Pembroke Corgi 101 – Feeding, Grooming, Training & Health Care Of A Welsh Corgi

Welsh Corgi Feeding, Grooming, Training, and Health Care: Pembroke Corgi 101 [Complete Guide]Pembroke welsh corgis are intelligent loyal and athletic dogs they are also known as pembrokes pems or pwcs pembroke corgi is a cattle herding dog breed originated in pembrokeshire wales they were originally bred to herd castle they are the smallest member of the herding dogs group pembroke welsh corgis are often confused with their cousin cardigan welsh corgis however both are considered as different breeds cardigan is the oldest while pembroke is the most popular of the two corgi breeds as their name indicates pembrokes were developed in the pembrokeshire area of wales there are different theories about their origin according to welsh legend the dogs were a gift from fairies who rode them like horses apart from fairies some historians suggest pembrokes are descended from swedish cattle dogs valhans that came to britain with the vikings another theory states that pembrokes came to wales in the 12th century with flemish weavers. Pembroke corgis need high-quality dog food that contains all essential nutrients. Good food is mandatory for their long and healthy lives.

A dog’s age, metabolism, and activity level define a lot about their food demand.

  • Puppies are in the phase of growing and need more calories than adult dogs.
  • Senior dogs have a slow metabolism and need food that has low fat calories.
  • If your dog is more active, he will need more calories.

In the U.S., food brands are supposed to meet the requirements set by the AAFC; buy food brands that are AAFC compliant.

Welsh corgi 101 owners guide
Welsh corgi 101 owners guide – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)


How should you pick up a corgi?

Start by simply sliding your dominant arm underneath your dog’s chest — between his front legs. Then, as you lift him up, tuck his tooshie between your arm and body to keep him fully supported. Put your dominant arm behind his back legs and wrap your other arm around the front of his chest.

Source: https://www.prouddogmom.com/properly-pick-up-dog/


Protein is the most important factor in a dog’s food; apart from many other health benefits, it contains essential amino acids that a dog’s body cannot produce. Protein must be the first ingredient on the dog’s food label since these ingredients are arranged according to the decreasing order of their weight. According to the AAFC, a puppy dog needs at least 22 percent of its weight in protein, while an adult dog needs at least 18 percent.

Fats are supposed to be the second main ingredient on the food label. According to the AAFC, fats are highly digestible and provide a concentrated source of energy. A puppy needs at least eight percent, while an adult dog needs at least five percent of fat content in their food. These are the minimum requirements. Ideally, corgi food should have more fat content than some of the other main ingredients, which are supposed to be carbohydrates. vitamins, minerals, etc. Obesity is more common in men due to their high food intake.

Being overweight will lead to many other health issues like joint and heart diseases. Give them meals at specific times and monitor their food intake since corgis have a long back; obesity will cause severe joint disease in them. Pembrokes are working dogs belonging to the herding dog group. They were bred to have great stamina and herd flock all day; they need a healthy amount of exercise daily. Corgis need a minimum of one hour daily walk divided into two or three outings. You can play different games with them like playing fetch, running alongside a bicycle, swimming, etc. without adequate exercise, their mental and physical growth will be disturbed.

Corgi groomer near me
Corgi groomer near me – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)


At what age do corgis stop nipping?

Around 5 or 6 months puppies begin to lose those sharp teeth and they just grow out of biting. It may feel like they’ll never grow up (it did for me) but they do.

Source: https://willothecorgi.com/blog/how-to-teach-your-corgi-puppy-not-to-bite


They might show signs of some behavioral problems such as barking, howling, or digging. Lack of proper exercise activities will make your dog obese, which can become severe due to their long backs.

  • Their coat comes in four different colors.
  • Red-sable foreign and tri-colored corgis have a double-layered coat that is waterproof.
  • Some corgis are born with longer coats and are called fluffy corgis.

Their soft, medium-length coat is easy to groom.

Corgis shed heavily during spring and fall; brush them once a week; but during their shedding season, they need to be brushed daily.

  • Their ears need to be checked weekly for any kind of dirt, debris, or wax accumulation.
  • Any bad odor coming from the ears means infection in the ear.
  • Use a gentle, ph-balanced ear cleaning solution to clean their ears.

Don’t insert q-tips into their ear canal.

Trim their nails every two weeks or when they’ve grown enough because long nails can break easily, which creates infection.

  • Be careful not to cut the quick portion of their nails.
  • A dog’s teeth may develop tartar or gum diseases.
  • Bad breath is an indication of bad dental hygiene.

Brush them daily or several times a week using a dog’s toothbrush and paste.

  • Corgis are smart dogs and have a tendency to please their owners.
  • Training them is very easy as they love to learn new tricks.
  • Start the training process early, right after the eighth week of their age.

