family dog

[promiseacres]

My DS is going to show our lab/Australian shep mix, Maizy this year in 4H. And have told him we can add a 2nd dog that he can call his own for next year. (Current dog is my dog) in any case I have a friend with corgi pups. Always have wanted a corgi.... but their price has always deterred us from getting on. Anyways in the past I have always preffered to "rescue" but frankly it hasn't always been a good match just because rescues rarely know a dog's background, breed, ect. Since I know the owners (through rabbit showing) am considering just getting a pup. Maizy was from an aquaintences litter and been great. Our kids are still young enough I feel getting a dog with solid background is pretty important. Thoughts? Keep in mind any dog we get will be a companion.... and yes I like my herding dogs though they're a bit crazy.... we stay pretty active. So purebred or rescue?

 

[BoboFarm]

With kids in the house getting a puppy is best, IMO. Knowing the parents is important as well. Knowing breed characteristics of a purebred is invaluable. I sound like a snob by saying this but I will never again rescue a dog. I will only purchase purebred pups whose parents (grandparents, etc.) were health tested and had working titles. Even for a pet, working titles on parents will tell you that your pup should conform to the breed standard. There will be variation but that's where a good breeder will come in handy. They should pick your pup based on what you tell them you want. They've, hopefully, closely watched these pups for 8 weeks and should know what home they will do well in. I always discourage people from picking their own pups because they base it off of one or two meetings. Not enough to get to know a pup, IMO. If I had let pup buyers pick their own pups I can guarantee I'd have some returned because most like the more outgoing puppy in the group. That pup usually turns into the hellion that would have been better in a working home. I've kept those pups most of the time because very few can handle them. This is one of the big reasons why we no longer breed working rotties.

 

[Southern by choice]

Have a few thoughts but I'll have to come back...

 

[Bossroo]

PUREBRED dog every time !!! The rescues are an unkown snow job at best.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I have 2 Great Pyrennes, a Great Pyrennes mix and. Lab mix that I took in from others
I'm a big advocate of adopting dogs.
But, I think I'm a little better than average at judging a dogs tempermant
And don't discount the fact that a pure bred dog can't be crazy

 

[Southern by choice]

You mentioned the Corgi. I personally love Corgi's but I will tell you that almost all the breeders I have known/met over the years do not sell to families with children.
If this is your dream dog then definitely interview breeders and they should be interviewing you. You will want to also know results for DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) which is done by DNA testing- carriers are common and ok. There are some breeds that if you wiped out all the carriers there would be no more of that breed. Corgi's are one of those breeds.
Do you like the Pembroke or the Cardigan?

I agree with @BoboFarm a good breeder will select the dog that fits your needs, if there are two in the litter that meet that then they will give you a choice. However there really aren't alot of breeders out there that are good at evaluating.
As far as titles and pedigree I am a bit different, but there is good reason.
I can be a bit of a "snob" too with PB. Depending on the breed your looking into getting some of those things can be good or bad.

A good example is here in the States there are lots of GSD breeders that have great titles... I am referring to Schutzhund titles (working dog)...
Sadly there are many in the States that only care about numbers and titles and the dogs are a freaking mess. I mean terrible. A good working dog need not be psychotic and so driven that it isn't even a dog anymore. Far too many raise and keep these dogs in kennels and literally take them out to work... they are convinced they work harder. It is similar to the crap told too LGD people that the dog shouldn't be handled.

All my sheps were working... and sound!
Adelina (my current GSD) comes from what one would say "great lines" Her sire was the #1 Red Sable GSD in the world, and 22nd over all (world).
Can she work? Yes
Is she aggressive? No
She is a one handler dog that cannot really cope in a family environment. IMO this is NOT a "sound" dog... yet to that world she would be because she could score well etc... Extreme obedience and in many ways a wonderful dog. Just doesn't measure up to any GSD I have ever owned.
I am old school and all dogs are family members that also work (GSD's)

Unfortunately we see this in so many herding/working breeds... somewhere along the line people started equating driven and crazy with work ability.
I sadly see so many of these dogs given up because they are just too much for their owners.

 

[BoboFarm]

@Southern by choice I agree that the GSD is a disaster and where a lot of working breeds are headed, including the rottie. But I also think the GSD is a very extreme example of breeding to extremes. By working titles I don't necessarily mean specific to that breed (herding in this case). Some obedience titles showing the parents are willing to work with their handler would be nice. It's also nice to see that the breeder is putting the work into their dogs, not just breeding dogs because they can.

 

[Latestarter]

I avoid "rescues" as I'm unwilling to pay the ridiculous amounts they charge for a mutt with virtually no history. I also am not a fan of having to "qualify" to rescue an animal. I also am a very private person and refuse to divulge some of the information they "require", nor will I agree with their stipulations on what I will and won't do with the animal after I've "rescued" it... Specifically, I disagree with "mandated" spaying and neutering. All that being said, I have visited the local dog pound here (not a rescue) with the idea and possibility of purchasing (for a reasonable fee) a "house dog" without all the above stipulations.

If I'm gonna sign contracts, and agree to stipulations, and pay an amount equal to that which I'd pay for a pure bred dog with history and papers, the choice is rather obvious to me. Hope you make the right choice for you and family, and share some pics when it all happens!

 

[babsbag]

I know two people with Corgis and both of them were raised with small children. One of them will herd everything... goats, cats, people, other dogs, etc., he is a little neurotic. The other one is much more laid back and relaxed.

 

[promiseacres]

The corgis are Pembroke. I will check on testing she does, pups were born a week ago, breeder knows I have kids... I know any herding dogs can be ocd about herding and some ways would love another mutt.... as Maizy doesn't herd us...she does chase cats and gets silly if I move horses. I am leaning towards a male already having a spayed female. My experience is a male wouldn't be as likely to have dominance issues with her. Thanks for the input... any input on a very good medium dog breed great with a family? I really would prefer 20 to 40# size.