Great Basin Corgi's
Ely, Nevada
(775)296-0412
greatbasincorgis@gmail.com

                 PATIENCE: Your puppy is still a baby, it is likely they will not sleep                                     through the night until they are at least 10 weeks old, meaning they                                     may make it until 3-4am, depending on whether they are in a crate,  playpen,                 or exercise pen.   Males need to potty a little more often than females.

               PROTECT: Your puppy should NEVER be allowed to wander alone, until you                    have determined they are not a threat to themselves or your property. Puppies                love electrical cords; should they chew into one, they could be killed or                                    permanently scarred and burned.  

         DISIPLINE: Please, never hit your puppy or yell at your puppy. Diversion works much better. While in the act, give him or her a FIRM “NO” and then offer a toy, rawhide chew or remove them to different location.

          CONTAINMENT:  Puppy playpens are great tools.  They are utilized to put  puppy to bed, get puppy out of harms way, separate animals, and give yourself a break from puppy knowing nothing will happen to puppy while you are away.  It’s a wonderful alternative to crating.  Jeep makes a great one available at Petco.  Remember, before and after every containment, your puppy will have to go poddy.  

          POTTY TRAINING:  Potty training is more your training at first – it will happen and with Corgi’s it can happen quickly, once they know what you want.  I recommend taking them outside every 2-3 hours.  Tell them what you want, “go potty” and then “go poopy”.  Give them great praise or a treat, when they do their business outside.  I have Corgi who will poop on command!!  The others take a little longer to find the perfect spot, so be patient, especially at first, let them explore at little, leashed of course.

          WATER:  Fresh water is essential to your puppy.  I use one that holds a  gallon  and the bowl replenishes from the source.  Some Corgis love water so much they will try and get in the water dish!!  If you have a Corgi that does this,  they will probably want to have a wading pool in the summer.  Just a little  one will do so they can splash and play in the water all summer!  It’s hilarious.

          FOOD:  A new puppy can be a finicky eater, but they will eat when they                       feel relaxed in their new home, just keep offering.  Trainers recommend                           offering the food 4 times per day for a puppy up until one year of age.  Offer the           food for 30 minutes, then take it away.  This lets your puppy know to eat now.             Within 30 minutes to one hour - what goes in, will come out.

          PLAYTIME:  Puppies need to play and toys are a great way to allow them to                  exercise and to bond with you.  They will quickly learn to retrieve a toy that               you throw when they are excessively praised for returning it to you.  One of                   my Corgi’s will go and get a toy out of the toy box on command now.  I                             just tell him to go and get a toy. Corgi’s love to play tug of war, just watch your           fingers.  One favorite tug of war toy is old knotted socks.  Cheap and effective.

         CHECK-UP:  Now is the time to find a good Vet that can follow up on the                        shots your puppy has already received.  Ask friends who they go to.  Find                        someone who loves dogs. My Vet only charges $15.00 for an  office visit;                         hopefully you will find someone who loves what they do that  much.  At any                 rate, you will rest easy knowing that your beloved puppy, friend, and new                     family member is healthy and under the care of a good doctor.  Regular                          check-ups during the first year are very important.  Also most Vets will send              you a little post card to tell you it’s time to bring your Corgi back in. 

        CHEWING:  Puppies teethe and so they like to chew.  I recommend rawhide                 chews.  You may think they are pricey, however replacing your kitchen                         cabinets will cost a bit more.  Wood is soft and your puppy will want to chew it.  Not allowing my Corgis in the kitchen is impossible, so I have  taped  the corners of my cabinets, just in case.  They will cease chewing everthing in sight by about six months, with maybe the exception of paper.  Puppies love to shred paper.

        COLLAR & LEASH:  I like plastic snap collars that have a two plastic ends that         snap into each other, just my preference.  Corgis don’t mind collars and the                   sooner the better.  You will need to have one to snap the leash onto when you are
        taking puppy out to poddy.  I like retractable leashes.  They give the pup the                 sense that they are not on a leash and that way they don’t sit down and fight                 you.  At first, just let them explore without being tugged to go in any direction             (safely first of course).  Before you know it your puppy will be following your                 lead and when you give a slight tug they will respond.  Learning to “heel” takes         a  little more  work and practice.  

        EARS:  Your puppies ears will stand by 11-12 weeks. We have had one customer         who said one of their puppy's ears did not stand.  The ear should be carefully                 shaved on the inside and then taped to stand with some cardboard cut to fit the             ear inside and out then tape around the ear with a self-adhesive elastic tape                 found at feed stores.  Wrap it around the ear and card-board and secure it to the         top of the head with a little piece of duck tape.  Leave it in place for one  week.  There are a few other taping methods available on the internet. 

 SHOTS:  Your next shots if living in Nevada is at 16 weeks - rabies.  This must be administered by your vet. One year later they will need a booster shot.

 WEATHER:  Your new puppy will need to be acclimated to YOUR CLIMATE.  They were born in a very moderate climate and are not used to high, hot temperatures.  It takes a minimum of 30 days to acclimate your pet.  PLEASE check with your vet, before ever leaving a puppy outside in weather that may be a danger to it's survival. 

Read a book about Corgis; that way you will know what to expect and you will be able to deal with having a new puppy.  All puppies have their own personality just like any individual.  Puppies are not ‘one size fits all’.  In many ways, they are just like kids, only they grow up much faster, their childhood is more intense and they learn very quickly. Corgis want to please, it’s in their nature, so be patient.  I have two Corgi’s who try very hard to talk to me.  They literally try to form words.  I just wish I was a better listener.  I can almost interpret….almost.  I think you will find that your Corgi is a very special person who will love you unconditionally.  I have found that like potato chips, one is just not enough.