I am... buying a dog.

After all these 30++ years of my life, here comes a day I can afford a dog.

Yes, I am buying a dog, not rescuing or adopting.

His name is Arsenic. The breeder called him Sena for short.
The husband and wife couple -- the breeder, have won a couple of show nationally, and just had their first international victory some months ago. They are specializing in Corgis, and most of the breeding pair they have are supposedly expensive champions imported from outside of the country.

Arsenic or Sena is an 17months old male Corgi, one of the three litters of the breeder's first international champion Corgi.
Sena's littermates, playful and energetic female Corgis are already adopted -or bought, whatever word suits your fancy- and exported to a neighboring country.
Sena on the other hand, while physically shares his father's show quality physique, is a very passive and submissive male. Sena is shy and doubtful at pretty much anything. He doesn't trust people easily (took a full day for him to trust me enough to have a nip at a kibble from my hand)-- yet somehow he is still doing his best to approach and sniffs in a friendly way to visitors who came to the breeder's place to see what Corgis are available.

Sena's personality is deemed to be not fit for shows. The breeder decides that Sena will only be fit to be a house pet, and then decides to offer Sena's ownership to anyone who could provide a good home (and some healthy sum of cash-- it's still business after all) and also agreed to promise them to not force Sena to be a show dog or worse: a "champion" breeding dog.

Well, Sena caught my heart almost instantly.
I know he is a submissive dog, it is very visible especially when he's around the other dogs in the kennel. I know he'll be a shy one and will have difficulties in adapting to a new home / environment. I know such personality will be very prone to separation anxiety and other problems that will follow such behavior.

But for some reason I don't really quite understand, I know I want this particular dog. I want to give him a chance... at a normal life.

People around him expect him to be a star that steals most shows yet he can't fulfill such expectation.
Most (or all) other dogs in the kennel bullied him. A newcomer dog chases him out of his own cage even though Sena is the settled one. When the breeder tried to introduce him to one of the prospective female, he is chased away by a simple growl from the female.
Sena is simply deemed as a pure disappointment by his breeders, his peers, and I think by all other potential buyer before me.

Well... Yes I bought a dog, but it actually felt like I was rescuing one.

Yeah I know I've been stupid in this decision. It's almost like I'm consciously looking for a trouble by bringing home a dog with a personality like that. And honestly, these past three days feels like the longest days in my life. All of my (and wife's) previous experience with animals are not helping at all with handling Sena.

For now, I just hoped that Sena will be able to acclimatized himself with my small house. He's struggling rather badly at this, and so do we. He for some reason is very afraid of the broomstick and mop stick, perhaps he was once hit by a rod like object such as those?
He is also very afraid of the grooming comb, how can that be? A tidy dog with nicely maintained coats from a reputable breeder is afraid of a grooming tool?

But for whatever it is, I'm sure at the very least I can provide a more positive environment for him compared to his old home.
*sigh* We'll just need more time. This will take time, oh boy this will.

Arsenic:

Spoiler

 

Shame you didn't just get a rescue dog - There are so many dogs waiting in shelters …..

 

Be sure to read the book "the art of raising a puppy" by the Monks of New Skete.

 

Will check, thanks for the recommendation.
This one I brought home is no longer a puppy though, age-wise he's nearing maturity. 17-18 months old now.

 

There is only one problem with getting a dog, loosing it.

 

Hopefully won't happen for at least another decade! I read that Corgis can reach 11 - 13 y/o with proper care.

I'm tired of spending some short months or years from rescuing strays (with unfortunate condition). They are gone just when things are getting right for them and for me. This time I wanted a more long lasting friendship and company, that's for sure.

 

I'm not a dog person ---although some of my best friends are dogs--- being much more inclined to felilnes.

At a point in my mum's life, she decided that she was too old for puppies, and, what's more, they might outlive her, so she started going in for adult rescue dogs. Every one of them was crazy or difficult in some way*, and everyone because her wonderful, well-behaved-if-crazy, close companion. Even into her eighties she was being given dogs considered too difficult for others younger than she was.

So the point is... it is not a stupid decision. You fell for the dog. My mum's dog-whispering skills were terrific, but I'm sure that you and Sena will work things out and it will be great!

(Say Hi to Sena from me)



*One of her dogs didn't bark at people when they arrived, but when they left. Once people were settled in their chair she liked them to stay there!

