Puppy Buyer's Guide
Getting Ready for the New Arrival.
Decide where the puppy/dog will stay. A dog crate is one of the safest sleeping places to use for a dog bed. If introduced to it properly, a crate will become a safe haven and favorite sleeping spot for a dog, not a cage for unwanted confinement. Find a secure place in your home where you can place a dog crate so it is both out of the way as not to be tripped over, yet in a place were the dog can be easily seen and monitored. Also make sure no drapes, bedding, wires or other objects can be reached and chewed on through the sides or front of the crate. Provide safe chew toys like Nylabones® and be sure the dog had time to eliminate and has been exercised before placing in the crate.
Make an appointment for a first veterinary exam. Be sure to call your veterinarian and arrange an appointment in advance for your new puppy's first exam. A puppy should see your vet within the first 48 hours after bringing it home from the breeder. This way a problem can be identified early. If possible, try to avoid giving vaccines until the 2nd visit so the puppy doesn't learn to associate every trip to the vet as something to dread. Bring along some tasty treats to make the experience positive.
Getting food and other supplies. Find out what food the breeder is feeding and try to use the same when the puppy is brought home. Most breeders include a small bag of food with their puppy packet. If you want to use a different brand, gradually change the puppy's diet to avoid digestive upset. Get a dog crate of the right size for your breed (Cardigans require at least the 200 size Vari-Kennel or approx 19"x20"x29" sized crate). If you aren't sure, ask the breeder what size crate they use. A crate should be large enough for an adult dog to stand up, turn around and lie down in comfortably. Be careful not to use bedding that a puppy might chew up and swallow. Some breeders may line their crates with newspaper or other similar bedding, but this can become messy or troublsome if the puppy decides to eat some of it and may even encourage a puppy to eliminate in their crate, so it is not recommended. It may seem uncomfortable, but no bedding at all is probably the safest option until the puppy is older. A regular dog bed can be used during time outside the crate with supervision until the puppy is old enough to be past the chewing stage. Get a collar that can be adjusted as the puppy grows and a good quality leather leash. A martingale style collar works great for early training because it does not tighten the way a chain collar does, but also does not slip off the head the way a regular collar can if a dogs tries to pull backward. A nylon leash may be prettier than a plain leather lead, but it is also more likely to injure your hands if the puppy pulls suddenly. Check the collar weekly to make sure it isn't too loose or getting too tight and to be sure the puppy hasn't found a way to chew on it. Do not leave collars on the dog while it is crated because this could become dangerous if the collar gets caught on anything.
Sign up for Puppy School. Check with your veterinarian, phone book, internet sources and pet food store to find local oedience schools. Find out what methods they use, preferably modern motivational techniques as opposed to 'correction' training. Cardigans do best with motivational training and rewards. A good school will show you how to train your own dog using an assortment of positive methods depending on your handling skills and your dog's ability and temperament. Puppy school is usually an excellent social experience for you and your dog and many people have gotten into showing in obedience and other performance events as a result. Cardigans especially enjoy doing things with their owners, so puppy school is a great place to start.
Registration, Puppy Buyer Contracts and Identification. Be sure to get registration papers that are properly filled out and don't forget to send them in to the registry. The AKC now even provides an on-line registry option. They also use registration information to develop statistics that can be useful for breeders. Most importantly, registration is necessary for legal transfer of ownership, so it is very important to send those papers in even if the puppy will only be a pet.. Make sure you read any puppy contracts and understand them completely before purchasing your puppy and don't be afraid to ask questions. Many breeders use microchip and/or tattoos to permanently identify their puppies in case they get lost. Common microchip systems include AKC's Companion Animal Recovery (ACAR), Home Again and the internationally recognized AVID, but now there are even more options. Be sure to fill out and send the papers provided by these systems. It could make a big difference if your puppy should ever become lost. If your breeder doesn't microchip, it isn't a bad idea to have it done. Most veterninarians provide it as a regular service and installing the chip is no less painful than a vaccine. Tattooing is another good identification method, but is less reliable over time and more difficult to access if the dog is large and/or heavily coated.
Books and video. There are a lot of good books about puppy training and dog ownership. A very good one is "The Only Dog Tricks Book You'll Ever Need" by Gerilyn J. and Paul S. Bielakiewicz. This book not only covers how to teach tricks, but also positive training basics. Another good book is "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson, which is an excellent primer for not only puppies, but also adult dogs.
A nice video about Cardigans is from Animal Planet's "Breed All About It Season 2 - Episode 9: Cardigan Welsh Corgi" first aired in 2006 and is now available on DVD.
There are many other good books and videos on a variety of training topics, so take time to preview and read reviews on them by others to choose those which best fit your needs.
FInally, enjoy many years of wonderful companionship with a dog that will be a joy to own.
Remember! Think before you purchase.
A puppy is a canine companion for a lifetime!
Kathleen Carlson, Wyntr Cardigans
Permission granted to copy and use this guide as needed.
