Several Corgi Question, in need of answers. Jacksonville FL.
I just selected my ideal Corgi, a young red/white male still sitting at the breeder until 8 weeks of age. I like to think he is as excited as I am to come live with me. I have read everything I can read, as this is my first Corgi pup (actually first dog, other than family pets when I was very young). Even so I have several questions remaining. So let's get right to the business??
1.)I was looking for a yellow corgi, I read that red/white is what I am looking for. The corgi I selected has some black, although the breeder says he is not a Tri and will turn yellow. My vet friend agrees. What do you think from the pic I have posted?
2.) When I bring him home at 8 weeks, how much time should I take off of work to initially care for him and be around as often as possible? I work 8/9 hours a day 5 days a week, I do not mind taking alot of time off at first, and then arranging someone to let him out once a day while I work. Would this be sufficient? Around what age could he last 8 hours at home alone?(in his kennel).
3.) Do you call multiple Corgi's Corgii? Or Corgi's?
4.) How long initially will he cry at night? I know pups cry at night, that is not news, but how long can I expect it, and what can I do to limit his crying?
5.) Once my pup is potty-trained and trustworthy I would like to get another Corgi, so they can keep eachother company while I work, also to ease the stress from caring for more than one pup at a time. Do they like to share a kennel? Or should I buy an additional one? Once they are both equally trustworthy I would like to give them free roam of the house.
6.) I live on the water, and surf every morning. I would love for my pups to accompany. With training would they be intrested in swimming and stay near me in the water or at least on the beach? Also what effects (if any) would salt-water have on their coats, and what additional bathing precautions should I take to a salt-water exposed pup?
7.) I have a male, and to get a pair everyone suggests a male/female pair. Correct?
8.) I read several different feeding articles for the pups, some ranging from leave him in a pool of kibble to feed him a tiny amount 3 times a day. What is the general concensus amongst the Corgi-owners here? To feed a pup from 8 weeks on?
That is all I have (for now). Feels like I am asking alot, but I really want to do it right. Thanks for taking the time to read, and hopefully help me find an answer to my questions. I live in Jacksonville Florida, and would love to meet some other local Corgi's if there are any.
Thanks,
James (and Cheez)
1.)I was looking for a yellow corgi, I read that red/white is what I am looking for. The corgi I selected has some black, although the breeder says he is not a Tri and will turn yellow. My vet friend agrees. What do you think from the pic I have posted?
2.) When I bring him home at 8 weeks, how much time should I take off of work to initially care for him and be around as often as possible? I work 8/9 hours a day 5 days a week, I do not mind taking alot of time off at first, and then arranging someone to let him out once a day while I work. Would this be sufficient? Around what age could he last 8 hours at home alone?(in his kennel).
3.) Do you call multiple Corgi's Corgii? Or Corgi's?
4.) How long initially will he cry at night? I know pups cry at night, that is not news, but how long can I expect it, and what can I do to limit his crying?
5.) Once my pup is potty-trained and trustworthy I would like to get another Corgi, so they can keep eachother company while I work, also to ease the stress from caring for more than one pup at a time. Do they like to share a kennel? Or should I buy an additional one? Once they are both equally trustworthy I would like to give them free roam of the house.
6.) I live on the water, and surf every morning. I would love for my pups to accompany. With training would they be intrested in swimming and stay near me in the water or at least on the beach? Also what effects (if any) would salt-water have on their coats, and what additional bathing precautions should I take to a salt-water exposed pup?
7.) I have a male, and to get a pair everyone suggests a male/female pair. Correct?
8.) I read several different feeding articles for the pups, some ranging from leave him in a pool of kibble to feed him a tiny amount 3 times a day. What is the general concensus amongst the Corgi-owners here? To feed a pup from 8 weeks on?
That is all I have (for now). Feels like I am asking alot, but I really want to do it right. Thanks for taking the time to read, and hopefully help me find an answer to my questions. I live in Jacksonville Florida, and would love to meet some other local Corgi's if there are any.
Thanks,
James (and Cheez)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on
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Hi James,
Congratulations on the new puppy! From all your questions, I can tell how excited you are. It is exciting!
