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About Pleasantstone and our Corgi
Philosophy
By filling out the puppy buyer questionnaire
we will put you on our waiting
list for just the right puppy for you and your family. We guarantee only
adopting out the very best quality Corgi puppy and disclose anything
different about the individual pup. What you see is what you get, sound,
happy and healthy family raised puppies. We sometimes adopt out older
puppies and mature adults whom we have taken in or rescued to find good
homes for. Check out our puppy page for pictures of puppies at all ages.
We
have raised Corgis for many years now (Cornerstone Corgis) and as we age
ourselves we have slowed down quite a bit and do not plan on breeding
many
litters. Our Corgis are part of the family and not a traditional kennel.
They all spend time with us in and out of doors where we always be sure
to
meet their needs for proper exercise and just plain ol' Corgi cuddle and
fun
time! Some years we will have maybe only one or two litters and perhaps
no
litters for over a year. Please let us know if you would like to 'wait'
for
a special 'Pleasantstone' puppy. We only breed for the love of the
Pembroke
Welsh Corgi and do not consider ourselves big time breeders although the
Corgis we have are just as well bred, beautiful to look at and of course
they all have to have temperaments of pure gold...which was what
attracted
us to the breed in the first place.
We keep the new Corgis puppies here until
they are between 9 and 10
weeks old. Before that they are babies that need the time with their
mother
and close association with their littermates to develop properly getting
the
antibodies they need to thrive in their new homes. Up until this time
they
are growing up fast and need plenty of rest and the security of their
mates
around them. Our puppies are handled and checked throughout the day to
ensure that they are socialized and well cared for. Once they are five
weeks
of age and after their first couple of wormings we put them into their
indoor -outdoor play yard where they have plenty of fresh air and a warm
bed
where they have their blankets and chew toys. They all continue to come
into
our home for beginning potty training and socialization. We rotate all
of
our Corgis from our yard to the kennel runs throughout the day and they
all
get regular walks and exercise. They come into the home for individual
love
and attention.
 
All of our Corgis are a part of our family. We are
devoted to
their proper care and maintainience. We go out for long walks on our
Farm
where the Corgis love to frolic after ‘game’ and go for swims in our
pond.
Our beloved Corgis are a shining example of good health; where the love,
attention, proper exercise and good diet are the key ingredients to
their
overall wellbeing.
We watch for special show quality puppies
that we hold back for the
show and breeding home from time to time. With these puppies the price
is
higher and we have a different breeding guarantee for the buyer to
adhere to
than our Puppy buyers guarantee, in which the new owner agrees to have
the
Corgi spayed or neutered within a certain number of months. Often these
pups
we sell as pet quality Corgis are still truly show quality and do well
in
agility, obedience, herding, tracking and other pursuits, which is well
done
by the spayed or neutered pet, who love to be useful to their owners.
Most
often are main goal is to place our Corgis in good family homes where
they
have their duties as companions with their wonderful sense of seeing,
smelling and hearing to help watch over and protect their families. We
also
love to place our Corgis in working homes where they excel with helping
to
herd and sort cattle, goats, sheep and small flocks of fowl, which was
one
of the things they were bred to do for their people. They like to herd
and
work and are amazing in their ability to dodge flying hooves and discern
commands.
We have always had our Corgis around our own horses and
ponies.
They get along fine with other pets as well as most adapt well and enjoy
a
family cat. We have Corgis in some homes where they
have become conformation
Champions as well as herding and agility Champions. We are so very proud
of
the work they and their owners have done to accomplish these well-earned
awards. All of our Corgi families are special to us and we appreciate
the
good homes they have made for our babies. Be sure to check out our Corgi
Bill of Rights as you browse our web site and see our Families of
Cornerstone Corgis picture page. There you will see pictures and letters
from some of our Corgi buyers and now part of our Corgi family. These
families are all very special to us and a great testimonial to the kind
of
Corgis we strive to breed for families to love and enjoy as a valuable
part
of their lives.
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Our beloved Corgis are bred for the Corgi
attitude (we call Corgitude)
that we have come to know and love. It is a labor of love for a breed we
really believe in. A steady, willing and quiet disposition are qualities
that we regard very highly in our breeding philosophy here at
Pleasantstone.
The other attributes we desire are their intelligent and friendly nature
willingness to please and ability to work. Good conformation is
essential
and we here at Pleasantstone adhere to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi of the
American Kennel Club (AKC) standards. We also like a handsome male stud
dog
and lovely to look at breeding female Corgis, with a foxlike head and
Corgi
type with good strong bone.
All of our Corgis have their hips X-rayed before being used for
breeding and when they are of age we have them (OFA) Orthopedic
Foundation
registered to ensure good sound bone structure needed for work and play.
We
have their eyes checked out to the CERF standards since a small number
of
Corgis do have abnormalities. We are also vWD DNA test if needed to keep
our
Corgis free from this bleeding disorder, a disease that affects some
Corgis. We do not breed our female Corgis until they are at least two
years of age
and mature enough to whelp and care for their litter of puppies.
