Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cindi & Twinkie on September 15, 2009 at 2:54pm

Hmm, I don't know about breeding for fluffs but I think they are a by-product of breeding for other desirable characteristics. I think the corgi breeders follow a code not to breed for "flaws" just like boxer breeders don't ever try for a white one. I will be very interested in what the breeders here have to say. I know that there were four fluffs in the litter Twinkie came from. I think there were something like ten pups in that litter. I wonder if that ratio is normal? Great question Dara. I really think you need that puppy next year. Mostly because I want to play with him :o)

Talk to you soon, Cindi

Permalink Reply by Dara and Gracie on September 15, 2009 at 3:29pm

I should also add that I am NOT talking about breeding Gracie. She will spayed soon. I just love the fluffs! I think they are so adorable!

Permalink Reply by Mim on October 18, 2009 at 10:50am

The fluffy coat is recessive so both parents need to carry it. A dog can 'carry' the gene by having one copy of it (so a normal coated corgi may carry the gene without having the fluffy coat). Having two copies of a recessive gene means the dog has a fluffy coat. Therefore, if a breeder breeds two dogs, who happen to each carry one copy of the fluffy gene then there is a 25% chance that a fluffy coated puppy will be born, 50% chance that a puppy carrying one copy will be born and a 25% chance that a puppy will be born with no copies of the gene.

It is a fault in the standard so no ethical breeder would breed *for* fluffy coated breeds. Breeders should be breeding to improve the breed, so breeding to achieve non-standard dogs is not doing so. Don't get into the mindset that fluffies aren't 'good' corgis or anything though. They just have a coat which does not allow them to be shown and would disqualify them from a breeding program. It's good for us because it means more gorgeous dogs for pet owners!

Check out my pictures for photos of my gorgeous fluffy boy, Muddy. He's 6 months and has lost about 1/3rd of his puppy coat so far. Can't wait for his full adult coat to come in, he's going to be so handsome! (Can you tell I'm a proud corgi mum?)

Permalink Reply by Nancy and Harley on January 10, 2010 at 10:34pm

Mim is totally right. No ethical Corgi breeder would try to breed for fluffies since they are technically a "flaw" in the breed standard. I agree that fluffies are very cute, but they do not better the breed. Corgi breeders that end up with a fluffy in their litter should sell it exclusively with a spay/neuter contract. We got Harley from a show breeder and we had to sign a neuter contract. Even if he wasn't a fluffy, we would have neutered him because we are not breeders or show handlers. We were hoping for a regular coated Corgi, but Harley was the last pup the breeder had left. Harley was one out of a litter of six and he had one fluffy brother.

As far as the shedding, I think Harley sheds just as much as my other short haired dog. At first when he was a baby (less than 4 months old) he didn't hardly shed at all. But, once his "adult coat" started coming in, he started dropping massive amounts of fluff. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how his coat behaves in the warmer months.

Permalink Reply by Mim on January 11, 2010 at 2:42am

I forgot to comment on fluffy shedding vs standard coat shedding. I've owned 2 fluffies and 2 standard coats and the only difference is that a fluffy coat sheds longer hairs. Other than that there is no difference, from my experience.

Permalink Reply by Keira & Rogue on January 26, 2010 at 7:51pm

My fluffy, Rogue, starts getting as matted as my fluffy white cat unless she goes for frequent grooming. Otherwise, she doesn't seem to shed very much - most of the fur I find around the house is from the cats. Of course, when I get her groomed, they trim her down pretty far. As beautiful as she is when she's completely fluffy, she looks really really cute (think fuzzy teddy bear) when she's trimmed up.

When I got her from the breeder, I had to sign a spay/neuter contract, and her AKC registration is limited. In other words, no offspring of hers could ever have been AKC registered. Of course, she was promptly spayed so the limited AKC registration didn't seem like a big deal.

Permalink Reply by Dara and Gracie on January 26, 2010 at 8:57pm

Thanks for the replies. I just love the fluffies. Gracie just got spayed this past Friday. My vet wanted her to go through one heat cycle. I'll never do that again! We changed vets and got her spayed at 10 1/2 months. It is hard to keep her inactive. She is a wild Indian! I think she is feeling better. I was really worried about her. It didn't phase her! I'm going to get her groomed after her incision heals completely. We're hoping to get her a little brother later this Spring.

Permalink Reply by Debbie Algieri & Bella Boo on October 5, 2010 at 6:58pm

I think Fluffy's are beautiful! When I get another Corgi, I will look for another fluffy! I'm not looking to show anyway and they are just so beautiful.