Virtually any dog in the universe can fit the criteria of what you described, but all breeds have their little variations.

For example, my favorite breed is the German Shepherd. And there are German Shepherds that do really well in apartment life, and others that don't. If you go to a breeder for your dog, you're going to want to find a breeder that emphasizes pet quality, safe, sane dogs. The difference between a Labrador from hunting lines and lines bred for therapy and service dog work is night and day. If you go to a shelter to adopt a dog, I would recommend taking a qualified trainer with you that's well-read on selection testing dogs, and most of all, use the resources at your disposal. Talk to the people who run the shelter and/or the rescue. They have the most experience with the dog. They will be able to help you the best.

With the two breeds you mentioned (Golden Retrievers, specifically) keep in mind the shedding issue. Labs shed too, but Golden's are just about as bad as Shepherd's (which are both, very bad.) If you have carpet, be prepared to vacuum everyday. If you intend to let your dog sleep with you on the bed, or chill on the sofa, be ready to clean your furniture daily. Your clothes will be covered in hair if you do not. Your boss will not like you showing up to work wearing your dog.

Also, please, if you haven't already, look into your apartments restrictions for pets and dog breeds, and keep in mind that if you intend on moving, you will be taking your dog with you. I love all breeds of dogs, but apartments do not. Rottweilers, German Shepherd's, Doberman's, Pitbulls (and mixes) come under notorious scrutiny when moving. For your future dogs sake, pick a breed or mixed breed that your landlords are cool with.


Some of my favorite books include:
Dog Training for Dummies which is a very basic introduction to how dogs learn, and explains the different methods available to you in an unbiased manner.

Some of my personal favorite books include:
How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising A Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
The Divine Canine by the Monks of New Skete

If you haven't already guessed, I'm a huge fan of the Monks of New Skete. The put huge emphasis on calm, structured leadership and positive method obedience that works in real life situations. Plus, they're German Shepherd people. Double points.

Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin.

Dr. Temple Grandin is a high-functioning autistic that teaches at Colorado State University's veterinary science department. I've taken several classes with her, and her understanding of animals is absolutely impossible to challenge. This book is more about genetic theory and science-backed training methods. It's good reading material if you want to know more about animals (she discusses dogs and livestock in detail) but is not a training guide. She also has a lot of technical articles available on her website here.

Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Harowitz. This is a cursory introduction to canine ethology. It is not a guide, but if you want to know about how dogs think (how dogs can "smell time" for example) this is where you start.

How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren emphasizes communication with dogs, backed in animal biology and evolution.

Canine Body Language: A photographic guide by Brenda Aloff describes in vivid detail what dogs are "saying." It's not a training guide, but will help you understand your dog much better.

Katz on Dogs by Jon Katz, a great common sense training guide to working with dogs in the home, and outdoors.
Soul of a Dog also by Jon Katz, which goes into greater detail on the personal side of working with dogs, with very helpful examples.

Imagine Life With a Well Behaved Dog by Julie Bjelland. Great book on structure and positive method dog training.

Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Dr. Pitcairn was one of my college textbooks and it's a great start for dog nutrition and chemical-free health care for dogs. This is not a training guide, but nutrition and health are just as important (if not more) than training, so I figured I'd share.


With the exception of the first book on the list, all of these books are fairly detailed. I would highly recommend the Monks of New Skete books before any of the others. But they're all very good.

Additionally, you can read many of the articles on the AKC.org website regarding dog training, and Leerburg has some great comprehensive advice on training the working dog, which can also be applied to training family pets. He also sells a variety of videos and ebooks on the same subject matter.

TL;DR How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend & The Art of Raising A Puppy explain everything you ever need to know about training a dog, ever.

Two books I really liked:

1. training retrievers for marshes and medows.
   
   
2. Tri-tronics retriever training
   
   But there are literally hundreds of books on the subject and I doubt you can go wrong with any of them. So don't stress. Enjoy your puppy. The first thing you need to do is bond and build trust.
   
   Your pup needs to learn the basics too. Sit, come, down, stay, heel, etc....
   
   

   Puppy retriever training
   

   
   This starts as a game. Find something light weight that catches the attention of your pup. I have used: paint roller covers, very light stuffed animals, puppy toys, just to name a few. You need two of them, preferably identical.
   
   With interesting toy(s) in hand and eager puppy now find an environment where puppy can't go off on his own. I recommend a hallway with all doors and access to other rooms closed off.
   
   pup has two choices: return to you or not.
   
   Now get on ground with puppy and toy. Don't let him see both toys. Excite him with one of them. get him to chase toy by dragging it around at his level. Once he is chasing after it toss it a few feet away. He should bound after it and pick it up.
   