Breeding
Corgis here at Pleasantstone is a serious business where we take care to
continue to breed quality Pembroke Welsh Corgis, the breed of choice for
us.
We would love to hear any of your suggestions and we can always learn
and
love to hear about your own Corgis.
Thank you for you visit to our Pleasantstone Website; If you would
like to contact us please feel free to email us at:
info@pleasantstonewelsh.org
or call us at 541 899-3753
P.O Box 1483
Jacksonville Oregon 97530
We welcome visitors with a call to make an
appointment first and love
to share our Corgis with others. Look for our Findus page for directions
and
other information about our neck of the woods here in beautiful Southern
Oregon.
Our goal is to provide you with a lifetime companion. We have bred
Corgis for 30 years. We stand behind our 'quality' Corgis! They are bred
with a true love of what attracted us to the Pembroke in the first
place. A
smaller dog with a tremendously BIG heart! Our Corgis are a beautiful
representation of the breed that is; happy, loving,structurally
sound,
intelligent family dog that is still true to their original multi-
duties of
family protection, herding and trustful companions. Please contact us to
be
put on our puppy list and for our puppy buyers questionnaire, guarantee,
pictures , Pembroke article, testimonies from our extended Corgi
families
and other information about the breed. We would love to hear from you. We welcome
visitors with a call to make an
appointment first and love to share our
Corgis with others.
TALKING ABOUT PEMBROKE WELSH CORGIS
We call them ‘wash and wear’ dogs......
We are very fortunate that this breed does
not have a predisposition
to many of the serious health concerns that plague many other dogs
breeds. I
was in the beginning, when first introduced to the breed, and still am
impressed. By what? By their good health and excellent temperament. They
are
small enough to "pack and go anywhere", while they have a big enough
heart
to whip a whole army. Indeed, further utilizing the word "whip" - I must
state that these dogs are "smart as a whip." Not only that, but they are
wonderful with well behaved children (and other types of children) and
at
this point I must also include the very mature (aged) adult. The Corgi
is
attentive and eager to work. I’ve heard tell of other breeds who could
"do
the work of ten men on horseback." I don’t know as I’d say a Corgi could
do
that, but you can bet that Corgi would be riding in the saddle beside
one
man as his steady companion and helper!
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When I owned my first Corgi, people would
stop me and say, "What is
that goofy looking little dog, a Doxie cross or part Basset hound?" I’d
just
smile and then share my treasure with them, saying, "Why Mister (or
"Ma’am",
depending on who asked), this here is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and
believe
me, as you get to know them they become more and more beautiful!" Well,
folks, that was some 25 years ago - and things are a bit different now a
days. People come up to me now and say, "My neighbor has a Corgi and
it’s
the most remarkable little dog I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Why,
that
little "Corky" is the smartest and best behaved pooch I’ve ever known!"
I have admired and loved dogs from the time I was a small child. Not
only did my family love and keep many dogs but I became well acquainted
with
several breeds my friends owned. We had many a great dog while I was
growing
up in the then suburbs of Sacramento, California on the American
River..A
most wonderful Lab/Collie cross we named "Lubb-Dubb", who could almost
hold
a conversation with a human being - so trained and intelligent was she.
Then, of course, there were the pair of cuddly and very spoiled
"Cockers", a
sensitive and loyal German Shepherd, a father and son German Shorthaired
Pointer we used to hunt birds with, a lovable, wiggly Brittainy Spaniel
and
a quiet Vizsla.
When I became a young adult, I had two
beloved and beautiful Irish
Setters, a gentle Greyhound who spent hours on end with me hiking and
hunting Jackrabbits, an affectionate and dignified mother and daughter
Bloodhound, several good natured Old English Mastiffs, and an Anatolian
Shepherd/ Maremma flock guardian dog. All were well loved and respected
for
their good qualities.
Years have gone by, and now it my love for
canines has matured, grown
with time, and never wained. In southern Oregon, year 2007 - We have
seven
adult Pembroke Welsh Corgis all of whom we adore.
To us the Corgi is our "breed of choice" - a
dog we cannot imagine
living without. Since 1975 Corgis have shared our lives with us. We have
had
great fun, joy, as well as devoted love. Of course - as we all fully
realize - love comes hand in hand with sorrow. Though at times there
have
been deep sorrow and heartbreak, these dogs have been a great gift to
us.
Pleasantstone, our farm, has surely been enriched by this gentle and
intelligent breed.
History of the Corgi
Those who love history would be interested
to know that Corgis were
early-on used by the Welsh as herding dogs, family companions, and
guardians
of the farm. Even today they continue to be workers and companions for
their
owners. With brave, steady temperament, physical agility and easily-kept
compact size, these paramount characteristics make them the "dog of
choice"
for many folk now-a-days.
It is believed that the ancestry of the
Corgi breed dates back to at
least the tenth century - and they were brought to Wales by Flemish
weavers.
The small dogs would lie quietly by the foot of the loom and guard the
weaver's family. In the 1920's Corgis were recognized as "pure-bred"
dogs in
the United Kingdom. By 1934 the Pembroke and Cardigan Corgis were
recognized
as separate breeds by the English Kennel Club and the American Kennel
Club.
