Owning a Corgi

Douglas the Floppy-ear Corgi!

   When people see Douglas they tend to ask, "Is he a beagle?" or "He must be a mix of a corgi and something else!". The answer is neither, instead, he is a purebred papered corgi whose ears didn't stand up. Everything else about him is corgi; the body, the short stumpy legs, the crazy personality, everything! Douglas loves going on walks and eating food but mostly eating food. He also enjoys his spa days at Happy Paws Dog Grooming in Monrovia because he gets all the attention and cookies. 

   In the recent years, corgis have become one of the most popular dogs on the internet. It seems as though everyone wants a corgi now. Every time I take Douglas in public someone stops me to pet him and take a picture then ask me where they can get a corgi. Although many people don't understand the effort it takes to own a corgi. So today's blog post will be a short summary of what people need to know before getting a corgi. 

#1 Corgis SHED. They are considered HEAVY shedders which mean they constantly shed all year long. It will never stop. Some people say shave it! Don't do that. Shaving a corgi will potentially ruin their coat permanently. Because corgis have undercoat, shaving them won't stop the shedding, instead, it will cause them to shed little hairs that will easily splinter you. Dogs with undercoat need their double layer coat to keep them warm in the cold and cool in the heat. It acts as a thermometer to balance their body temperature. One solution to help the shedding is to brush them daily and bathe them monthly with a de-shedding shampoo and conditioner then blow drying them dry.

#2 They LOVE to EAT! Corgis are prone to excessive weight gain to the point of obesity. Make sure you exercise your corgi daily and keep them on a healthy diet to ensure they stay fit. A fat corgi is not a happy corgi.

#3 Bark! Bark! Bark! Corgis tend to be a little loud compared to other dog breeds. Work on training early on to control excessive barking issues. 

#4 Back and joint problems. Corgis are prone to back and joint problems. This goes back to #2 a little bit in which you must keep your corgi at a healthy weight and active to reduce the chances of dealing with these problems. Also, joint supplements can be used (if directed by a vet) to help support their joints.

#5 Socialization. This goes for any breed of dog actually. Make sure you start socialization with your corgi early on to both people and other animals so that when the get older they don't become mean and anti-social.

#6 They OWN you. Corgis LOVE their human. LOVE them! Douglas basically thinks that I am his and he's not going to share with anyone else. No ifs, ands, or buts. 

I hope this was informative. Please comment other points you think are important for future corgi owners!

Thank you!

Lexi