   Hopefully he will come back to you with toy. If he does, praise him but don't take toy away. Not yet.
   
   At this point you need to read the situation to figure out the next step.
   
   If puppy comes back with toy :
   
   Let him hold it and play with it near you. Praise and pet him. Get him used to being handled while playing. DO NOT SNATCH THAT TOY AWAY. Don't even make a move toward the toy right away. At this point you are building yourself as a safe place to enjoy playing. You are building yourself as a place to retrieve to.
   
   After some time has passed, (a minute or two should do fine) gently get toy from puppy. Don't pry it out of his mouth. Gently remove it. Now depending on you pup he may be possessive of it. No problem. Pull out toy #2. Get him chasing after that one. Pup should forget about his boring toy and chase and play. Toss new toy, collect old toy.
   
   If you are lucky, pup will come back and easily give up toy and you only need the one.
   
   Repeat the excitation and small toss.
   
   If puppy does not come back from toss: take out other toy and start dragging it around, make it exciting. Pup should come to see what the fuss is about. He will do so with or without his toy. If he leaves old toy collect it. If he brings it he will drop at some point while trying to get new toy. Collect it when he does so there is only one toy and you in play and never the association of loss at your hand.
   
   Now you can repeat the puppy play fetch.
   
   

• Praise when he comes to you.
  
  
• reward with fun and exciting play
  
  
• do not accidentally build the association of loss of toy when he comes back by taking it from him right away. Distract with second toy instead.
  
  
• if you can, and if he is coming back to you to play with toy, and if he is showing no possessiveness, try not to let him simply drop toy on ground. Put hand Palm up under toy while it is still in his mouth but don't latch on to toy and don't pull it away. Best case scenario he lets go of toy on his own. If he does IMMEDIATELY restart game. What you are doing is building the association that putting object in master's hand is the way to play the game. The reward is exciting play.
  
  If he doesn't give up toy into your waiting hand take toy after a period of time has passed so that you don't build association of coming to you and losing toy. Use your judgement. You might have to resort to toy #2 for a while. Whip that toy out and restart play. He will probably let go of toy 1 into your waiting hand to go after toy 2 in your other hand.
  
  
• maybe do this a handful of times per session. Don't let puppy get bored with game. Quit before he gets bored. Lots of 5-10 minute sessions are better than one long session.
  
• I usually do play retrieve training last. After puppy basics training. It's a fun note to end on.
  
  

  shaping behavior
  

  Once you can do puppy retrieve game with one toy, gradually lengthen the distance you toss toy down hallway. As long as pup comes back to you to enjoy toy you can continue to build distance.
  
  While building distance you are also gradually shortening time between coming to you with toy and you taking it from him to restart game.
  
  This game progresses to the point where you can throw object far from yourself without a hallway (eventually going outside). Pup is retrieving mostly to hand because you are ensuring that your hand is under toy before he looks like he will drop it.
  
  That should get you started.
  
  
  

My first suggestion would be to read some literature on the history of the breed. You’ll be her advocate, and while hopefully you won’t have to defend her breed often, you may need to at some point. Knowing their history and how they got the (absolutely unfair) reputation they have now is a great tool to have in these circumstances. I’ve very rarely had anyone blatantly disregard the breed, but even friends and family have mentioned things like the lock jaw myth to me, in which I was able to kindly educate them. Pit Bull by Bronwen Dickey is a great one. I also loved The Pit Bull Life by Deidre Franklin.

As other have said, socialize her often! The sooner they learn how to make friends with strangers and new dogs, the better.

Be prepared for allergies! We have ours on a grain-free diet after a handful of breakouts after food or treats. He used to take allergy meds, but after we switched to grain free and started wiping him down with hypoallergenic wipes after hikes and such, we have it under control without medicine.

They’re working dogs, so they need both mental and physical stimulation. Long walks help with the physical, but it’s his backpack that helps with the mental exercise too. I usually fill it with a collapsible bowl, a water bottle for him, some treats, and usually my water bottle too. Carrying things turns our walk into his job. Activity boards help with the mental exercise too!

Doggie day care is a great help in making sure they got their socialization, mental, and physical exercises. Find a good one in your area if she’s going to be alone for a while during the day (this will have to wait until she’s had all of her shots and vaccinations though!).

A trainer was also so helpful in the beginning, as others have mentioned.

Also, since they can be temperamental to weather changes/being cold, a rain coat has made going potty during a storm or the winter way more possible.

Strong toys! We like Kong, Playology, and firehose toys for ours.

