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Permalink Reply by Sam on May 16, 2008 at 6:54am

I would be offering this boy a bit more total food. While he may not eat much more I would make it available. They grow very quickly at this age. Regarding humping your leg and nipping I would redirect that behavior now. This is typical interactive behavior as expressed to other pups but you need to make it clear this is not the interaction that is acceptable with humans. Puppys rarely have an odor unless they have rolled in something or are soiling themselves or have a skin condition. I would try to find the source of the odor.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on May 16, 2008 at 7:10am

Follow your vet's recommendation and package instructions on feeding, corgis are herding dogs, nipping is a part of their natural instinct, like sam said you need to correct that behaviour while they're young, dogs use their nose first, then follow by mouth :) As far as shampoo wise, it is really up to you when it comes to smell, some people use baby johnson, some people use other scented ones, follow the instructions, you should leave the soap on for roughly 5 mins and massage deep into the skin, rinse throughly and get the soap out and you should have a great smelling corgi!

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Permalink Reply by Kristen on May 16, 2008 at 11:07am

I am very sensitive to odor and with three Corgis in the house we have to be diligent. In addition to a thorough shampooing you can use a "refreshing/conditioning" spray on your little guy periodically. I also recommend Febreeze pet odor control formula or my favorite, Febreeze Allergen control formula for your carpets and furniture. It goes a long way to control the odors and not just cover them up. I agree with Sam, it is a good idea to find the odor source. Bathing too frequently can be hard on skin and coat, so you want to know what it is, especially if it is a health issue.

I would also recommend bumping up the food portions. I use Canidae as well and my 5 month old eats almost two cups a day right now. It is amazing how fast they grow!. We are at the stage where we will have to watch closely and as he matures I will reduce his ration. Our 11 month old gets just under 1.5 cups a day.

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Permalink Reply by Yogi on May 16, 2008 at 5:10pm

Kristen, did you start your puppy on Canidae from when u got him/her? My vet seems to think Puppy food is best. It's a controversial issue with all stages and stage food with most dog people. I choose Canidae because most Corgi owners I know speak of how great it is with their dogs and I think the nutritional benefits are way beyond most common dog foods.

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Permalink Reply by Kristen on May 16, 2008 at 5:26pm

We started Brodie on Eukanuba after transitioning from what the breeder used. At that time we had five dogs in the house on five different types of food--I Senior food, puppy food, toy breed food, diet and regular food-It was complicated and expensive and each one wanted what someone else had. I started looking around and looked for recommendations-- additionally I had read that with Corgis the protein levels in some puppy foods can cause early lameness issues.There were a few forums that got into this issue on this site. When I really started looking at petfood lables I decided that the Canidae All Life Stages was better than each of the specialty foods I was using and out vet agreed. Now we are down to one food for the whole family of dogs. I did notice that for the puppy we need to feed on the high end of the recommendation. It was a good choice for us.

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Permalink Reply by Kimberly on May 16, 2008 at 12:12pm

I caught Blaze trying to "hump" a neighbor's puppy but this was only after a stupid poodle tried to hump HIM-- so I guess it was a learned behavior. (sorry if I offend anybody with poodles.... ;-D ) He nips constantly-- I am trying everything to get him to stop but it's like a compulsion with him. He MUST be biting/gnawing on something at all times. It gets tiring. Haven't given Blaze a bath yet so I can't help you there...

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on May 16, 2008 at 12:24pm

From what I have read, in the case of a puppy or a female, humping is usually a way for a dog to try to assert dominance it is pretty normal behavior but in the case of people the behavior really should be redirected as Sam noted.

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Permalink Reply by Yogi on May 16, 2008 at 5:14pm

Thanks for all your responses. My vet thinks its his natural puppy odor, which is strongest at this stage. He mentioned that yeast causes increase in body odor and I should look out for smelly ears and pipples on his belly as a symptom. So far he has none of these.
His next bath will be a professional grooming. So I think Ill see a difference then.

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