yay! can't wait! I actually brought Ollie the the park the day he turned 4 months... so glad I did :) I'm not in a hurry with the insurance either so I'm just going to keep hunting as well.
As for the itching, Ollie got extra itchy for a bit and switching to an all natural oatmeal based shampoo helped -- just make sure it's sulfate free!

oops, just wanted to add that fleas are particularly bad this year so most of the corgis I know (Ollie included) have gone on Comfortis flea preventative monthly pill instead of topical which although many are listed as waterproof, they get stripped off durign shampooing... I wish I'd known that from the beginning since they can pick up flea from anywhere! ok, I'm done now :)

Congrats on your new babe, Maya! What a cutie pie! Ollie is now 6.5 months and I can't imagine not having him.. I miss him and get excited on my drive home knowing I get to see him still :) I'll definitely let you know when I figure out what to do in terms of pet ins... I'm leaning Trupanion at the present.

In terms of tips, anters & old toothbrushes w/ doggy toothpaste (new one once a week and he'll learn to brush his own teeth) as chews, http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ led us to our choice of wellness puppy food/treats (he gets 2/3 cup, 2x/day which is wayyyy less than suggested on the bag but he's at the perfect weight and energy.. and 3-4 treats a day), arid extra dry spray deoderant to spray on things like carpet and things you don't want her to chew, and for toys the tuffies toys and bob-a-lot toy are awesome! Ollie also loves water bottles... which are pretty safe with the cap off :) Hope that's helpful!

Also, please please please come to meet the local corgsters during corgi time at the park! We meet every Saturday & Sunday at 8am-8:45am at Redondo Beach Dog Park.. it's well worth the trek! It's early but that's best for extra furry breeds like our corgis and you'll meet an amazing networ of corgis owners... on a good day we'll have 25+ corgis show up :) Ollie and I are almost always there and b/c he's been going from 4 months of age, he's very well socialized which makes it really easy with him out and around LA!

And anyway, I would love to meet Maya and the other corgsters will just drool over her :) It's a great way to set up playdates & helpers as well.. which comes in handy if you have an emergency and need someone to watch her for a day :)

Hope to meet you soon, Maya & family!