Be prepared for lots of love and snuggles!! I’ve owned jack russels, Yorkies, and a corgi-mix, and none of them have been anywhere near as clingy and cuddly as my pit. As much as he loves day care, and hikes, and running around, he loves to be held or lay in my lap just as much. He’s by far the sweetest pet I’ve ever had.

She’s beautiful, by the way! I’m always so excited for new pit owners. Even though puppyhood can be hard, (r/puppy101 has guidance on that too!), pits are just so wonderful, so I’m excited for the bond you’ll share with her! 😊

Yay for adopting from a shelter :). Looking forward to seeing pictures!

-Favorite books: I'm a fan of Patricia McConnell, Carl Lee Benjamin, and Tamar Geller as authors/trainers (I linked to my favorite texts by them). They are all a bit different, but between the three of them and researching them all, I think you'll have a good understanding of what will work best for your pup in ranging intensity and training style. From my experience, it really helps to learn and understand different methods. Owners and trainers that pick ONE method I think are disadvantaged, especially as they come to work with more dogs that have different needs. Just my opinion after being in the field for a while!

-I'd get a 42 inch wire crate with a separator panel. This way, it's the only crate you need to buy, but you can adjust the size as your pup grows. The pup should have just enough room to sit/lay/turn around, but you don't want them to be able to toilet on one end and sit on the other.

-Think of the crate as their safe-spot/lair/bedroom/crib. Unless you are devoting your full attention to them, I'd keep them in the crate (even if it's for a minute while you go to the bathroom!). This prevents accidents (bathroom and destruction) and gets them used to it very quickly. Understand it is not forever, and they probably won't LOVE it, but it's for their safety! I am also always sure to do my best to tire the puppy out before putting them in to help cue "rest mode" and set them up for success, and give them something fun (like a frozen stuffed peanut butter kong) EVERY time you put them in there so they focus on something other than being confined. And finally, never let the puppy out within 30 seconds of crying (wait for them to be quiet so they don't associate it with getting out), and always ask the puppy to at least sit, if not stay, before you let them out (expect to shut the door and prevent them from coming out and restarting 3+ times early on...I promise, it gets easier as they learn). This teaches impulse control, which is VERY important! Use treats as needed early on to guide them.

-Pups need to pee every 2-3 hours, and usually within 30 minutes of eating a meal. Your schedule will revolve around exercise, feeding, sleeping in an ongoing cycle. I'd not let a dog under 1 year old stay uncrated/unsupervised until they prove they are reliable. You would practice leaving them out unsupervised (like while you pee, shower, run to the store, etc) for gradually increasing increments. It might be months, years, or even never, before they can accomplish this. It depends on the dog.

-All life stages foods are good, as are puppy foods for the first 6ish months. Iams smart puppy is a decent blend, but if you have a Costco membership, their puppy food and all-life-stages foods (Nature's Domain) are also of high quality for a fraction of the price of others (like .72 a pound).

-I'd have him seen by a vet within 3 days, yes. Do you get a free month's worth of pet insurance on him or anything? This is becoming more common in rescues. Most puppies also have worms and can take a few cycles of deworming to get them taken care of, so I'd go to make sure he's in the clear/have him dewormed if necessary, if nothing else. Bring your vaccine information from the rescue and the vet can give you an idea of what they need and when.

-Enjoy it and try to have fun! Puppies are TOUGH. They don't have the attention span to walk like a normal dog yet, so the easiest way to exercise them IMO is to use a long line (like 30 feet) and coax them along to follow you in between their sniffing and exploring everything. Do your best to show him the world though. Meet 20 different people of all races/back grounds, 20 different dogs of all temperaments, have him walk on 20 different surfaces, eat out of 20 different containers, etc. etc. to help socialize him. Enroll in puppy kindergarten too! Good luck!!!

Good tips here so far. The key to corgis is exercise, obedience, then affection. Train them, train them every day, work hard at it, be consistent. With corgis, you get back what you put in, and then some. It is hard, HARD work, they are not fluffy little lapdogs or couch potatoes. Corgis are intelligent, high-energy working dogs. They're very smart, they're very trainable, and they're very vocal. Corgis are loyal and affectionate, but on their terms. Not all of them are roly poly cuddle bugs.

If you are just starting out on your corgi search, RESEARCH. Everything about the breed, all the information you can digest on training and raising a corgi. As mentioned, the sidebar has helpful information. The FAQ at mycorgi.com has some helpful information, but please take it with a grain of salt.

Find a local vet, talk to them about raising a puppy. Most importantly, find a vet that has EXPERIENCE with corgis and their specific health issues and development traits. Find an emergency pet clinic (you never know) and keep that information handy.

Here are some helpful books:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Pembroke-Welsh-Corgi/dp/0876052499

http://www.amazon.com/Pembroke-Welsh-Corgi-Happy-Healthy/dp/0470390611/ref=pd_sim_b_2 (we have this one, it's great)

http://www.amazon.com/Welsh-Corgis-Pembroke-Cardigan-Complete/dp/0764142429/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Decide if you're going to go to a breeder or a rescue, research both options. Find a responsible breeder and interview them, interview them again, explore your rescue options.

This is a lifetime commitment, and should not be taken lightly. Understand that corgis can live a minimum of 12 years (and hopefully more) so you should be prepared for that.

Definitely take care when feeding your corgi, because they can tend to pack on weight if they are fed w/o observation. Research the best treats, ingredients and calories to pick your best training aid.

Find local facilities that offer puppy classes — obedience training, playgroups, socialization, etc. Figure out what schedules work best for you.

Be prepared for all that comes with raising a puppy if you look to go that route, and please don't bring any dog home earlier than 8 weeks. It's better for the dog and better for you in the long run. And will be better on your sleep schedule. Also important socialization and essential 'how to be a dog' interactions happen within the litter between 6-10 weeks, you don't want your pup to miss out on that.

And be prepared for shedding, corgis shed a lot. I don't feel like it's too much more than our two cats shed, but it is a lot. Some people are not ok with that, or not prepared. Regular grooming should be part of your schedule, make sure you have time for that. Whether you get a fluffy or not, please don't ever shave your corgi. They are double-coated for a reason.

And DEFINITELY take lots of pictures, puppies grow so so fast, it's unbelievable.

Good luck!

For a great book about socializing a service dog I can really recommend, A Dog Who's Always Welcome. it's geared towards someone who doesn't have experience training service dogs so it's quite comprehensive on the mindset necessary when training a service dog and it goes through each stage of socialization in detail, providing a lot of examples of to where and what things a service in training dog should be introduced to.

I know very little about diabetes service dogs so I can't help on that front, but one thing to consider when you do narrow down breed selection is to consider getting a young adult dog. This is because puppies often change temperament during adolescence, meaning that the perfect puppy can easily not be suitable by the time they're one. It also means the primary checks for hip dysplasia can be done before you start investing time into training. Preferably this dog would be a from a breeder who was intending to show the dog, but when it grew up it had small aesthetic flaws. These dogs are usually excellent because they've already been extensively socialized, and basic obedience skills already taught. But you can also visit your local animal shelter and temperament test many (adult) dogs to find a gem. If you decide to go the puppy route you should get one from a responsible breeder. A popular temperament test to use (for any potential dog or puppy you're considering, not just shelter dogs) is the Volhard test.

In terms of timeline you're probably looking at about two years if you get a puppy, and one year if you get an adult dog with basic obedience skills. That first year is filled with socialization, basic obedience training, and fun-puppy-stuff. The second year is when the diabetic alert training, and public access training can begin.

It's quite easy to underestimate the gap between a well trained pet and an assistance dog. Consider the following scenario. It's thanksgiving day and you have as many people coming over as you do chairs. You have a well behaved pet and during dinner, he eats his quietly and then plays with a chew toy without disturbing anyone because he's a good dog, and if he starts to get overstimulated, then you move him to a crate where he also is quiet due to training. A service dog at restaurant has to deal with many times the people, many times the noise, many more smells, and this time he doesn't get to eat himself, and he can't play he need to lay calmly with his tail tucked in so no one steps on it.
Another thing is what I'm going to call defensive dog walking. Because you're taking a dog to places that people don't normally expect, people are not going to be watching for her at say the grocery store. So beyond a loose leash and heel, you'll want to teach your dog other micromanaged movements so that you can issue a command and she'll move out of the path of the 9-year-old joyriding a shopping cart instantly. A lot of service dog training isn't just making sure your dog can alert you to hypoglycemia, but that she can do it while at the beach and the man an umbrella over is eating a cheeseburger.

And I've said all that, but you mentioned that you particularly what a dog to be able to alert you at night when you're alone and sleep through the alarm. You might consider getting a dog just to be an at-home service dog. These dogs are still allowed to bypass no-pet rules in housing, but they only help at home and thus don't need all the public access training.

These are the books I read! The training the best dog ever was probably my favorite as it focusses on manners commands like recall, stay, leave it, drop it, yours/mine as well as socialization methods. Puppies for Dummies is a lot about the first week/month/year of dog ownership and includes training but also health info, nutrition, supplies, budget, etc. 101 tricks is basically a party tricks book, not focussed on manners more on obedience training/showing off to house guests. I think it's always good to read a book about your dog's breed too so that was my last one.

Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement

Puppies For Dummies

101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Your Happy Healthy Pet)

It really doesn't sound like this is going to be a good environment to raise a healthy, well behaved dog. I think you guys need to put the hard brakes on this decision and reevaluate your choice here...but I somehow doubt your family is going to say no to a puppy so...

Leaving it alone all day will almost certainly create behavioral issues (chewing, self harm, destruction, barking, anxiety, aggression, etc). That's not a nice life for a dog, especially a puppy by itself. I leave my dog 6-8 hours, but he's grown and I know he can handle it thanks to the looong walks we take before and after work, and all the other work I've put into training him and steps I take to prevent separation anxiety. People have to go to work, but look into daycare or at the very least crate training to help. Try to get the family to re-prioritize getting home sooner to let the dog out.

>they're kinda crazy and very yappy / bark a lot.

A dog's behavior is 80% a direct reflection of the owner. Although this can be complicated when the dog has been adopted by various people. Sometimes the current owner is dealing with someone else's mistakes.

If dogs could be BRED to BEHAVE then there would be a lot more "naturally well-behaved" dogs. Breed and other genetic factors can play a part in your dog's personality, but early exposure and training will always be the PRIMARY determining factors of how your dog behaves.

Small dogs and big dogs have the same brains. People try to act like they're almost separate species in order to excuse their bad training. You will see more yappy little dogs because people let them get away with it. A german shepard that angrily barks and lunges at anyone passing by is not going to be around for long.

Dogs are a lot of work, especially the first year of training. You will get what you give with a dog. The dog's energy level matters, this is the 20% inherent personality that you have to shape and influence with your 80% training. Regardless of breed, you can find a low-energy, high-tolerance puppy in most litters...but it sounds like you picked a random pup, so it's luck of the draw for you. Might be the high-energy, reactive pup of the litter, or something in between.

Training a pom can be hard because they are cute and tiny and it's easy to let them get away with very bad behaviors that you would never tolerate from a big dog. I found it helped to always imagine that my tiny fuzz ball would one day be growing up to be a Samoyed. Would I let a Samoyed puppy jump and bark and bite, knowing that behavior would soon becoming from a 100lb dog? No way! So same for a tiny pom.

I read all of Cesar Milan's books, and also Monks of New Skete. There are also some good youtube channels to check out. At the very least watch the "what to do before/the day you bring home a puppy" vids, so you get the crucial first step right! Zach George channel and perhaps most helpful; "are you ready for a dog?"

Cesar is pretty strict with dogs, more about obedience/dominance
The Monks are middle ground
Zach is very positive reinforcement/treats
So check them all out a bit and see what style will realistically work for you and your family (could even do various approaches from different people).

Honestly it seems to me like it's almost the norm for people to impulse buy/adopt dogs, be very lazy about training, and leave them home 8-12 hours a day. You're not doing anything outlandish. However the consequences of these decisions remain. The fact that you clearly care about what happens with this dog should go a long way. All it takes is someone stopping for a minute to consider the dog's needs, rather than only the humans' needs, and you'll be on your way. Feel free to ask questions or PM me.

edit: other random pom-specific advice!
http://www.petpom.com/ -- this website has a lot of info you need! Buying their PDF is worthwhile.

Don't cut or shave the fur, esp in the first year, or the coat will be ruined.

Little dogs need lots of exercise too, multiple daily walks for their mental health. They are tiny so the walks can be sort.

Poms can be quite fragile so be careful. #1 cause of death in poms is being dropped. Be wary of letting strangers hold your dog.

Poms are subject to low blood sugar and seizures, so make sure as a baby it eats often.
Dogs are never too young to be trained. Start from day 1. The first few months are mainly about establishing a relationship and communication though.

Dog health insurance is a good idea, there's a comparison website online for plans in your area

Good dog food is a long term investment for the health of your dog. Cheap food = expensive health problems. You can also google the best brands of foods. I usually go for Acana or Wellness. Human food can also give them the same health problems so avoid it as much as possible!

>Will the puppies that come out LOOKING more like the GSD parent MOST LIKELY have most "GSD traits", and the puppies with the physical appearance of the lab have a higher propensity for the "lab traits"? Or is it 100% random?

In by far the most authoritative long-term study ever done, Scott and Fuller experimented with cross breeds and found, for example, that a puppy from Cocker and Basenji parents that looks like a Cocker is not more likely to behave like a Cocker than like a Basenji, but is most likely to show less extreme behavior traits than either breed.

>The results of this experiment are almost completely negative with regard to the hypothesis that coat color, hair length or "somatype" is strongly correlated with temperament and behavior.

About choosing a puppy, there are many puppy temperament tests, and some are pretty complicated. Research has not found a strong predictive value for any of them except some sensitivity tests, like reaction to wheeled objects like carts and bikes, and the "fetch test", and only if the tests are performed several times. For example:

>Fetch is taught entirely by play methods, except that the leash is used to direct the puppy to the tester the first and second week. The leash is also used if the puppy fails to bring the object directly to her. A rubber ball or tennis ball is used in teaching fetch. If the puppy simply goes to the object the first time it is considered satisfactory, but we have many puppies who pick the ball up the first time and come directly back with it. We also have pheasant and duck wings for the puppy who has no interest in a ball. Many shepherds as well as retrievers will bring a wing but will not pick up a ball.

>We have come to the conclusion that what we are testing here is the puppy's willingness to do something for the tester. The desired result is to get the puppy to go merrily to the object, pick it up and bring it back to the tester's hand. The first week we give the puppy three chances to fetch after it has had a chance to smell the ball, see it bounce and roll, and gotten adjusted to the room. The tests start with the first command given; "Puppy, fetch." The second week the puppy has four chances, still on leash. The third week he is given five chances, starting off lead and reverting to the lead if it is necessary to get the puppy to come to the tester with the object. The fourth week the puppy has three chances. The fifth week the puppy has only three chances again. Any puppy who is not bringing the object to the tester off lead in the fifth week is rejected, for it will not make a Guide Dog. Usually such a rejected puppy can be taught to retrieve without much difficulty, but we have found that one who will not learn in the time allotted will not be a willing worker as a Guide Dog. This applies equally to all breeds that we have tested and trained.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Knowledge-Behavior-Dogwise-Classics/dp/1929242042

As with all dogs, a lot of their behavior comes down to the owner. Look at the dogs who were rescued from Michael Vick. Most of them were rehabilitated and adopted by loving families who say they are excellent dogs. Some were even trained and are excelling at being therapy dogs. Those were very "damaged" animals but with love and training they have much better lives. I suggest checking out the book The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, it is very compelling.

I have gotten dogs from breeders and I have gotten dogs from shelters and I loved them all. However, the dogs I got from breeder tended to have more health issues and one of then had a lot of behavioral problems. The point is, just because you get a dog from a breeder doesn't mean it won't have problems.

The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant is a great, great read for any dog lover. I highly recommend it. Some parts are tough to get through, but the books is amazing and heart felt.

1. Vizslas are born running. However, you shouldn't force them to run long distances until their epiphyseal plates close, about 18 months. Normal running, playing, and jumping is fine, just don't force them to go on runs with you. A good time of thumb is start at a 5 min exercise per month of age. At 2 years they should get at least an hour of high exertion exercise every day. They are very active dogs, and mine always remind me when I haven't. A happy vizsla is a tired vizsla, and a bored vizsla is a destructive vizsla.
   
   
2. If you are asking when does a vizsla slow down, they don't. Although around 8 or 9 years old you might be able to catch a glimpse of them without a high speed camera.
   
   
3. Teeth start falling out at 4 months with canines at 6 months. As for the switch, I think it was 12 weeks, but a quick Google search should answer that.
   
   
4. Not sure what you're asking here, they will already have teeth.
   
   When looking at toys, you want things that they can easily fit their mouth around, but large enough the can't swallow. Go to your local goodwill/thrift shop and pick up a few cheap stuffed animals. A good book for first time vizsla owners is the versatile vizsla by Marrion Coffman. It would've answered all the questions you asked and more.
   
   Also, training isn't just for the pup. It's a good way for both of you to learn each other, and what is expected.
   
   Don't stress too much or it will rub off on the pup and you can get a neurotic dog. Remember, this should be FUN!
   
   Edit: I typed this on my phone and didn't proofread. So if anything doesn't make sense that's why, but I'm going to bed.

I can't recommend this book enough! As well as watching Cesar Millan's TV specials and as much Dog Whisperer as you can stand :)

I have a 10 week old Basset Hound/Golden Retriever Mix and we have been utilizing these resources as best we can. I think he is doing great! :)

Someone on here reccomened this book awhile back and it's fantastic: https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502303525&sr=1-1&keywords=pitbull very well written and informative. It's about, not only pit bulls, but the history of dog breeds and media narratives as well, I'm really enjoying it and learning lots about dogs (mine and all) along the way. Highly recommend.

No problem. Thanks u/sible, I wish you and your soon to be new pup the same!

I'm not sure if you are interested, but I would recommend checking this book out, I found it had a lot of great insights/information for Border Collies specifically.
https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Sykes-Training-Border-Collies/dp/1847978894/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1518734902&sr=8-13&keywords=border+collie

Culture Clash is a great book and I recommend even people who have always had dogs to read it. I've been around dogs my entire 34 years on this earth and I learned quite a bit from it.

Also I'd add, How Dogs Learn. Another great book.

How Dogs Learn by Burch & Bailey, for an overview of learning theory in the context of dog training.

My last read was Being a Dog by Horowitz, and it gave me a newfound appreciation for a dog's sense of smell.

For articles, an easy way to get good content is to follow someone like Darwin's Dogs on facebook and read the articles they link to.

I really enjoyed this book. I also highly recommend Pets on the Couch: Neurotic Dogs, Compulsive Cats, Anxious Birds, and the New Science of Animal Psychiatry by Nicholas Dodman of Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic. He argues that humans and other animals share much of the same neurobiology, and that advances in human medicine can inform how to treat pets, and vice versa (note: this thinking is not particularly unique to Dodman, it's the basis behind plenty of basic science and clinical research that starts out with experiments on mice or other model organisms). Dodman employs lots of fascinating vignettes in this book to draw you in, and also some general explanations of the neuroscience behind the behavior or treatment. Obviously, the brain is incredibly complex and there are species-specific differences in how our neural circuits are wired. However, commonalities definitely exist, and when circuits go awry, they can manifest in similar behaviors among humans and pets.

If you're really interested in this, check out The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant. It's a really great book with a lot of information about the case and the dogs. And it truly shows how incredibly resilient dogs are, regardless of breed.

Check out Cesar Millan's book How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond. I've heard of quite a few success stories with it.

I always imagine other wizards approaching life in the same way that some monks and monasteries approach the problem of keeping the lights on (think westvleteren beer or the monks of new skete dogs).

Some monks don't depend on donations to fund their buildings and organizations. They pick a thing that takes a lot of time, attention and focus to produce - then make it extremely well. The same ability to focus that allows you to meditate for hours or reread the same three lines of text a thousand times in the hope of revelation probably translates well to small batch, high quality, labor intensive crafts/products. Wizards have to spend a lot of time in isolation focusing and studying in order to grow as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if they had similar skills and used them in similar ways.

Imagine Luccio, even in her current body, blacksmithing insanely high quality swords that she only makes and sells once or twice a year. Koehira Watan, one of the last traditional katana makers in Japan, has a wait list measured in years, if not decades. Or maybe imagine Ebenezer making small expensive batches of the best whisky seen this side of the Mississippi - the kind that only show up in the cellars of petro-oligarchs.

Even Harry, a 'yungun without centuries of experience, is really good at being a private detective. The main reason he's broke and the other wizards aren't may be that he's the only one who actually says "I'm a wizard!" ... which tends to scare off potential customers.

Side Note: Stuff about the monestaries I mentioned
Westvleteren Beer - http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/episode-55-the-best-beer-in-the-world/
Monks of New Skete Dogs - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047Y0FC8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Korehira Watan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BLg756_4M

I really like the methods used in this book http://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised-Skete-ebook/dp/B0047Y0FC8/ref=sr_1_1 and we've used this technique with several dogs over the years, always with very positive results. As everyone else said, aussies must have a job and get a lot of activity! If you don't give them something to do, they will find something to do, usually something you'll wish they hadn't done. Which leads me to...

Warning: Their teething phase is more destructive than you can even imagine. We've had them eat entire thorny rose bushes, a small tree, an entire sprinkler system, outdoor furniture, a dog house... each of these took only a few hours of their time! This was with many better options, like bones and chew toys, available. This wasn't all one dog, we've had 4 over the years.

Buy this book, it will really help you understand the breed and train accordingly 🙂

Barbara Sykes' Training Border Collies https://www.amazon.com/dp/1847978894/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_o7GIzb281RGNZ

/u/googoogoojoob had a comment on that in this thread.

To quote for the lazy

> There is strong evidence for littermate syndrome. But I also often see people claiming that littermate syndrome applies to dogs that are not actually littermates, i.e. two puppies from different litters. That is just speculation and is probably not true unless the puppies grew up together from birth. The study that discovered littermate syndrome concluded,

> "Where two littermates are raised together in the same home ... one becomes a successful candidate for Guide Dog work and one fails, even if their aptitude tests were equal. Puppies raised in homes where there are dogs not related to them have never been affected this way by the association with other dogs."

> The same study also found,

> "I cannot remember a single dog who was raised with her mother to adulthood who could be successfully trained for a Guide Dog."

> So besides littermate syndrome, we should also be aware of apron-strings syndrome.

From The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior

Hip displasia in corgis is extremely rare but does happen.

You might want to get the book

Welsh Corgis: Pembroke and Cardigan - I know you are specific but this is the best book I found. Most of the other ones seemed to be very generic about dogs in general with the word Corgi cut and past in.

Check out these two books and your done:

How to raise the perfect dog

How to housebreak you dog in 7 days

> I was under the impression that these dogs were, in general, of a meaner disposition due to selective breeding. Is that inaccurate?

This is wildly overstated imo. I highly recommend

https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116

TLDR: A dogs breed is not nearly the dominant factor on it's temperament that many people take it to be.

You might be thinking of Bronwen Dickey's Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon. It's an interesting read but gets very mixed reviews from well-informed dog folks. The author definitely has an agenda.

I am also in the Nashville, TN area with a Vizsla. Maybe you ran into me! We found ours by emailing the contact us at http://www.vcaweb.org/. If you want to read a book, most breeders will recommend http://www.amazon.com/Versatile-Vizsla-Marion-I-Coffman/dp/1577790561

Maybe a minority, but it’s certainly a harmful minority.

I have this one which I think is very fair and accurate in its descriptions,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1465408444/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=49BCNNMWQDH4JJC3HCH7

These terriers are notorious for this spinning motion. This book talks about this breed specifically. The author believes it may be a disorder similar to autism. Super interesting read if you're a pet owner.

I havent seen that but I have read The Lost Dogs, about what happened to mike vicks pit bulls after he was arrested. Most of them, even after being forced to fight, turned out to be perfectly calm and loving animals.

I don't know what you don't understand. I answered both of those things, not my problem if you don't understand.

Here's some help

Book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Dogs-Michael-Redemption/dp/B007PLZZ52

Worth the read, but bring some tissues.

this book talks about the study of littermate syndrome.

To my knowledge there is not one comprehensive book, but I have a few recommendations.

A Dog Who's Always Welcome

The Eyes that Lead

Lend Me An Ear

https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116

If you have time to read this book, there is some excellent information to combat the flawed logic of breed specific bans.

I love Oogy! That book is so great. There's a book about the Vick dogs too, but be warned, you will cry for days and probably turn into a bitter asshole like me.

make sure you roll her on her back and hold her muzzle lightly and say no.. make sure they know biting is not a game... or it will be a kids face as a game.. and a very bad one at that.. dont ask her to stop biting your hair.. tell her... This is a great book. http://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Perfect-Dog-Puppyhood/dp/0307461300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397524876&sr=1-1&keywords=Cesar+Millan

key note: sometimes you have to be the bad guy to have a good dog. but being the bad guy only lasts a few seconds when your stopping bad behavior.

Here's the book everyone always mentions with the guide dog study. My limited understanding of the study is that it was so narrow in scope that it doesn't generalize well. I too have searched for empirical evidence of the "syndrome" but have come up empty handed.


I keep contemplating buying a copy of the book to read the study out of genuine curiosity, but haven't been motivated enough yet.


Personally, I:

• Probably wouldn't buy from a breeder who would sell me littermates, because they are probably not a reputable one.
  
• Would never want to raise two puppies at the same time (OMG one at a time is bad enough)
  
• Would never want two adult bitches living in my house (the whole "bitch fighting" thing really scares me, I have multiple friends who own dogs that cannot ever be in the same room together)
  
  
  Beyond littermate syndrome or bitch fighting, the things that should be of primary concern to anyone crazy enough to buy two puppies:
  
  
• Socialize them SEPARATELY
  
• Train them SEPARATELY
  
• Make sure they spend a substantial amount of time APART each day
  
  
  This is because you don't want the dogs more tightly bonded to each other than to a person, and also because you don't want either dog to grow up to be an animal that lacks confidence when its buddy isn't there to back it up.
  
  
  The good news(?) is that if they're buying BMDs from a shady breeder willing to sell them two littermates, any problems that develop are going to be very limited in terms of scope of time because of the multitude of health problems plaguing the breed. Even well bred BMDs are lucky to make it to 6 or 7... I'm pretty sure the old saying about them is "Two years a young dog, two years a good dog, two years an old dog. Anything else is a gift from god."

It should sound pretty familiar, although the negative stories and myths about pitbulls spread mostly because of their association with black people. There's a good book on the issue here which details the history of the stereotypes about the breed and how the negative associations rose.

The interesting thing to note is that similar to race realists claims about "bad genetics", they use similarly bad arguments to conclude the "bad genetics" of pitbulls.