[mollybear]

Well, I took a longer hiatus than I'd anticipated, but we're finally adopting a second puppy! He's an apparent corgi/cattle dog mix. He'll be ready to come home with us late next week!

Before we bring him home, I've been preparing and puppy-proofing and rereading my puppy books. I'm pretty comfortable with my ability to raise him properly, but there are definitely going to be some differences this time around and I'm trying to prepare myself as much as possible.

First, he's a herder. He's definitely going to be different than Molly, who's a bulldog/beagle mix. We read up on the typical traits and issues that usually go along with corgis, cattle dogs, and other similar breeds before we decided to get him, but I haven't gotten to know too many herding dogs personally. If anyone has personal advice for a new herding dog owner, it would be much appreciated!

Second, I want to be sure to NOT mess up again on the one aspect where I feel I let Molly down a little bit - socialization. We socialized her really well when she was little, then she hit adolescence and we didn't keep up with it as well, and she's still shy with strangers and in crowds. I'm going to be sure to maintain it with the new puppy, and we'll enroll him in classes which will help, but I have some concerns with his initial socialization before he's 12 weeks old.

Since Molly's not great with strangers and large groups, I don't want to bring them into my house and have to manage her issues while trying to socialize the little one. Since we get plenty of foot traffic around our house, I'm thinking I'll keep Molly inside and hang out with puppy in the yard (where she can't see us through any windows and get upset), and wait for neighbors to pass by on their walks and ask them to greet him. Would this work? Is it safe before he's fully vaccinated?

I would also like to take him into work to meet my coworkers. Dogs aren't allowed in the building, but I can take him to the small gated parking lot behind the building. Would this be unsafe without him being fully vaccinated? If we set him down on the ground at all, I have a picnic blanket with a waterproof backing that I would put him on. I feel like it would be the best possible way for me to socialize him with lots of people I know and trust, but is it too risky? Does anybody have any other suggestions for safely socializing him before he's 12 weeks old?

The last thing I'm concerned with is generally making sure Molly and the puppy get along well. I've read "The Art of Introducing Dogs" and plan to use some of the methods in that book, though the rescue is hesitant to allow us to bring Molly to meet the puppy before he's ready to be adopted. Even so, Molly's always been very patient with puppies and I'm pretty confident that we won't have issues with the initial introduction. It's sharing her home, toys, and people with him that I'm afraid she'll take issue with. She's never shown the slightest inclination to resource guarding in her life, and even willingly drops her favorite ball if she thinks one of her dog-friends wants it, but I have a nagging worry that a permanent situation might be more difficult for her. Other than making sure the puppy doesn't pester her, is there anything else we can do to make the transition from "only child" easier for her?

I appreciate any advice!

 

[KayWilson]

Congrats on the new addition!

I can't help too much about the whole introducing thing, but I canny socialization is definitely a balance between risk and reward. It think your safe so long as you don't take the new little one to places where a whole lot of dogs cross paths. So if your front yard has a lot of doggie foot traffic, I would be leery. Places where more humans go, vs humans and dogs, are safer so your work place should be ok. The safest option would of course you just carrying him everywhere.

 

[Shandula]

Just make sure to do things with JUST her. Take her on walks alone, go to a training class with just her. Not only is this good for maintaining your bond, but dogs need a break from each other.

As far as socialization, just be aware that the herding breeds can be a little standoffish even as puppies, so don't push them too much. Quality > quantity for sure. Really nice, positive experiences will get you a dog you can take anywhere. Even still, they aren't the happy-go-lucky lab types. Levi is very friendly for a herding breed, but he'd rather hang out with me than get pets from strangers.

As for herding breeds in generally, there is the big one: nipping. They LOVE to bite things that move. So extra attention to not only teach them what is acceptable to bite, but also bite inhibition. They also have incredible focus - but not always on what you want! For example, Heidi just loved to stare at the leaves on trees blowing in the wind. Hard stare. Had to drag her away to break the focus.

 

[KayWilson]

Adding to Shandula's post, watch your tone/voice. Not sure about corgi's but Bc's are sensitive to the emotion/tone behind what you're saying. If I say something to Tessa in a "frustrated" tone she won't respond the same as if I say something in a relaxed neutral tone. Also check your emotions at the door when training. If you get even a little anxious, frustrated, angry, even over excited, the pup will too. I usually stop training all together when I feel myself getting upset/frustrated, walk away, calm myself and then only go back when I'm relaxed.

 

[mollybear]

Thanks, guys! For socialization, I'll start with him in the yard (keeping him farther from the sidewalks) and make sure it goes well with neighbors before I bring him to work. Quality > quantity is definitely a great thing to keep in mind. Ian Dunbar's "Before and After Getting your Puppy" really emphasizes that they need to meet 100 people in their 3rd month, but I'll go more slowly if he's not thoroughly enjoying it.

I read all about nippy corgis and I'm prepared (I think)! One of the toughest things with Molly as a puppy was nipping, but I found a good system that will hopefully work well for him too. Walk away immediately as soon as they start getting a little rough, EVERY TIME. I'm pretty sure lack of consistency made it harder with Molly in the beginning.

And I love the focus of herding dogs! I've never gotten to experience it first hand but I'm so excited to have a potentially extra-avid learner. It'll be interesting learning how to get him to keep his focus on me. I'll try to find more information on that today

That's also a very good point that he could be extra emotion-sensitive. I've noticed Molly can be pretty tone-sensitive as well. I've had some practice having to make my voice light and happy when I'm actually getting annoyed, but it's been a while since I've had to deal with an exasperating puppy so I'll need all the reminders I can get! I'd give my husband the task of telling me when I'm getting visibly frustrated, but he might take advantage. :eyeroll: