Pembroke Welsh Corgi Care

Pembroke Welsh Corgi care involves a few regular tasks. This small- to medium-sized breed, like its Cardigan Welsh Corgi cousin, is active, intelligent, and task-oriented, but can be stubborn and willful if not properly trained. Caring for a Corgi will need to include daily exercise, frequent brushing, and some training and socialization.

Plenty of details on caring for Corgis can be found below. These sections include lots of info about raising a Corgi: puppy care and development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition, and more are included here. Anyone considering getting a Corgi, consider this your definitive Corgi guide--and read on!

Though small these dogs are quite energetic--so Pembroke Welsh Corgi exercise requirements are pretty high. Pembrokes are intelligent and task-oriented, and will need activities that both condition them physically (walking, fetch) and stimulate them mentally (games, canine sports). They make good jogging companions as well.

Exactly how much exercise do Corgis need each day? Adults will require at least an hour; you can start exercising your Corgi puppy when it's three months old by taking it on short walks, then you can increase the walks' length as the pup grows.

Precautions with Pembroke Welsh Corgi exercise:

• Don't exercise puppies too hard before they're nine months old
• Prone to back problems--so don't allow Corgis to jump off/on taller objects like furniture or tables
• Strong herding instincts mean a leash is required when exercising in public
• Yards should be securely fenced to keep the dog from running off

Exercising your Pembroke every day is a must. These dogs are very active, they tend to bark a lot, and they're prone to obesity--so a lack of activity will cause Corgis to be hyperactive, they'll be excessively "yappy" and destructive, and they might become fat and out of shape. Regular exercise will be great for the dog's health and peace of mind! A few Corgi workout ideas:

• Walking/Jogging: Try for 45 minutes of walking (or 30 of jogging) per day
• Fetch/Frisbee: Pembrokes love chasing a ball, stick, or Frisbee
• Hide-and-Seek: Good indoor activity; give the dog a treat when it finds you
• Canine Sports: Pembrokes can excel at agility or herding trials
• Dog Park: Corgis usually enjoy the company of other dogs
• Hiking: Excellent bonding activity

When indoors, balls or toys will allow the dog to burn excess energy. It's also good to have a regular exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks or jogs after breakfast and dinner and playtime in the afternoon.

These dogs will need moderate maintenance overall. Pembroke Welsh Corgi shedding is seasonal: fair for most of the year, and heavier during the twice-yearly shedding seasons. Drooling isn't an issue.

Pembrokes have dense, double-layered coats that shed moderately for most of the year--but when they blow their undercoats in the spring (and depending on the climate, in the fall as well), the shedding is more profuse. (Though some dishonest breeders may offer "Corgis That Don't Shed" or "Non-Shedding Corgi Dogs" for sale, no such thing actually exists, and those dogs are likely crossbreeds.) Owners will need to brush their Pembrokes 3-4 times per week with a slicker brush to keep the shedding to a minimum, and cleanup--vacuuming the floors, and lint rollers on clothes and furniture--will be necessary fairly often. Brushing and cleanup will obviously be required more frequently during shedding season.

A Pemboroke almost never drools, though. If your Pembroke Welsh Corgi is drooling excessively, it might be a sign of a medical issue, in which case a veterinarian's care is needed.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi diet will need to include animal proteins and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and omega fatty acids--nutrients every dog needs to maintain its health in the long term. This means the best Pembroke Welsh Corgi food is premium dry kibble, as it contains balanced portions of the above-listed ingredients.

And how much should a Corgi eat each day? Adults, depending on age, size, and activity level, will need about 1½ cups of premium dry food per day, divided into two meals. Corgi puppy food portions are a bit smaller: again depending on age, about a cup per day, divided into three meals (not two) until six months of age.

For more info on how much to feed a Corgi puppy through maturity, see this Corgi feeding chart:

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by first mixing in a bit of adult formula with the puppy formula. Over the course of a week, with each meal add a little more adult formula to the mixture, until the dog is eating it entirely.

Try if at all possible to stick to the above-listed portions. If constantly overfed (and under-exercised), these dogs will quickly become overweight--and a fat Corgi puppy dog will have numerous health problems. (Fat Corgis usually have shorter lifespans as well.) You can help control your Pembroke's weight by having consistent feeding and exercise schedules, by not feeding the dog table scraps, and by not leaving food in the dog's bowl all the time.

If your worried your Pembroke Welsh Corgi is overweight, try this simple test: run a hand along the dog's side, and if you can't feel any ribs, it's diet time--which means less food and more exercise!

Though some will disagree, a majority of veterinarians, breeders, and owners believe the best dog food for Corgi puppy and adult dogs is premium dry kibble. While more expensive, this high-quality food provides essential nutrients that cheap, generic food simply lacks.

The best dog food for Corgis are from brands like Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, and Taste of the Wild--all of which carry excellent lines of premium dry food.

For the most part, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an inside dog. While they'll need a got bit of outdoor exercise each day, Pembrokes will be much happier living inside with their human family members. And is a Corgi an apartment dog? It can be--as long as it gets some daily exercise!

In regards to climate, these dogs are pretty adaptable. Whether you live in a climate that's warm or cool, Corgi dogs will be fairly comfortable.

Corgis adapt well to a wide range of temperatures. Because their derivative country has all four seasons, the Corgi is familiar with a vast range of temperatures. Corgis are comfortable in heated temperatures up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and they are also comfortable in colder temperatures down to 50 degree Fahrenheit.

The Corgis have a double coat, withstanding harsh temperatures. They shed their dense undercoat in the spring time to prepare for summer. They activate their internal mechanism to control the outside temperatures in order to avoid overheating or freezing.