Originally Posted by taflar

Ok, here's how it works with me, I have to meet the ENTIRE family. If Grandma lives with you I want to meet her. I want to see for myself how everyone reacts to dogs and how they feel about a dog moving into the home.

I do ask questions and if I offend, well, then it's not the home for one of my dogs. And they are my dogs/puppies until they are sold. So I get to decide who is or is not suitable as a home.

I have sold a puppy to a young girl before, she was 12, but before doing so I talked with her parents and made sure it was ok. I also had the family over to see the puppies and meet the family. The girl earned money for the puppy by babysitting. During the time I first met the family and the time the puppy went home with them she came to visit him several times. Sometimes she'd ride over on her bike sometimes her family came too.

Whenever a "child" (meaning under 18) calls me I ask to talk to the parents too. I will not sell to a child unless the parents are ok with that.

Peggy

Peggy,

Do you do contracts with people? Now you say if the person is under 18, you need to talk to the parents also; but what if the person is 18, still in high school, living at home and is dependent financially on their parents - would that be a factor in your adopting a dog to them - and would you want to talk to the parents in this case to get a feeling for how the dog will live and be cared for?

Maybe I am a bit confused reading your post - I assume if an 18 year old adopts a Corgi from you, you want to meet the entire family beforehand also?

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by corgimom

Peggy,

Do you do contracts with people? Now you say if the person is under 18, you need to talk to the parents also; but what if the person is 18, still in high school, living at home and is dependent financially on their parents - would that be a factor in your adopting a dog to them - and would you want to talk to the parents in this case to get a feeling for how the dog will live and be cared for?

Maybe I am a bit confused reading your post - I assume if an 18 year old adopts a Corgi from you, you want to meet the entire family beforehand also?

Not Peggy, but I can pretty confidently answer. Yes Peggy uses contracts and Peggy did say, IF grandma lives with you, she wants to meet grandma too.

Last fall I adopted a rescue to a 13 year old girl. We have a contract, which was signed by both Lisa and her mother (the adult). I did meet all the family and while Forrest has enchanted the whole family, he is first and foremost Lisa's dog. Lisa worked his adoption fee off and the two of them have just completed his CGC (another part of his "installment payment plan").

Responsible pet ownership is NOT as black and white as some may be trying to make it. Livestock guardian dogs - live with whatever stock they are supposed to protect and don't come in the house at night. These are working dogs doing the job they were bred for and as long as adequate shelter and care is giving to them, I would have no problem adopting a corgi as a house dog to a family who had this type situation. I have actually had a few corgi rescues that were more suited to outside living as opposed to being inside with a family. There are a lot of individual, case by case, situation by situation variables involved whether it is a puppy of one's breeding or a rescue placement - both of which Peggy and I have done and do.

We are going to look at the background of how current pets and past pets have been treated and cared for. With an 18 year old still living at home with another year of high school and plans for college, then wherever the dog will be staying - usually the parents are going to be a major focus. Peggy and I know how difficult pet friendly housing is for settled adults, let alone college freshman. We're on the receiving end when the landlord changes his mind or the tenant gets caught. So, the short summary of this is: EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is a factor and a variable in decisions of placing a dog or puppy in a potential home.

Debbie

[milles2]

T Gal: I have the same fear for my two. I know if I had put in a real fence, they would have either dug under it or chewed it to bits! I am very happy with the electric fence. Tucker's world falls apart when he gets the shock (usually he's playing and forgets he's near the boudary). Lulu does seem to understand the boudary line but I am not 100% confident w/ her yet. SO they are rarely unsupervised in the yard.

Neighbors walking, neighbors dogs being walked, toys rolling byond the boundary - they seem well traiined to wait for visitors to come to them (and most do!). But I do know that anything can happen in a blink of an eye!

[Bayoucorgi]

HI Susan, if your fence is the kind with the sensor collar, your dogs should not be left unsupervised. Big dogs, predators and dognappers can easily go into a yard with a underground electric fence. PS, I saw some pics of Oswego today - hope you're not in that part of upstate!

B'eyes. I know we seem to be pretty tough on you. I've been where you are. Thirty-five years ago I surrendered my dog to a shelter because I was in High School and my mom was complaining so much about me not having time for him. It is probably why I became a rescue person - to pay it back.

I got my first purebred dog for my 20th birthday. I was a year away from graduation from college, I was already living on my own and expected to get a good job and all would be well. Well, that last year was beyond awful. My apartment decided I couldn't have my dog. Other apartments wouldn't take a large dog and the dumps that did wanted huge deposits that I couldn't swing. My dog went back to my parents' house. They fed and cared for her but she was so distraught at not being with me that she literally chewed the fur and skin off her front legs. When I finally graduated, I could afford the apartment deposits and did get her back. Her legs were always scarred. Although I was totally committed to making her life in an apartment good for her, it was hard to take her out when I was sick and it was raining. We did dog sports several times per week. She was with me through a short and disastrous marriage and divorce and many moves and much turmoil of my 20's. She eventually died on my farm at age 13.5 I did all I could for her but her life wasn't as good as my later dogs. I can remember how much the "wanting" burned in me. But looking back, it was selfish. I should have waited until I was out of school and more settled.

My beloved little Liam was surrendered to rescue at 8 months. His previous owners both went back to grad school and he was in a crate 22 hours per day. I hope they let him out to potty! I believe in crate-training but not crate abuse. He was PERFECT at 8 months. He bonded immediately with me. And my husband and children. He is our guardian, our buddy, our playmate, my drift-racing sheepherding corgi.

I wish I had had people to mentor me when I wanted a dog and wasn't ready. I hope you will get the dog of your dreams at the right time of your life.

[Fluffypants]

That's a bittersweet story Bayoucorgi, and a really great firsthand account of what we are talking about. I'm sure a lot of us on here can relate to what you felt / are feeling. I know that pets I had when I was younger (gerbils & stuff - any dogs were cared for mostly by my parents when I was a kid) were not as well cared for as the pets I have had as an adult. And, looking back, I always wish I could make it up to them.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by corgimom

Do you do contracts with people? Now you say if the person is under 18, you need to talk to the parents also; but what if the person is 18, still in high school, living at home and is dependent financially on their parents - would that be a factor in your adopting a dog to them - and would you want to talk to the parents in this case to get a feeling for how the dog will live and be cared for?

Maybe I am a bit confused reading your post - I assume if an 18 year old adopts a Corgi from you, you want to meet the entire family beforehand also?

Debbie did a very good job answering for me. Thanks Debbie!

Yes, we use contracts, in the case I cited, both the girl and her mother signed the contract. Contracts are not binding if the person is under 18 so someone "responsible" has to sign too.

And as Debbie said I want to meet EVERYONE who lives in the house the dog/puppy will be living in. And yes, if the person is under 18, I will most definatly talk with the parents and make sure they're ok with having a dog in the family.

I also don't place dogs as "surprise presents". I have to talk to and meet the person who will be taking care of the dog, not just whoever is paying for the dog.

And yes, I want to know what happens and who will take care of the dog when/if the "child" goes to college. I ask a lot of questions!

Peggy