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Comment by Jane on October 5, 2011 at 10:59am

I would definitely suggest a large breed puppy formula or an all life stages food. I feed Fromms which is an all life stages food, but it seems rather hard to find in some areas. It is nice not having multiple bags of food open at one time when you have a pup in the house. I personally don't like feeding foods with a lot of corn or by-products, but each to their own. I think it's okay in moderation such as a treat here and there, but I wouldn't want to have it be their main diet.

 

Shots are something you should definitely discuss with your vet. The standard shots are for rabies, parvo and distemper I believe. Bordatella is for kennel cough and most training or boarding places will require it. Lepto, corona and lyme are not necessary unless you're in a high risk area, again something to discuss with your vet.

Comment by Melinda (Penny's Mom) on October 5, 2011 at 10:41am

Corgis may be small in size but they are BIG in attitude!    There are many good food discussions on this site and a couple of web sites that rate the foods by content.  As for shots your vet will set you up on a schedule for those.  Good luck and ENJOY your new addition!

Comment by Sam Tsang on October 5, 2011 at 10:13am

Hi Stephanie, do your own research on food and make the best decision based on your budget, do not blindly follow what others feed and trend. You can always hire a licensed professional with meal plan. You can find most answers in the FAQ, read and re-read it.

Comment by Jane Christensen on October 5, 2011 at 9:48am

Oh what a handsome little guy! Congratulations! I would suggest that you have him checked by the vet within 48 hours just to make sure all is well and as someone said he should come with a vet paper. My pups papers have the times they were wormed and shots already given and the vet also includes the type(brand) of wormer etc. At that time you can plan a shot visit but personally I would wait a week or 2 if possible for your little guy to start adjusting before shots.

 

Food: there are plenty of discussions. Two important things though are: Feed either all-life-stages with a lower protein (around 24%) or a large breed puppy food as Corgis are considered a large breed pup.

 

Make sure Brian has a place(I prefer a kennel or exercise pen) that he can get away and rest. FYI it has been my experience that you may need to watch how your GSD and pup play as my Tank who is a large corgi rescue plays rough and will roll or flip sage ....Sage loves it most of the time BUT she could get hurt.

 

Enjoy!

Comment by Yuki & Ellie on October 5, 2011 at 9:29am

Congratulations on your new addition!  I'm sure your Shepherds will love having a "little" brother around.  ;)  Especially since he'll probably be able to keep right up with them!

 

When it comes to food, there really isn't too much of a right-or-wrong going on unless your pup ends up having allergies.  If you've fed Iams for your Shepherds and are comfortable feeding Iams to your pup, then that's fine.  If you want to switch them all to something else, then that's fine, too!  I used to feed my Eskimo Dog lamb-based Science Diet and was happy with it.  But when I decided to add Ellie to our family, I started to do research and felt that Yuki and Ellie both might do better on a grain-free food.  So I switched them over to lamb-based Taste of the Wild and they both love it!  I can feed it to both of them, since it's an all-stages food (no separate puppy variety to buy!), and a side-benefit has been a drastic reduction in the tear stains on Yuki.  I believe he has a mild grain allergy and that was what had been causing the tear stains on his face.  I had also tried Wellness Core with Yuki, and he loved that just as much.  So really, it's up to what you're comfortable with. 

 

As for shots, my little Ellie had three rounds on shots.  The first was just after we got her (at 9 weeks old), then again (I think) two weeks later and again two weeks after that.  There was one last shot which, for whatever reason, hadn't been given.  They gave it to her at 5 months when she had her spay done.  Now she's done for the year!  If you have questions about which specific vaccinations will be given, give your vet a call!  :)  You'll probably be making an appointment for an initial visit, soon, anyway.  I'm sure he/she would be happy to talk about what to expect as far as health care goes.

Comment by Ellen Andersen on October 5, 2011 at 9:22am

Congratulations!!!!!  Corgis (well, Pemmies at any rate) aren't 'big' dogs size wise (though they do fill up a room!) but their attitude is plenty big...but in a good way.  I've got Cardis and they are all 50 lbs (more or less) and not the least bit fat...just big solid dogs.

