As you might imagine we get asked about recommendations for Corgi breeders all the time.
I have resources and places to send you, but first I have some advice I’d ask you to review.
A good breeder will:
- Insist on meeting you. They’re looking for a loving and responsible home for their dogs, just as you’re looking for a good dog for your home.
- Recommend the dog for you. Dogs have personalities, and not every dog will fit every living situation. Be flexible on things like sex, color, markings, and what not, in favor of getting a dog you’ll love and enjoy for years.
- Test, test, test. Every breed has specific genetic and physical risks good breeders test for — both for the heath of future generations, and to be as transparent as possible about the health of the dogs they place. Corgis should be tested for hips, eyes, Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), and Von Willibrand Disease (VWD). Ask for the results, or if you’re getting a puppy, ask for the results of the parents.
- Insist that should anything not work at any time out you return the dog to them. A good breeder is your safety net, and your go-to resource throughout the life of your dog.
- Insist on a written contract including terms of sale, the return information, and any additional mutually agreed upon requirements. It will also include a requirement that your new dog be fixed or spayed if they haven’t been already.
Breeders we’d strongly recommend avoiding, on the other hand:
- Are in it for the money.
- Will allow you to write a check and pick up a dog, or even ship one sight unseen.
- Won’t let you see where and how the dogs live day-to-day.
- Have many (say, over three) litters per year, out of several different females.
- Offer multiple, different breeds.
You may see ads online for Corgi puppies for sale. Most are scams, and the resulting stories are heartbreaking. Remember this if nothing else: there is no puppy. The scam plays on your “buy it now” desire, as well as your heart strings, to take increasingly more of your money as the “puppy” faces an assortment of “delays” being shipped to you. Never consider buying from any breeder where you cannot first meet the dog(s), and the breeder, in person.
Hopefully, you realize by now that finding a good breeder, and then finding your dog, should be an investment of time, not a rushed decision.
The best place to start is your local breed club. For Corgis in the Pacific Northwest, that includes the Cascade Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club and the Columbia River Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club. (For Cardigans you can start at the national club: The Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America.) You still need to research — just because they’re a member of a club doesn’t mean they’re the breeder for you. But it’s, by far, the best place to start. Most clubs will also have even more information about the breed and can act as a wonderful resource.
It’s how we found our breeder: Brookehaven Corgis.
Consider rescue! Most clubs (including CPWCC) will have a rescue program for dogs needing new homes. Particularly if you’re an experienced dog owner, adopting an adult in need can be particularly rewarding. You can also ask the breeders you talk to, since as first point of contact for someone needing to return a dog that didn’t work out, they’ll sometimes have candidates and will know them better.
As I write this we’ve had Corgis (both flavors) for over twenty years. It all started by taking our time and doing the research. We haven’t regretted a moment of it, and we know you won’t either.
– Leo & Kathy
