Our corgis
Trouble- He is the eldest of all the dogs and is a very good and loyal dog. He loves to spend time with everyone. Surprise- She is the 2nd oldest of all the dogs, and she is a very sweet dog. She is also the best behave dog and LOVES to snuggle. Foxy- She is the youngest of all our dogs. She is also very outgoing and loves to play fetch. She is a exceedingly kind dog. Our Experience Our experience with these dogs has been an extremely delightful. They are all loyal, kind, sweet, and love to go outside! For searching for this type of dog you may have learned that Pembroke Welsh corgis is a cattle-herding breed from Pembrokeshire Wales. By knowing this I would like to share an experience that collaborates with this trait. A while ago (Back when we only had Trouble.) Our whole family was going on a walk. My younger sister was falling a few feet behind out of exhaustion. Our dog noticed and stopped my dad from walking on by sitting down and turning the other direction. It was a very sweet moment for our dog bring my sister back to the party. 3 Tips Tip 1- If you want to take a dog photo, I suggest bribing your dog with a dog treat! Tip 2- You should brush your corgi every other week because like any other dog they shed to! Tip 3- Last but not least I highly suggest crate-training your corgi! They are very smart dogs and will learn this quickly. It also gives them their own space so they can feel comfortable when your away.
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While we were taking a break and giving our dogs some massive loving. I frequent corgi facebook pages constantly to see other people's beautiful dogs and their stories. It was also the place for many heartaches where people were having behavioral or training issues with their dogs. I joking call it "parenting" because my dogs are my babies, but they definitely aren't the same as human children. Ultimately the core premise is the same.
Discipline is important! Such a divide on the internet in regards to how to treat your dog. "That's inhumane, I'd never put my dog in a crate" "They aren't humans, don't treat them like that" Blah. Blah. Blah. What is true is that all dogs are not the same. I used to think that if I understood how to train one dog that everyone else would be a cookie cutter process. Nope. Being flexible in the process and understanding what your dog needs is very similar to raising kids. Ultimately, if you put your time and effort into understanding the needs of your dog and how it works with your household that is the most important thing. 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. 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. Researching, reading, and watching videos sometimes never really prepares you for experiencing something in person. I had feared the worst and wasn't sure what to expect. Surprise was showing signs of going into labor all day and we were wondering when it would begin. As things started to wind down in the night and I was about to let the dogs out to the bathroom I hear a loud squeak. I was trying to pinpoint the sound and realized that there was a dark mass moving around underneath Surprise's chest. It was her first baby and birthed in an absolute textbook way. No complications and no prompting or help required. I was... Surprised. lol I did step in and help out with the following 2 pups as she started to tire, but she is such an amazing mommy.
We adopted 3 rabbits in August. One large orange rabbit, one blue rabbit, and one smaller white and brown (with a mustache) rabbit. Our dogs are typically great with all other animals, but Trouble was wary of the white bunny. He treated him like he was another dog invading his home. I was a bit horrified, but at the same time thought it was incredibly silly since Trouble is a jealous boy. Then the silly thing ran into Trouble's crate! I was thinking... this bunny has a death wish. But given a few months, we're all big happy family. Trouble enjoys cuddling with any of the bunnies that come his way, but now they have learned to stay clear LOL
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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