While you are waiting for the puppy, I would spend some time to call your area trainers about Puppy Kindergarden and find one you're comfortable with. Puppy Kindergarden is the most fabulous thing you can do as a first time owner and for your puppy. Also call or visit a few veterinarian offices to find one you like. You'll want the pup to have a general health check fairly quickly just to ensure your pup's health is starting out right.
So for your questions...
1) Your pup does look like he'll be a red and white. His head color is interesting with those really dark ears. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't keep some of the sabling on his ears and maybe head. He's a cutie!
2) I would take off at least 3 days (or a long weekend), the more time the better. You'll be wanting to take him outside for housetraining every 2 hours at 2 months, and add an hour per month. When you go back to work, ideally you would want someone coming in mid-morning, then if you can go home at lunch or have someone come in, then mid-afternoon. Between 4-5 months, he should be ok with someone coming in only at mid-day. By 8 to 10 months, he should be able to hold it 8 hours, but it would still be nice if someone could come give him a mid-day break (as much to relieve boredom as his bladder). At that age I would at least move him to a larger exercise pen if you are leaving him all day. He'll be needing lots of exercise by that age (he'll be a "teenager").
3) Corgis : - )
4) If you have his kennel in your bedroom, he may not cry at all. Ask the breeder for a blanket (or take one when you visit) to have the familiar scent of his littermates. Also something that smells like you (T-shirt), and a couple of stuffed toys (if he doesn't eat them) and some other toys will give him some comfort too. Do expect him to whimper or whine in the middle of the night to go potty and be prepared to get up and take him out for a couple of months. Puppies don't like to soil their sleeping area and he won't be able to hold his bladder all night. Charlie slept through the night starting around 3 months, so you won't lose sleep for too long.
5) I would wait until your pup is at least one year or older to get a second dog. Dog's do not develop their full adult personality until they are around 2 years old. Some Corgis do prefer to be the only dog and would do better without company. Others will be very social and love the company of a second dog. Free run of the house (for one or two dogs) should also be around 2 years old when the dog is reliable.
6) Don't know about salt water. I would think it would be very drying, and would certainly at least rinse him with clear water afterward. Also a doggiie life jacket would be a good idea.
7) Most people do recommend male/female as the best combo to avoid resource and other battles. Depends on the dogs' personalites though.
8) 3 meals a day is good, some people feed 4 times at 2 months of age. By 6 months, you can cut back to 2 meals a day.
Phew! That was a lot of questions! LOL Welcome to the forums and ask away! And again....congrats!!!
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Permalink Reply by James on
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Okay very helpfull information, thank you.
1. The sabling, I can do! Thanks.
2. I was thinking along the lines of a month or so vacation when I first pick him up. I will at least take 15 days or so. I would have no problem coming home during lunch to let him out/play and I have someone to let him out one additional time during the day. The other time will be an issue, I am thinking/thought about a pet sitter to stop by and let him out, or mabye even getting a maid to come by let the dog out, mabye do some dishes. But I really do not like the idea of strangers in my house. I guess I really need to figure something out quick.
3. Corgi's it is.
4. His kennel will be right next to my bed, I will bring a sturdy blanket to the breeder when I pick him up and see that the other pups and parents romp around with it some. I do not mind him being on my bed, but I do not want him to sleep there. I dated a woman who's dog was fond of his spot on the bed, I would like to avoid that kind of awkwardness. I do not mind getting up to let him do his business, the only concern I will have is with his noise level. I can only relate this to Labs, which make a very very loud whine/howl as a pup through the night.(people 3 houses over complained about that one) He will get tons of excercise and hopefully that will help him sleep when I like to sleep.
5. I do not have a set time that I would like another pup, I just want to intergrate them both when they are young (if I want another after this one). That should work out fine.
6. Life-Jackets are a must, I will ask my vet about the salt-water I guess. He shouldnt be at the beach for a long while anyway.
7. Good
8. What quantity per feeding?
Phew, that was alot of questions about your answers to my questions. THANKS
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I think you're going to be a concerned dog daddie, so you'll do great!
