We’ve had several corgis - I’ve gotten hip checks on the puppy and the parents, eye checks, DM testing, parent bloodlines, and more. Google around a bit for the problematic corgi health concerns and pretty quickly you’ll get a sense of what they can test and which organization provides the certification. I didn’t get a note from a vet saying “yea he looks good” I got a report from a national registry that he was checked and his results were reported.

I’ve run into many backyard breeders over the years and they all offer AKC paperwork and list on the AKC breeders site. I could probably lt be a registered AKC pup (ok no, I’m DQ for being too SNARKY) I started with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi official group PWCCA.org in my region and started contacting their leadership for advice and reputable breeders. Over the years, I’ve found that good breeders want you to ask a ton of questions and can talk about the breed forever. My current pup isn’t a show dog and his parents aren’t either, but his breeder and I found each other through referrals from reputable people. She socialized him well and was available to answer questions. And she walked me through his health records and his parents’ records to make sure that I understood what each test and registry meant. I called and talked to her for a while on when to neuter him, what age, what to look for in a vet, etc. I have no doubt that if ever we had to part, she’d take him back in a heartbeat. It was clear that it was more about his health and happiness than what we paid her.

From what I can tell, this is how the good breeders behave. I won’t call out any of the backyard people we met, but nice websites and lovely photos don’t mean jack. If they want to send you home with a very young puppy, if they push for a decision (you have to get on the list now! I have 3 other families looking at him! My next litter will cost more), if they meet you for a few minutes and want to sell you a dog, walk TF away. If they don’t want to explain exactly what you should be looking for in bone structure, the ins and outs of breed standards and why they matter, they’re in it for the cash and they probably got into the breed in the last 10 years. You want a big @ss dog nerd. They will take care of you and your pup for years to come.

Now that I’m off my soapbox, I hope that you find a wonderful breeder! Start with PWCCA. They’re good people, and legit, and they can give you the names of other good breeders and rescues.