Early training is important before your puppy adopts any bad behaviors.

  • Since corgis were bred to be herding dogs, they have a strong herding nature.
  • Because of their herding instinct, they may start herding your kids by nipping them at heels.
  • discourage this behavior when your corgi is a puppy.

Use positive methods and don’t use force. Since pembroke corgis are pack dogs, it is really important that from an early age you establish yourself as alpha and leader of the pack. If you fail to do so, your corgi will consider himself the pack leader and the training process will be disturbed again.

Corgi training difficulty
Corgi training difficulty – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)


Do not shave a corgi?

Corgis that are shaved will often develop woolly appearances because the guard hairs can grow back tangled with the undercoat, leading to an improperly layered coat. Long story short, shaving your corgi is a bad idea.

Source: https://stumpsandrumps.com/shave-corgi/


You don’t need to use force or punish your dog. Just start training them from an early age and they will look up to you as alpha. No doubt, Pembroke Welsh Corgis are intelligent dogs, but sometimes they can show stubbornness because of their temperament. This only happens sometimes, and in such cases, deal with them patiently without showing any anger. Some of the other main techniques that your corgi needs to learn are obedience training, leash training, potty training, and crate training.

Due to the length of these topics, they cannot be covered in this article. Like any other dog breed, pembroke Welsh Corgis need early socialization. They need to be exposed to different sounds, places, and experiences. Socialization will help them be a well-behaved adult dog; they can get along easily with other pets if they’re raised with them. Enrolling them in a kindergarten class is a great idea to socialize them. Three to six months of age is the prime time for socialization.

During this time, it is really important that your dog has positive experiences with different people, pets, and sites. Pembroke Welsh Corgis have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years; they’re generally healthy dogs but prone to certain health issues. Some of the most common health concerns of corgis are canine hip dysplasia. Von Willbran’s disease degenerative myelopathy progressive retinal atrophy, etc.

Corgi training courses
Corgi training courses – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)


Can Corgis be left alone for 8 hours?

For adult Corgis, after they’ve been crate trained, most can be left alone for 8 – 10 hours. But only if they’re exercised before your leave for work and ideally when you get home.

Source: https://outdoordogfun.com/can-corgis-be-left-alone/


It is a common disease in dogs, but corgis are more susceptible to it because of their long, straight back. Hip dysplasia is characterized by an abnormality in the dog’s hip joint on one or both sides. Obesity and lack of exercise are the two main reasons for hip dysplasia, which is a hereditary disease. Make sure to ask the breeder about the hip clearance certificates of the puppy’s parents. Degenerative myelopathy is a serious life-threatening condition that affects a dog’s spinal cord, nervous system, and brain. It affects dogs in the later stages of their lives, between the ages of 8 and 14 years.

Currently, there is no cure for this disease, but since it is a hereditary disease, it can be prevented if your puppy’s parents are genetically tested for it. Many fatal diseases in a dog can be avoided if the puppy parents are genetically tested before mating. Genetic tests will make sure that your puppy doesn’t inherit the disease-causing genes. Buy from a good and reputed breeder who shows you the clearances and certificates about puppy parents in Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

You need to ask for the following health clearance certificates: certificate from ofa or penn hip about hip dysplasia; certificates from ofa for elbow dysplasia; hypothyroidism; von Willebrand’s disease; and certificate from cerf for eyes. You can confirm these certificates by visiting the OASIS or Chic websites.



Frequent Questions – 💬

❓ How to train a Pembroke Welsh Corgi?

Obedience training is strongly recommended for the Pembroke Welsh corgis. Obedience can be combined with search and rescue training, flyball games or agility training with these smart dogs. Feed your corgi a high-quality dog food to maintain proper body condition. This breed has a tendency to become overweight and should be fed carefully.

❓ How often should you groom a Pembroke Corgi?

As well as brushing the fur, you should brush your Pembroke corgi’s teeth twice per week and trim the dog’s nails once a month or when you hear the nails clicking on the floor. During grooming, check for soreness or rashes, and check for odors or redness in their ears.

❓ Is there a Welsh Corgi?

The Welsh Corgi exists nowadays as two separate breeds: the more popular Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Both Corgi breeds’ names came from the ancient region in Wales. The Pembroke lived in Pembrokeshire, and the Cardigan lived in Cardiganshire.

❓ How to care for a Corgi?

Feed your corgi a high-quality dog food to maintain proper body condition.

  • This breed has a tendency to become overweight and should be fed carefully.
  • According to Purina, your dog's ribs should be easy to feel with minimal fat covering.
  • You should see an indentation just behind his ribs as you view his abdomen.

Pembroke Corgi 101 - Feeding, Grooming, Training & Health care of a Welsh Corgi
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

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