Follow-up: “5 Things Not to Say to your Breeder” Reel
Pearl, 3 years old.
Why is it that breeders get SO pupset when you say something that doesn’t agree with them?
The fundamental reason why breeders are SO selective with their families – our objective is to make sure every dog of ours finds a forever home. Here is my perspective as a breeder on each of the 5 points raised in @lacorgi’s reel 😊
I’m looking for a puppy to surprise someone!
An ethical breeder generally won’t permit a puppy to be purchased as a gift. A living being is no small thing to trifle with, as it’s a lot of work (and disruption!) for everyone living under the same roof. Conflict can quickly arise within a household over things like: who forgot to let the puppy out?! Did you double feed the puppy?! THE PUPPY ATE MY SHOES/PHONE/LAPTOP/MONITOR/INSERT VALUABLE OBJECT HERE!!!!
Conflict and stress over the puppy, if not managed well, can culminate in a family ultimately choosing to re-home a dog and creating bad behaviors in a dog that makes it difficult to potentially rehome them. This, of course, can be exacerbated by family members not knowing that they’re expecting a new pet in the house!
In order to avoid this, I make sure that I spell out, to EVERYONE involved, exactly what to expect with a new furry family member. Sometimes this means reading future families the riot act, but I would rather err on the side of caution – and have puppy families experience a pleasant surprise when their new puppy isn’t quite as…tornado-like…as expected.
I’m looking for a puppy by (date).
Mother Nature is a fickle mistress, and often we can only take stabs at guessing when our next litter(s) may be. While this may be a difficult pill to swallow, remember that breeders’ lives are also turned upside down by whelping and raising a litter, and frankly – I’m trying my best here! In addition to that, we can’t predict how big a litter will be, or whether a breeding will even succeed in producing any pups – or whether the pups will survive until 10-12 weeks.
As grim as this sounds, I want to emphasize that breeding is not for the faint of heart – there’s heartbreak, tears, grief… but also some beautiful moments in between that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Imagine how an obstetrician/gynecologist would react if you approached them and said “OK, I need to give birth to a baby by 14 months from now”! …and that’s exactly how I feel when I’m given a “timeline” by which you need a pup.
I have a bored dog at home that needs a friend!
While dogs are indeed social animals, not every dog needs (or even appreciates) a friend in their home. Additionally, telling me that your current dog is bored indicates to me that you, as an owner, may not be fully satisfying your dog’s mental and/or physical needs. If your dog is bored, perhaps try a new dog sport (such as nosework, agility, obedience/rally obedience, or even trick dog certification) to help stimulate your furry friend’s brain and body.
If you don’t feel you can take on extra activities with your dog in order to fulfil their needs, I’d like to gently remind you also that a 2nd dog is likely to need even more work than taking your first dog to sports and classes (as well as costing more)! It has been proven that dogs who are well-stimulated, both mentally and physically, live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
I’ll take my dog to the dog park every day!
Most canine professionals recommend avoiding public dog parks due to the extreme unpredictability of other dogs/humans. If you must go on off-leash romps with friends, try choosing a nice dog-friendly hiking spot, or even renting a private park to share with some buddies.
Public “dog parks” are known to be vectors of disease, with a variety of bacterial, viral, fungal, and even parasitic illnesses that can be passed between dog to dog. Also, there are unscrupulous individuals who bring poorly behaved dogs to public parks (I see you!!). I firmly believe these people should keep their dogs at home or walk them on-leash…or, (dare I say?) attend obedience classes and/or see a behaviouralist.
Remember, it can only take a single poor interaction with another dog to permanently change your dog’s behaviour for the worse. Some examples can include the formation of reactive behaviours, development of resource guarding (if someone decides to bring treats and/or toys to a park), and of course the psychological effects of being violently attacked by another dog (e.g. fear, anxiety, etc.). So – please, be extremely cautious of bringing your dogs to public off-leash parks, no matter how “fun” it looks from the outside.
Corgis are my favourite breed!
The word “Corgi” refers to both Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgis (and these two breeds are quite different in demeanor), so make sure you clarify which of the two you’re interested in and why. I want to know exactly why you chose the Pembroke Welsh Corgi as your desired breed, as well as why you’ve chosen ME as your future breeder.
I, and many other breeders, NEED to know that you’ve done your research, or are willing to by talking to us, on both the breed and my breeding program before we sell you a pup or dog. (And by the way, “cute fluffy butts” is an insufficient answer. Both breeds of Corgi are hardy working dogs that can keep up with the best of ‘em! Often, people who purchase a Pembroke for its bum are often shocked that the dog is anything BUT a couch potato, often happy to go out on walks for multiple hours a day and require a lot of mental enrichment and stimulation.)
Conclusion
Overall, I want to emphasize that no breeder is perfect. The amount of inquiries that a breeder can get on a weekly or monthly basis is staggering – sometimes emails fall through the cracks, especially when we’re busy and/or expecting pups! However, we’re always seeking out the best people and families to bring our puppies and dogs home.
I always tell people – treat the introduction email as if it were a job interview. Tell me everything about yourself that may be relevant to the dog’s life, and discuss who (if anyone) will be caring for the dog with you. These are all in place not to gatekeep people from the breed, but to ensure that my dogs go to one home, and one home only, for the rest of their lives.
Later, we’ll chat more about how to approach a breeder!
Cheers - Jenny & the Pems