All the info on food (both right and wrong) can be very overwhelming.  Do keep feeding your new poopster what the breeder was feeding him until you decide what you want to use and switch him slowly, mixing in part of the new and part of the old until his system can get used to the new food.  I think if you asked everyone on here what they would recommend, you'll get just as many answers.  And that's only because everyone wants to do what's best for our beloved furkids.  There is a FAQ on this site that talks alot about all the foods which might help.

 

Welcome to the site!  There are so many wonderful people and awesome corgis and mixes and just general good pooches.  If you ever have ANY questions, someone on here will be able to help.  Can't wait to start seeing some baby poopster pics!

Comment by Beth on October 5, 2011 at 8:16am

Before you decide on a food, look at some of the research itself (as opposed to people's opinions).  Corn is not evil, for instance:  corn GLUTEN as a protein source is less-than-ideal, but corn as a cereal is not terribly different than any other cereal (or potato, in grain-free).  Look at the digestibility studies on corn, (there are some online).   Look at the actual allergens for dogs (chicken is much more likely to cause allergies than some of the "bad" ingredients talked about online.)  Much of what you read online about food is hyperbole. 

 

We've fed Iam's for years, by the way, and it's perfectly fine.  Switch if you like, but I have a funny feeling myself that some of those food boards have been infiltrated by people with vested interests in other companies:  too many of them lump Iam's (one of the biggest "good foods" out there) in with some of the cheap grocery store brands.  It always seemed targeted to me.  My father's dog is a hunting dog in heavy work, has always had Iam's and still acts like a puppy at almost 10 years of age--- old for a large breed.

Comment by Sarah and Zombie on October 5, 2011 at 2:25am

Oh! And also, my boyfriend's parents have a shepherd mix who Zombie is very good around! They love each other, though I have to watch out for Zombie because sometimes Kohda is too rough with her. But for the most part, they are awesome buddies. I think your breed combination will work out just fine(: Like Gromit and Doug said, Brian will probably challenge your shepherds, but corgi's are awesome dogs. Very intelligent. He will probably try and herd your dogs &/or children, as they typically do that with everything around them. When socialized correctly, are good around other companions. (cats, dogs, etc.). The one thing I would definitely be prepared for is the nipping though. Corgi's nip. They don't do it to be mean! When they were bred, they were bred to herd cattle by nipping at their feet and barking. This is a habit that can be broken, and just comes with being a corgi pup!

Comment by Sarah and Zombie on October 5, 2011 at 2:18am

Welcome to corgi-dom!!! (: For Zombie I made 3 visits to the vet for her shots, her first visit included 3 shots, her second 2, and last 3. This includes distemper, Advenovirus, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, etc. 

Your breeder should (if a good breeder) give your Brian his first shots (baby vaccines). Distemper, Parvo, Bordetella, Corona, Lyme, Leptospirosis boosters. Ask your breeder about this, she/he should be able to help you, and may even give you a list of what you need to do next so your better prepared for your next vet visit. At about 3 months you can get rabies done. Also, becareful not to take your puppy out until vaccines are done, so your puppy doesn't catch parvo. :/ (This can be caught pretty much anywhere, better to be safe than sorry, right?)

 

As for food, I use Pedigree, but I will probably switch soon. Just because I've heard horrible things about it. :l I'd like to suggest also asking what your breeder feeds her puppies, that way when you do find a dog food brand, you can transition easily. Just switching over to a different food than the puppy is use to can upset the tummy and cause diarrhea.  

Comment by Gromit, Sparkle, and Doug on October 5, 2011 at 2:02am

I had German Shepherd Dogs before I got my first Corgi.  I think what you will find is that your Corgi will be very much like a GSD with shorter legs.  After all, they are both herding breeds.  Don't be surprised either if your Corgi tries to challenge your Shepherds for the top dog position.  Corgis are short but they don't know it.

What dog food to feed is a hotly debated subject.  I used to feed Iams but after some research I feed Gromit Canidae All Life Stages and am quite happy with how he does on it. 

 

Best of luck with your new pal, I'm sure he'll be a ton of fun for your family and other dogs.

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