Don't do whatever it takes to get a corgi. Corgis are NOT just cute sedate dogs. Corgis all have their own personalities and quirks. They are all different from each other. Some are going to be easier to train and others will stubbornly look at you for 5 minutes while you guys are having a Mexican standoff over telling them to sit. LOL
Think of the process of searching for a puppy like dating. We search for all of the things in breeders & owners that we think will work out the best and the day you pick up your puppy BOOM you guys are married. You committed to caring for your puppy forever and those first months are going to be ROUGH because they are darn cute, but can also be on your last nerve! If you cannot commit to staying on top of training or exhausting ALL options to result issues with raising your puppy please do not consider us as your breeder. We only work with families that are equally as committed to corgis as much as we are.
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Trouble’s Routine (when he was 6 months old and only dog in the household)
We took our dogs on a long needed vacation where our other friend's dog is going to be in the house with us. Surprise doesn't understand boundaries and Trouble is very protective over his space (and humans). This poor dog is tired of playing with Surprise and just wants to be with her owner. Trouble suddenly loves our friend more than me ;( and decides to guard him.
Tension is high! But, I thought I had tired him out prior to bringing him into the house. Little did I know our 30 minute walk wasn't enough. What we should of done was let him go for a swim!!!! This house had a pool and it was his first time in a pool instead of the open ocean. He was so over the moon he bumped into his roommate and didn't realize she was there. Success! Hopefully future doggy introductions go just as smoothly. Though now my kids have another reason to ask for a pool. I love feeding my dogs homecooked food, but I don't avoid kibble entirely. It is a case by case basis for what to feed your dog. Take age, breed, and allergies into consideration. Both Trouble & Surprise love vegetables, but their cousin Indie, a boxer, won't give fruits and veggies any interest. Dogs are omnivores, but having the right balance in their diet a feat. Also can potentially be expensive if you dive into vitamins, raw food, or "high end" kibble. Try out different brands of dog food over a span of one to two months to see how they fare. Some brands can cause stomach issues, more shedding, bad dog breath, and allergies. It is also important to weigh that against your budget. Do you need to get Dinovite or will you be ok with Blue Buffalo or Pedigree?
The times I do get a chance to cook for my dogs (They refuse to eat raw meat lol), I cook whatever they can eat from what I have purchased from my own grocery list or what is on sale at the grocery store. I am not very consistent with my recipes because I use my cooked food to supplement their kibble and too much of a certain item can be bad for their health. I have experimented enough to know that Trouble doesn't do well with chicken, so if I will be serving chicken I put less chicken in for his bowl. Surprise right now has an iron stomach. I haven't found a food she is adverse to or doesn't like. So, how do I keep my expenses low for feeding them home cooked dog food? Here's some of my tricks:
Keep new dogs separated from other dogs until first vet visit! Sometimes dogs need that time apart to socialize, but if I could redo my first dog introduction to save several hundred dollars I would! My new puppy had Giardia, which I had not encountered with my first dog. It's persistent and it easily transfers between dogs!
My puppy was diagnosed and I thought, Trouble should be ok. It's not like he eats poop. Well, not directly. He smells her behind, licks his paws after running around outside, and eats things off the flower. Yep, just a recipe for disaster. Here's some tips to counter the pesky parasite (and you have to stick to them!):
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/index.html
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MargaretA corgi-mom sharing her experiences and challenges. Archives
November 2023
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