Decide where the puppy/dog will stay. A dog crate is one of the safest sleeping places to use for a dog bed. If introduced to it properly, a crate will become a safe haven and favorite sleeping spot for a dog, not a cage for unwanted confinement. Find a secure place in your home where you can place a dog crate so it is both out of the way as not to be tripped over, yet in a place were the dog can be easily seen and monitored. Also make sure no drapes, bedding, wires or other objects can be reached and chewed on through the sides or front of the crate. Provide safe chew toys like Nylabones® and be sure the dog had time to eliminate and has been exercised before placing in the crate.
Make an appointment for a first veterinary exam. Be sure to call your veterinarian and arrange an appointment in advance for your new puppy's first exam. A puppy should see your vet within the first 48 hours after bringing it home from the breeder. This way a problem can be identified early. If possible, try to avoid giving vaccines until the 2nd visit so the puppy doesn't learn to associate every trip to the vet as something to dread. Bring along some tasty treats to make the experience positive.
Getting food and other supplies. Find out what food the breeder is feeding and try to use the same when the puppy is brought home. Most breeders include a small bag of food with their puppy packet. If you want to use a different brand, gradually change the puppy's diet to avoid digestive upset. Get a dog crate of the right size for your breed (Cardigans require at least the 200 size Vari-Kennel or approx 19"x20"x29" sized crate). If you aren't sure, ask the breeder what size crate they use. A crate should be large enough for an adult dog to stand up, turn around and lie down in comfortably. Be careful not to use bedding that a puppy might chew up and swallow. Some breeders may line their crates with newspaper or other similar bedding, but this can become messy or troublsome if the puppy decides to eat some of it and may even encourage a puppy to eliminate in their crate, so it is not recommended. It may seem uncomfortable, but no bedding at all is probably the safest option until the puppy is older. A regular dog bed can be used during time outside the crate with supervision until the puppy is old enough to be past the chewing stage. Get a collar that can be adjusted as the puppy grows and a good quality leather leash. A martingale style collar works great for early training because it does not tighten the way a chain collar does, but also does not slip off the head the way a regular collar can if a dogs tries to pull backward. A nylon leash may be prettier than a plain leather lead, but it is also more likely to injure your hands if the puppy pulls suddenly. Check the collar weekly to make sure it isn't too loose or getting too tight and to be sure the puppy hasn't found a way to chew on it. Do not leave collars on the dog while it is crated because this could become dangerous if the collar gets caught on anything.
Sign up for Puppy School. Check with your veterinarian, phone book, internet sources and pet food store to find local oedience schools. Find out what methods they use, preferably modern motivational techniques as opposed to 'correction' training. Cardigans do best with motivational training and rewards. A good school will show you how to train your own dog using an assortment of positive methods depending on your handling skills and your dog's ability and temperament. Puppy school is usually an excellent social experience for you and your dog and many people have gotten into showing in obedience and other performance events as a result. Cardigans especially enjoy doing things with their owners, so puppy school is a great place to start.
Registration, Puppy Buyer Contracts and Identification. Be sure to get registration papers that are properly filled out and don't forget to send them in to the registry. The AKC now even provides an on-line registry option. They also use registration information to develop statistics that can be useful for breeders. Most importantly, registration is necessary for legal transfer of ownership, so it is very important to send those papers in even if the puppy will only be a pet.. Make sure you read any puppy contracts and understand them completely before purchasing your puppy and don't be afraid to ask questions. Many breeders use microchip and/or tattoos to permanently identify their puppies in case they get lost. Common microchip systems include AKC's Companion Animal Recovery (ACAR), Home Again and the internationally recognized AVID, but now there are even more options. Be sure to fill out and send the papers provided by these systems. It could make a big difference if your puppy should ever become lost. If your breeder doesn't microchip, it isn't a bad idea to have it done. Most veterninarians provide it as a regular service and installing the chip is no less painful than a vaccine. Tattooing is another good identification method, but is less reliable over time and more difficult to access if the dog is large and/or heavily coated.
Books and video. There are a lot of good books about puppy training and dog ownership. A very good one is "The Only Dog Tricks Book You'll Ever Need" by Gerilyn J. and Paul S. Bielakiewicz. This book not only covers how to teach tricks, but also positive training basics. Another good book is "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson, which is an excellent primer for not only puppies, but also adult dogs.
A nice video about Cardigans is from Animal Planet's "Breed All About It Season 2 - Episode 9: Cardigan Welsh Corgi" first aired in 2006 and is now available on DVD.
There are many other good books and videos on a variety of training topics, so take time to preview and read reviews on them by others to choose those which best fit your needs.
FInally, enjoy many years of wonderful companionship with a dog that will be a joy to own.
Remember! Think before you purchase.
A puppy is a canine companion for a lifetime!
Kathleen Carlson, Wyntr Cardigans
Permission granted to copy and use this guide as needed.