 

I heard of a recent study that suggested those kind of problems are 25% genetics and 75% diet and enviromental. Making sure your puppy gets a natural source of calcium is vital and if you feed raw the calcium phosphor ratio is good too. Excess artificial calcium can cause all sorts of problems in bone and muscle growth whereas with a natural source any excess leaves the body.

Also be mindful of slippery surfaces at a young age, don't overtax the skeleton while it's not fully developed like running next to a bike, throwing balls, running in sand and walking too long. You probably know this already but i'm posting this anyway

Anyway good luck with your new puppy!

 

Thank you for the encouragement! I wished I had that inkling of dog-whispering talent that your mother had.

Actually I am more of a cat person too, but I think my problem here is I am too used to the behavior of strays that I rescued before.
Strays are really independent; even though they have their own problem, but the point is they are really good at surviving on their own as in they don't really need you. Yes they appreciate the food, shelter, and affection you gave them but they don't need your help to do most of their daily chores and stuffs.

Man, Sena is a really, really different experience from that. So dependent on about anything, so clueless on about everything too.

Thank you for the information!

Yep I've read about Corgi's usual health problem, though the breeder assures me that they've screened their Corgis and theirs should not be genetically vulnerable at hip/back problem.
The breeder do have (and showed me) a 11 years old female Corgi though, they told me she is one of their very first Corgi; still reasonably active and able to walk around but is now a senile and no longer that friendly against new people / dogs.

 

So I'm the first to make an underdog joke? No? Did I just spoil the moment?

We had a shy dog when I was growing up, the most important piece of advice I can offer is to always keep an eye on the leash on walks. Flightly dogs have a habit of hiding behind the human, coming out to see, going back behind the human... and the human has a way of becoming a mummy. Overall I say they are better than the alternative, they get along better with cats and you don't have to worry about biting. There are worse fates than acquiring a domesticated domestic pet.

 

Yep, this one is an underdog for sure!

Oh! That reminds me, yep this Sena fell from three steps of stair when he's trying to follow me upstairs. He slipped while trying to jump to the next step, rolled down back to the bottom and ended up on his back. Poor Corgi, they are not born with the build to climb a rather steep stair like that. But he learned his lesson that fast, he now knows to stay downstairs when people are going upstairs.

Ah well for the training classes... sadly none in 3rd world countries like where I am. Well in fact some ethnic groups here still hunt and eat dogs regularly you know.

 

My wife and I have been on the fence about picking up a Corgi for a couple years now. We live in a 3rd floor walkup and that's a lot of steps.

They always look so optimistic...and if you imagine them shuffling their short legs to War's "Low Rider" they become 100% more awesome.

 

Unfortunately for me I'm fatally allergic to cats and dogs. I once came down with anaphylaxis (severe allergic shock) several years ago after accidentally being in contact with my relative's pet puppy that I had to be taken to the ER immediately and receive a shot of adrenaline. I could never pat or hug a dog without putting myself at a risk again.

 

Indeed they are!
Even with one as shy as the one I brought home here, he still has that enthusiastic 'Corgi' look whenever he gazes on you: pair of big foxy ears, large puppy eyes, big smile with tongue panting, and shuffling on legs that always seem to be too short for him.

They say that Corgis are one of those large-dog-in-small-package after all.

Ouch, that is really sad.
Do you know of what particular substance from cats / dogs that trigger your allergic reaction? How about the breed like Japanese Spitz who got hypoallergenic furs?

 

I've heard that when properly socialized dog's don't even take size into account, a Chihuahua can boss around a great dane so to speak.

 

Hmm, I've seen plenty of such cases yep; though the most extreme for me was how my uncle's manly German Shepherd is chased away by his older, tiny Pinscher.
Still, looks like they got along just fine after a couple of months.

Now this Sena, this is the second day I tried to walk him around the neighborhood; nothing too far, just within 10 - 15 meters outside of my house perimeter. Everything seems quite normal for a dog this shy but...

Yesterday I forgot about the house next door that has this extremely barky Pomeranian. Bam! My Corgi got taken aback instantly he hears the bark and now he's afraid to even peek through the door to see the outside view.
Well, gotta try and motivate him anyway, one inch at a time. He can't live his life turtling away like this.

 

Yeah it is pretty funny to see

If he gets scared of something just ignore it, don't give it any attention at all. If you try to comfort him you will only confirm his fear. Just let him process it himself, just stand still ignore him and the other dog(or whatever scared him) and act like nothing happend. You might be standing there for a bit but once he's calmed down just move on.

 

Noted, thank you for the tips!