The only other Q I see here is the quantity to feed. I went by what the food bag recommended (though most people think it's too much food) and split it to 3 equal portions. For Charlie at 10 1/2 weeks when I got him that was 2 cups a day. Put the food down for 20 -30 minutes, then pick it up. If he eats it all, great, if he doesn't eat it all it may be too much food. Puppies should look a little round and "pudgy", but you certainly don't want to overstuff him as Corgis do have a genetic predisposition to obesity. He should gain approximately 1 pound a week until he's about 5 months old, so get a good bathroom scale (weigh yourself with and without him and subtract).
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi James,
2.) When we first got our pups 5 years ago, we come home for lunch and take them out for potty. Their bladder will be fully develop by 9 months to 1 yr, so unil then they won't be able to hold for 8 hours straight.
3.) I call multiple corgi "corgis"
4.) Mocha cried 2 nights and that was it, Vienna didn't cry at all. It will help if you put one of your old t-shirts and put it in the kennel, it'll help to establish the master scent. You can keep the kennel near your bed so that he knows you're there.
5.) It be better to have 2 kennels for 2 corgis. Dogs are den animal and they like to have their own safe place.
6.) Some corgis love the water and some just hates it with a passion. I have one hydrophobic corgi and one lives in the water. according to my breeder, she introduce her to the kiddie pool at an early age, that might make a difference. Make sure you rinse their coast after the beach.
7.) Actually it has more to do with the corgi's personality than gender in my opinion.
8.) Follow your breeder's recommendation, my pups were raised up by Hill's science diet and we followed the instruction per our vet's recommendation. Make sure you gradually change the ratio when you switch from one brand to another.
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Picture was taken down in key west
Life jacket is recommended especially in the wave / current environment.
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Curtis and Triley on
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Hi James,
Congrats on getting a corgi puppy! We got Triley last July when he was about 14 weeks old and he is the light of our lives! We love being corgi owners! I agree with everything Charlie and Sam said. A few other thoughts:
1) Triley started out dark and got much lighter as he got older. He still has some black (or partially black) hairs randomly scattered around his face and neck, which just add to his charm. Your pup will lighten up soon enough!
2) We spent two full days (never left him alone) with Triley right when we first got him. Since we both had to return to work after that, we started leaving him for about 2 or 3 hours at a time. We are lucky in that we both work very close to home and have flexible work schedules, so we could go home and let him out/play with him during our lunch breaks. I've always heard that however many months old your puppy is, that is how many hours he can go without peeing (5 months = 5 hours), until they are about a year old. Even though he is almost 1 now, we still come home at lunch at let him out. He has gone up to 8 hours in his kennel, but he always is super hyper when we let him out.
3) From now on, whenever I see multiple corgis I am so calling them Corgii! That is the cutest thing ever.
4) Triley cried for about 15 minutes the first night, 10 the next, 5 the next and then stopped. I kept the crate close to the bed and stuck my fingers in the holes so he knew I was right there. We had him in a plastic crate at first, which he never liked (too confining?). We got him a 30 inch crate from Pet Edge that has a movable wall inside - so it can be smaller when the pup is small and grow with him. That one is wire so he can see out all the sides, which he clearly likes much better. He's never cried in that crate and actually chooses to go in there on his own when he is tired.
5) Our breeder wouldn't sell us two corgis at once (not that we wanted two, I just joked that we should take two puppies cause I couldn't choose between them, and I got quite the rebuff!) because they get too dependent on each other and don't socialize well with other dogs. We also want another (male) corgi, but we are going to wait until Triley is a year and a half or two years old first.
6) Almost all photos I've seen of corgis in the water they have lifejackets on. Since their legs are so small it might be difficult for them to swim, especially in waves and currents. I would highly recommend life jackets, at least until you are sure your pup is strong enough to be out in the waves. No idea about the salt water!
8) Our breeder told us to feed Triley 3/4 cup of dry kibble twice a day when we first got him. Now that he is older we've upped it to 1 cup at 8am and 1 cup at 6pm, plus various treats throughout the day. It seems to work out just fine (be warned, corgis have a habit of getting very overweight, so don't feed your pup too much and make sure he get's plenty of exercise).
