How to buy a Corgi puppy
I am a breeder of Cardigan Welsh Corgis or as people say “the corgi with the tail”. I haven’t had a litter in several years but I still get lots of contacts from folks looking for a “corgi”.
With the advent of social media I also hear a lot of folks saying “I can’t find a corgi” breeders don’t respond etc.
So here are some things to remember that will help you in the future.
- There are 2 breeds with the words Welsh Corgi in their name. The word Corgi in the Welsh language means little or small dog. So saying corgi is like saying terrier or retriever or hound, it means a type of dog.
When you say “I am looking for a corgi” be prepared to be asked which one? The Pembroke is the more well known of the two, they are the “Queen’s dogs” and are beloved by horse people. The Pembroke traditionally does not have
a tail as in the USA they are a docked/bobbed breed. They come in 3 colors, Red, Tri-colored (black/white/tan) and Sable. They DO NOT come in any other color. Pembroke’s are happy, bossy dogs with a very outgoing personality. They have a much different
temperament than their cousins the Cardigans. Cardigans are the older but lesser known of the two breeds. They are a bigger/heavier dogs and yes they come with a tail. They also are a more reserved dog, not as outgoing as the Pembroke. Cardigans have 5 traditional
colors, like the Pembroke there is Red, Tri and Sable and additionally there is Brindle (a very popular color) and Blue Merle. Cardigans come in Blue Merle, Pembroke’s DO NOT and if some says they do they are telling tales and inflating puppy prices.
So you have to know which breed you are interested in because they are not the same. Do you want the Wag (Cardigan) or the Wiggle (Pembroke)?
- So now you know what breed you really want, now what? Now is the time to do your research. The first thing you don’t want to do is go to Google and search for “corgis” in your area. The first thing you want to do is go to the
breeder referral pages of www.cardigancorgis.com or www.pwcca.com and see who is in your region. I say region
because there might not be a breeder listed in your area but if they are in the region they can help refer you to others who may not be listed on the webpage. You can also go to the AKC marketplace where breeders may have listings. Just make sure you check
to make sure they are providing health info and contracts. If you are using google make sure you are doing your research and not falling for a slick website. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Ask questions!
- Now start contacting breeders. Remember preservations breeders are not businesses. They have lives and activities and do not always have puppies available. They may not get back to you right away. And if you just send an
email saying something like “I am looking corgi, do you have any available and how much?” you might not get a reply. Since it isn’t a business but a passion breeders are more interested knowing they are making a great placement and not so much about profit.
Be prepared to answer a lot of questions and please be honest! The breeder wants to make sure the puppy is a good fit.
- How much do they cost? Well that is hard to say, each person set their own fees. I personally base mine on expenses. My puppies range from $800 to $1500 and I think that is a normal range for Cardigans. Pembroke have a bigger
range as there are generally more available but not always from a quality source. Again do your research.
- You have found some breeders you think you would like to work with. Be prepared to be on a puppy waiting list. Good breeders are not “Walmart” and do not keep puppies on a shelf. They plan out breeding years in advance. Dogs
have to fit their breeding criteria which is more than having a boy and a girl dog. Again be honest, if you are interested in more than one planned breeding let the breeders know. We understand, plus if you are set on a male and the litter is all female then
you know there will not be a puppy for you. Get to know the breeders, if they are close to you meet up with them somewhere and meet the dogs. I personally don’t invite strangers to my home, I am more than happy to have a meeting at a neutral place to begin
the relationship. Make sure you read the contract, the contracts layout the expectations for all parties. Make sure you can live with the expectations. Makes sure you know what the guarantees are and it the dog needs to be rehomed what are the expectations
for that occurrence. All puppies are cute and adorable which is why it is a good time to build these relationships before the puppies arrive so you can use your head and not your heart. This relationship is for the life of the puppy.
- Ok, so you have found a breeder and there are puppies now what? Some breeders ask for deposits and sometimes they are non-refundable, they hold your place in line. Each breeder has their own way of placing puppies. Me personally,
I don’t take deposits, once I know a puppy has been matched for you I ask for a down payment prior to pickup/delivery or shipping. You also need to plan on how the puppy will get to you, will it be shipped or are you going to get it? The buyer is expected
to pay the fees for delivery.
- You have been matched with a puppy! Woo Hoo! Now comes the fun part! 1st don’t expect to get your puppy earlier than 8 weeks. I don’t like to place them
until they are at least 10 weeks some breeders go to 12 weeks. They should come to you with age appropriate vaccinations and parasite control. They may also be micro chipped as well. They may be already registered by the breeder so a registered name may have
been chosen or the breeder may invite you to select a name prior to registration or they may let you choose whatever you like. Remember the registered name is what is on the pedigree, you can call the dog whatever name you choose. An AKC Breeder of Merit
promises to register 100% of their puppies so that would be a reason they were registered by the breeder. Most breeders want their Kennel name included in the registered name and lots of breeders have a litter theme. The themes are so they can keep track
of what litter the puppy came from. An example of this would be my newest addition, we call her Cali, the breeder she came from uses the kennel name Stornoway and she had a theme using the word HOT. We settled on Stornoway Hot Tamale and we call her Cali
because she is Muy Caliente, but we could have called her by any name.
- You have your puppy at home. Remember to contact your breeder if you have questions or concerns. Send lots of pictures, go to a puppy class, and make sure you get all the needed vaccinations. Socialize! Have a good time and
a good life.
Solstice Kennels 