Tag Archives: puppy

First day home, lots of sleeping and being confused.

So this is our dog. His name is Moriarty. We named him after Dean Moriarty from Jack Kerouac’s On The Road because we knew he would be an energetic, mischievous, manipulative so and so. Corgis are like this some by nature, and our breeder described him as particularly ornery. The Wife liked him the best regardless and it was to be. Which brings me to the topic of breeders. It seems that recently, people have some disdain for getting a dog from a breeder. Obviously, if you got your dog from a pet store you are still a complete monster, but now getting a dog from a breeder seems to be looked down on by some, especially in our neighborhood. We observe this as we take Arty out for walks and people often, more often than I would think, ask where we got him from.  We say we got him from a breeder in Indiana and about 50% of the time, people tend to give a slight nod or look of disapproval, then introduce us to their wonderful rescue. “We think he is part corgi!” they often gush.  Now, let me state that I have nothing against rescue services. I think that for the most part they are doing a fantastic service. I just don’t think they are for everyone.  In our case, we had a size limitation, we wanted a dog that would be compatible with our lifestyle and we wanted to raise a dog from puppyhood.  For these reasons, a breeder was the obvious way to go. After carefully selecting a breed, we diligently researched breeders in our area, had extensive phone communication with the chosen breeder, made the four-hour drive to middle-of-nowhere Indiana to visit the pups when they were just four weeks old, then returned a month later to take him home.  I would venture to say that if prospective dog owners went through the process we did, there would be less dogs in shelters. Not every dog is right for everyone, and I think a lot of the time you are taking a gamble by getting a rescue, not knowing exactly what it’s personality or temperament may be beyond what the shelter says. This is why those same dogs often end up back in the shelter. Reading over this to myself, it comes off as somewhat self righteous and preachy, but it’s not intended to be. Rescues are great for some people, especially those with experience raising dogs. For first time pet owners, like ourselves, I truly believe the breeder route was the more responsible way to go. I don’t even hold resentment towards the rescue foster pitbull that bit two holes through our dog’s ear on the corner. I just wish that it didn’t seem like we have to defend our decision to peeps on the street.  Anyway, that post seemed pretty heavy, so here are some adorable puppy pics to lighten the mood.

Caught mid crazy dashing around session

Corgi butt