My only other advice would be to take your pup to a puppy training/socialization class. We went to PetsMart (I think we met once a week for about 10 weeks and it cost $120 total). It was super helpful: not only did we get basic training advice, we also had about 15 minutes at the end of class each week to just ask questions and raise concerns. It was really great and useful.
Cheers,
Nancy
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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A bit more input...yes it does appear he will be a red and white. Puppy coats are far different then adult coats. Tris are most apparent. Reds and sables can be quite similar as pups. Knowledgeable breeders usually know a bit about color genetics and can give you a clue.
Taking the two weeks off would be great. This will help him get use to the sounds, sights and smells of your home. He will probably connect with you quickly and enjoy the interactions.
Some folks refer to multiples as corgwyn. Most refer to them as corgis.
Getting another corgi for company only makes sense if YOU want another dog. Most corgis I know are quite happy to live alone if they have the outlet for expending their energies and time with their humans. Having two can be challenging but certainly rewarding. I have far more then two
Some corgis love the water, others hate it. Some sink like a stone! Time will tell. Yes rinsing with fresh water each time is a must! Do know they take a long time to dry.
In rescue we typically suggest the male/female pair. They are usually the most compatible generally. Much depends on how much socialization the adult dog has had. Some dogs are much more tolerant then others. Do know too that corgis are notoriously food agressive so sharing dining quarters is never a good option.
I am not a believer in free feeding. It is better to feed several times daily. I never use the recommendations on a bag. Your breeder should be able to provide this information. Find out what the breeder is feeding. May also do you well to learn a bit about dog foods. What a huge undertaking this can be. I am a firm believer in feeding high quality food with little filler and all natural ingredients. Many foods have a high corn content which really is a poor source of nutrition for dogs. Look at the dog food bag, the first five ingredients should not contain corn.
Have fun with your new pal. Hope he brings you many years of companionship.
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Thanks for the advice everyone, really great information here. The only two puppies I have ever seen grow in my lifetime cried for a solid month non-stop during the night. So this is a great thing to hear that it may not be quite as restless as I expected. I am going to keep my one and see how it goes and if I still want the additional pup then I will do that at a later age. I think I may be in that "I need to take them all home" state of mind. But I really would like to have a pair, but impulse decisions are sometimes a bad idea. I am doing my research on foods, what is available in my area, I cook alot and plan to incorporate some meat from the butcher into his diet when it is appropriate. Lucky for me I have a very good friend who is a vet, and she has helped me with many of the questions I have. She has several Corgii* herself, though they are Cardigans, not Pembroke.
A life vest will be a must, I have seen many that look suitable, though I am aware that he isnt going to be in the ocean for a while, we will have to work up to that and even then only on calm days.
Thanks for the information everyone!
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Permalink Reply by Dawn on
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Hi James. I've been reading through the posts and wanted to comment on the crying through the night. I just got my corgi 3 days ago, she is 8 weeks old. She cried and whined the entire first night but yesterday I put her in the crate for a nap and she only whined for a couple minutes and slept solid for over and hour. Then, last night I put one of my shirts in the pen with her and she slept without a problem. She slept for 4 hours before she needed to pee which she woke me with a nice little bark (nothing overly obnoxious). After she went outside we played for 5 minutes and she went back to sleep for almost 5 hours! I must say I was pleasantly surprised!!
Good luck with your little one!
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Permalink Reply by Katie and Rufus on
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i have read up on the salt water thing. it's ok for them to swim in salt water as most dogs won't try to drink much. but they must be thoroughly rinsed off because the salt will stay on their fur which can cause dehydration if they lick their fur. it's not very common, but i found it on a couple of sites when i was researching whether or not i should bring my corgi on vacation. hope this helps! good luck!
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Thanks I read that too! I actually foung a guide for dogs at the beach including teaching them to surf, how to properly use lifevests ect. Its great, it was on videojug.com Thanks for the reply
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Permalink Reply by Sylvia & Timmy on
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Just FYI answer to #3 is Corgwyn (more than one corgi) Some of the trivia gathered during my search for a corgi.
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