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Your
Cardigan Welsh Corgi puppy will need your assistance
in keeping him healthy, happy and a good citizen in
your family. Opinions vary concerning ages a puppy is
ready to go to a new home, but generally, puppies are
ready around 8 to 10 weeks.
Immunizations
Your puppy will have received his first DHLP-PVC (distemper,
hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza and parvovirus)
immunization by 8 weeks. It is not clearly known at
what point a puppy has fully immunity to the Parvo-virus
and therefore, we recommend that your new puppy not
be introduced to other dogs or people who have been
around other dogs whose Parvo-virus immunization status
is unknown. Parvo-virus will kill puppies very rapidly,
so take precautions until they have at least completed
their third booster by weeks 16 to 20. Your puppy's
rabies vaccination should be done at about 6 months.
Crate
training
Crate training is essential for proper and less frustrating
housebreaking, and for transporting your dog. A dog's
crate will come to be his safe haven.By using a crate,
you are not punishing the puppy, but keeping him protected
from unsupervised mishaps and helping him to learn a
routine which will communicate when he will go outside
to "do his business". Puppy's crate should
be large enough so that your full-grown dog can lie
down and turn around in the crate, but not much bigger.
Grooming
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a fairly easy dog to keep
clean. He typically will need a bath only once a month
as an adult. Cardis have a double coat and will shed
about twice a year. During this time, you may want to
use a shedding comb which will help to remove the shedding
coat more rapidly and keep the coat well maintained.
Brush your Cardi daily for a healthy coat and to rid
of shedding hair.
Help
keep your puppy's teeth looking great and prevent dental
problems by brushing his teeth with a toothbrush and
baking soda or toothpaste made especially for dogs.
Provide safe chewing toys to encourage natural removal
of tartar build-up. Never give a dog a bone that has
been cooked. These can fragment into shards which can
then lodge and possibly perforate the stomach or intestines.
Keep
your puppy's nails short and any hair between the pads
trimmed. Long nails will spread and turn the feet outward
which not only is unappealing, but may cause the dog
to slip on floors.
Developing
forelegs and shoulders
Do not allow your Cardigan puppy to jump down from furniture
for at least six months. You will also want to discourage
your puppy from climbing up or down more than 2 or three
stairs. Young puppy forelegs and shoulders are still
developing and you will need to help him avoid unnecessary
stress. Pick up your puppy with one hand under his chest
and the other hand to support his hindquarters. Never
pick a puppy up by the front legs.
Training
Your Puppy
Cardigan Welsh Corgis of the past were primarily herding
and farm dogs. They safeguarded the family, animals
and property. They are loyal and affectionate towards
their families.
Cardigans
love to play and will easily play by themselves without
the need of anyone else. However, they can quickly find
ways to get attention by snatching towels, shoes or
other items on the floor in order to have you chase
them.
Proper
training and socializing is important to make sure your
puppy becomes a responsible member of the family. Nipping
can sometimes be a problem -- as this is a strong herding
instinct, but with proper training, this behavior can
be curbed. When the puppy nips at back of heels or pant
legs, use either a fly swatter, or your hand by swatting
on the end of nose or pinching nose with hand and say
"no herd." This is easily correctible when
taking puppy for walks. You will find the puppies want
to carry the lead, or walk slightly behind you to push
you along.
It
is more difficult to train when they are loose in the
house, because they see all these "sheep"
freely moving around the house and they need to collect
them. Start with the family by doing the "no herd"
and then throw out a basket of toys and let them herd
those. The puppies need to learn that you are not sheep
and you do not need to be collected. However, each time
people come over, you might have to reenforce the "no
herd" because puppies may see visitors as loose
sheep. Just think like a herding dog, who is much like
a very neat, organized person. When they see things
out of place, it is natural to want to put items into
their places.
The
average life span of a Cardigan Welsh Corgi is about
12 to 15 years. He is typically a quite healthy breed
with fewer than average health problems. Some genetic
health considerations MAY be Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Breed-related health concerns: progressive retinal atrophy,
glaucoma, inter vertebral disc protrusion, bladder stones
- ''Control of Canine Genetic Diseases' by George A.
Padgett, DVM
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