Some Thoughts About Training...
Training your Corgi establishes a channel of
communication between you
and your dog that significantly enhances your mutual respect and
friendship.
Inconsistency is the deadliest enemy of good training. It destroys the
obedience that is only established by consistent reinforcement. A dog
that
is praised every time it does right and corrected (sometimes
strongly)every
time it does wrong will soon learn acceptable and proper behavior.
The Corgi dog should know at least five basic commands: heel, sit,
down, stay and come. Even if you don't take your dog beyond these
lessons,
they are absolutely essential in making every dog a true companion.
The Corgi is an energetic dog, and too much inactivity just might
cause him to think up unacceptable activities to keep himself busy. The
time
you spend in training, especially during the first year of a Corgi’s
life,
will be repaid many times over by giving you a well-behaved companion,
one
that is bonded to you and your family for the rest of his life.
At one time, this sturdy little dog was used as a "drover" and an
all-purpose "farm dog" in the rugged land of the Welsh. He was a dog
well
familiar with the Welsh countryside. In order for a dog to do the kind
of
work required in that land very effectively, good conformation and lithe
movement were ESSENTIAL ingredients.
The "Standard"
 As carefully stated in the Pembroke Welsh
Corgi "standard", the
gait-should be free and smooth. Forelegs should reach well forward
without
too much lift, in unison with the driving action of the hind legs. The
correct shoulder assembly and well-fitted elbows allow a long, free
stride
in front. Viewed from the front, legs do not move in exact parallel
planes,
but incline slightly inward to compensate for shortness of leg and width
of
chest. Hind legs should drive well under the body and move on a line
with
the forelegs, with hocks turning neither in nor out. Feet must travel
parallel to the line of motion with no tendency to swing out, cross over
or
interfere with each other.
Any movements which are short, choppy
movements, rolling or
high-stepping gaits, close or overly wide comings or goings, are
incorrect.
The Corgi is a herding dog in every way - which means that it must have
the
agility, freedom of movement, and endurance to do the work for which he
was
developed. His structure must be so balanced that he could work all day
at
any task his master sets before him. He must be agile enough to be able
to
move quickly and easily yet still be able to maintain a comfortable
trotting
gait all the day long. "Gait", which encompasses "structure" and
"soundness"
becomes a most important part of breed type. Combine the Corgi's ease of
motion with a double coat that can withstand all types of weather, and
you
begin to get a picture of what our beloved little dog should be.
Drovers' Dogs
As drovers' dogs - these Welsh Corgis were
not afraid to keep a bunch
of cattle moving down the road, push them into trailers or pens, or keep
sheep away from troughs while the farmer filled those troughs. As to
expertly guiding the beasts through a muddy gate or alleyway, a good
Corgi
is hard to beat. Corgis are close run, rough heelers. As a sheep and
goat
rancher, I can truthfully state that a Corgi makes an extremely GOOD
farm
worker. Indeed, many of these dogs have been used as drovers, while many
still exhibit a strong "herding instinct." Because of their smaller
size,
they can get in and under where a larger or clumsier dog cannot fit. A
Corgi
must have enough substance to enable it to challenge an animal much
larger
in size, and yet still be able to control that animal. Due to its
lowness to
the ground, the Corgi could be at a great disadvantage if it should get
too
heavily boned or too large to efficiently escape those flying hooves.
All of
this brings me to my last point: a Corgi must also have a fearless
temperament due to the fact that the dog is usually dealing with a much
larger animal. I have witnessed the courage of this breed over the
years.
Indeed, a Corgi is able and willing to take on anything or anyone which
challenges the safety of its family, home or farm. Inherent with the
breed
is its capability to adapt to any situation. They get along well with
other
animals and seem to adapt readily to any situation at hand.
Only an
intelligent dog like the Corgi could!
Further Applause for the Breed
Today Corgis are seen in many areas of dog
activities. They are able to quickly
pick up different cues and understand that there are different rules for
each game. If you are committed, you can train a Pembroke
in five
or six areas at the same time. Most of us don't have the time nor the
commitment to do that. The Pembroke is a natural at versatility
training,
gets quickly bored with repetition and truly blossoms when given
variety. By
all means, if you are willing and have the time, you can be sure
your Corgi
is willing and very capable to learn the task(s) at hand!
The Pembroke is one of the most agreeable of small house dogs. It has
an affectionate nature, but does not force its attentions upon those
unwilling to accept them. Its intelligence is undoubted, and it is a
remarkably alert, ever-vigilant guard of the fireside.
Pembrokes definitely make great companions,
but they were originally
bred to work on the farm and are still happiest if they have their work
cut
out for them. Even though they are short in stature, they are very tall
in
spirit and in heart! In 1997, it was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi that won the
"Triple Crown" of Agility competitions, over all other breeds. In 1998,
a
champion Pembroke Welsh Corgi became the first champion of any breed to
earn
the "Variable Surface Tracking" title, the most difficult tracking title
for
any dog to obtain.
We welcome visitors with a call to make an appointment first and love
to share our Corgis with others.
 
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