Establish a routine

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Corgis come in two varieties—Cardigan and Pembroke. Depending on which breed of Corgi you have, you’ll experience various levels of independence and stubbornness from your Corgi. No matter the kind, establishing a routine and strictly enforcing the rules are the best way to keep your new pet under control.Without the structure, Corgis are often quick to establish their own rules and be unwilling to change.

Regulate feeding time with them to specific times and be certain to keep that time, only providing their bowl for as long as it takes the dog to eat. Corgis have a “robust” appetite, so watch out for excessive weight gain.  Letting your pup graze throughout the day lets them grow complacent and bored with food, and makes establishing when they’ve eaten hard to do. Do the same with playtime and walks, but don’t start off with more than you’re prepared to do. If you’ve consistently walked your new Corgi puppy every day of the week for a month, he’ll start expecting it next month when you begin to dial down the frequency. Settle on

Do the same with playtime and walks, but don’t start off with more than you’re prepared to do. If you’ve consistently walked your new Corgi puppy every day of the week for a month, he’ll start expecting it next month when you begin to dial down the frequency. Settle on consistency that will suit your puppy, you, and future you.

 

          Make time to play

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Corgis are a high-energy pet, and you’ll need to accommodate that energy. Develop a routine that includes plenty of play time and walking, otherwise you might have a very restless pup on your hands. Dogs tend to get noisy and disruptive when they’re bored, and Corgis have a reputation for being persistent barkers. But don’t treat playtime with your dog like a chore. Despite their short legs and small stature, Corgis are deceptively fast and can be great at fetch or chase. If you don’t have a large enough yard to play in, find dog parks or other parks nearby to help occupy your pet’s time.

Invest in toys of many varieties to keep your puppy entertained. Corgis are intelligent dogs that can get restless with simple chewables, so use puzzle toys that offer your pet more of a challenge. This has an added benefit of promoting healthy teething from your puppy, although is not comprehensive. Corgis were bred to nip at cattle heels while herding, so you should be prepared for a small amount of nipping from your growing Corgi . Be sure to express that any more is undesirable behavior to prevent your Corgi from learning to herd you.

 

          Give your puppy a safe space

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As with all puppies, your new Corgi is going to want its own space. Provide it with a crate that’s spacious enough to let it stand up and turn around as an adult. Corgis don’t get very big. But what may seem roomy in its tiny puppy days will be a tight fit as a full-grown adult. Keep the crate in your bedroom where you’re in view, and allow the puppy access in at its leisure. Keep your puppy in there when you’re doing other things to establish it as not a punishment and allow it to become a familiar space. The goal of crate training is to make the crate seem like your puppy’s room, not its cell.

The same goes with boundaries. Corgis are naturally independent, but your constant presence can still have the puppy develop a separation anxiety. Leave the puppy alone in a room for short periods and let it entertain itself with toys. Establish that being alone is no reason for your puppy to panic.

You Be the Leader

Not only are corgis tough little dogs, they are highly intelligent. If you don’t establish yourself as boss — pack leader, alpha or whatever term you prefer to use — your corgi will assume the role. When a corgi thinks he’s boss, he’ll herd you and the rest of the family. You can change that behavior with basic obedience training. You need to be firm with your corgi, letting him know you are the boss and you will not tolerate being herded. If, for example, your corgi nips at your child’s heels and is scaring her, nip the nipping in the bud: As soon as your corgi gets near the heels and is ready to nip, say “Ah!” or “Eh!” in a loud, commanding tone. Step between your toddler and your corgi so he understands that you are in charge of your child.

 

Aggression With Food

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If you are not an established boss in your home, your corgi might be aggressive with his food. An aggressive, bossy corgi is likely to growl if you get near his bowl — and the growl might precede a bite. You can’t have that going on. Employ a philosophy that you own everything, including his food, and you choose to give it to him when you are ready. A good way to bring home the message is to have your corgi sit and look at you while you hold his food bowl. He needs to remain in sit position and maintain eye contact with you for as long as you like, whether that be 20 seconds, a minute or whatever you want. Then put the food down. You should be able to put your hand in the food dish without him growing. The food is yours, not his.

Aggression With Toys

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If your corgi is aggressive with a toy, stare him down, say “Mine,” hold out your hand and stand over him and the toy. Take away the toy, and let him have it when he’s calm. If your dog is being particularly aggressive with the toy by continuing to growl at you and bare his teeth to get you to back away, don’t risk being bitten. Call a dog trainer to show you what to do.

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Aggression With Other Dogs

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Corgis, maybe because of their instinctual herding behavior, generally won’t back down from a dogfight. If they can stand up to cattle, they don’t care how big the other dog is. Your best plan is to keep your corgi on a leash anytime you are outside your home, according to Richard G. Beauchamp’s “Welsh Corgis: Pembroke and Cardigan.” If your corgi reacts aggressively to another dog, keep the leash close to your body and continue walking away.

 

          Grooming

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By combing out your corgi regularly, you remove loose hair and stimulate hair growth. A greyhound comb, which has both medium and coarse tines, works well. Begin with the coarse tines; this loosens up the dead fur. After you comb your pup with the coarse tines, switch to the medium comb. Finish up with a fine-toothed comb. Comb from the rear leg up toward your pup’s face. Aim for weekly grooming at minimum.

 

Trimming Ear and Feet Fur

Use pet shears to blend the long hair at the base of the ears with the shorter hair. Corgi ears can get quite fluffy so blending the ear hair in with the neck hair gives your pal a clean-cut appearance. Feet trimming isn’t necessary, but gives your friend’s fuzzy feet a sleeker look. Use scissors to clean up the hairs peeking between his pads and shape your friend’s feet.

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Warning: Do not shave — or ask a groomer to shave — your pet corgi. Corgis have a double coat that offers protection from the sun’s rays. A shaved corgi could get sunburn. Brushing and scissor snipping won’t harm the double coat, but shaving may irreparably damage your pup’s coat. If the hair follicles are damaged from shaving, the fur may not grow back and your corgi may have bald patches.

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          Plan for veterinary care

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Keep your new puppy up to date on vaccines and preventative care. Make trips to the veterinarian fun and make your Corgi familiar with handling by gently playing with its paws and picking it up, so the sensations experienced during check-ups won’t be an unpleasant surprise.

You should plan for the worst, even if you’re hoping for the very best for your dog. Consider getting your puppy a microchip in case it escapes, and invest in pet insurance in preparation for unforeseen medical bills.

 

The following are the top three health concerns you should know:

 

#1 – Intervertebral Disc Disease

Intervertebral disc disease is when the discs between the vertebrae bulge or herniate into the spinal cord space. When that happens, it can cause pain, nerve damage, and paralysis. Corgis are more likely to have Hansen Type I, which is a sudden herniation of a disc. If your Corgi is having trouble walking, refuses to jump, is incontinent, won’t eat, or appears anxious, take him to the vet as soon as possible.

 

#2 – Hip Dysplasia

Common to many breeds of dogs, hip dysplasia is often seen in the Corgi. It’s best to make sure any breeder you are thinking of getting a puppy from tests for dysplasia in all breeding dogs. If you are rescuing a Corgi, have her checked out by a vet to see if she has or is prone to getting dysplasia so you know what your Corgi will be able to handle in terms of activities and exercise.

 

#3 – Degenerative Myelopathy

A progressive disease in your Corgi’s spinal cord with no cure or treatments available, degenerative myelopathy causes eventual paralysis in the hind limbs. It usually appears after the age of eight. Luckily, there is a gene that, if present, indicates an increased risk for the disease, so be sure the breeder is testing for this as well as dysplasia prior to breeding