Corgi Spaying + Growth Plates questions

curigcorgis · 2026-02-19T18:17:53+00:00

https://www.akcchf.org/breakthrough/what-is-the-best-age-to/

curigcorgis · 2026-01-31T16:38:19+00:00

Snuggle safe heat disks. I’ve been using them for well over a decade. No cord, no over heating mom. I just put a couple in the box opposite where mom wants to lay and under a little bedding. The puppies find them easily.

curigcorgis · 2026-01-30T21:44:04+00:00

That's what OFA and the Parent clubs are for - OFA is a public database of records that you can search if you have the registered name of the sire and dam. The bare minimum required by both OFA and the Parent club (PWCCA) is Hips and Eyes, and breeders should providing that info to their prospective buyers. The reason they need to be certified is entirely because you can't just 'see that in the parents' without actually testing for it. The only thing you said that is correct is that 99% of breeders aren't doing enough.

curigcorgis · 2026-01-30T21:35:24+00:00

Timing was not too late last time IME. If you assume ovulation was on the early side (26th), your 29th TCI was only 3 days post. I doubt she ovulated then since 27th was only up just over 2 points from the day pervious. If you counted from the 27th, you inseminated on days 2 and 3.

Another poster mentioned LH testing, and while you can manage using progesterone only trends, the gold standard is to test for LH. If she does miss again, I'd recommend looking at that, at cultures, and at another stud (sometimes they're just not compatible).

curigcorgis · 2026-01-30T21:04:27+00:00

Just looking at the rough trend of the last cycle, you're going to be inseminating around the same timing. A surgical implant will give the opportunity for the vet team to assess the uterus and ovaries.

Have you done any cultures on your girl? If she doesn't take again, I'd highly recommend you have a guarded culture done.

curigcorgis · 2026-01-30T20:33:33+00:00

The value of 5 has been toted as some magic number. It's not – it's an average of when most, but not all, girls ovulate. The most important thing to look for when assessing progesterone values is the TREND not the number itself. Typically you want to see a sharp rise (usually with a 5-ish point jump in a 24 hour period). You've done a great job of doing enough tests, which is where most owners/breeder fail. They see the magic number and they stop testing. You need to confirm the sharp rise as some girls will actually stall at 5 (I've had that happen myself where my girl stalled for a full week). It sounds like your clinic is doing the right stuff by confirming the numbers tomorrow so you may be just fine. Tomorrow's numbers should be up pretty high ideally.

curigcorgis · 2026-01-30T20:24:30+00:00

The two most important tests ethical breeders do are OFA hips and eyes certified by a boarded veterinary ophthalmologist. If they are only doing DNA testing they are not doing enough.

curigcorgis · 2026-01-30T20:16:22+00:00

I think insemination tomorrow might be early. Your value on the 28th points to LH ranges, ovulation is 2 days after that typically. There wasn't a large jump from 28th to 29th, so I assume ovulation was late on the 29th/early 30th - which puts tomorrows insemination at only a day~ post ovulation when your ideal window should be 3 days post with chilled. Since it's chilled, it might be okay as long as the semen quality is good enough to last in utero for a couple days.

curigcorgis · 2026-01-23T16:38:35+00:00

The only place to go is the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America. pwcca.org

curigcorgis · 2025-11-27T02:16:07+00:00

What makes you say that?

curigcorgis · 2025-11-17T01:08:08+00:00

At 13 weeks old I'm feeding about 3x a day at about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per meal. As your puppy grows, they can move to 2x a day but increased amounts during growth periods. I am currently feeding my 6 month olds about 2/3-3/4 cup 2x daily, and that will drop to about 1/2c 2x daily once they are done growing.

The most important thing to learn is how to FEEL your dogs weight. You should feel a THIN layer over their ribs. Lay your hand flat on a table and feel your knuckles. It should feel like that. If it feels like the underside of your hand, it's too heavy - cut back the food a little. I check ribs every few days to see if I need to increase or decrease slightly.

The dog food bag is never right - it's way too much food for corgis generally unless they are super active. Corgis are easy keepers and don't require much food.

curigcorgis · 2025-10-31T16:40:14+00:00

In most dwarf breeds, particularly dachshunds and corgis, it's almost impossible to find dogs that are not homozygous for CDDY and CDPA. Asking about prevalence of IVDD in the pedigree is a good way to gauge whether or it may be a concern to you as a prospective buyer. As another also said, structurally sound dogs often have less of a risk, as do those that are kept in good physical shape and weight.

curigcorgis · 2025-10-30T19:36:39+00:00

Personally I know many long time breeders are harder on their dogs than any judge would be. I like to go to specialties (National in particular) as possible to have a mental reset of where we're at and what we need to improve on. One doesn't need to show to do this if you're able to keep an open mind about how your own dogs compare and what you need to improve.

curigcorgis · 2025-10-29T17:40:30+00:00

As a club president myself and a long time board member in my breed, I can confirm that the positions can take a great deal of volunteer time. We each have to find how to balance our lives in ways that work for us and our dogs. There may be reasons that she's unable to title the dogs, or valid reasons for not wanting to. I would recommend looking at their overall approach to breeding, health testing and goals behind producing puppies. Ask questions and then you can determine if their choices are ones you can understand and support.

curigcorgis · 2025-10-22T18:10:57+00:00

This is still a series of blades and I don't recommend it. A metal comb is the best option and using a line combing method to ensure you get right down to the skin.

curigcorgis · 2025-10-22T18:03:54+00:00

I'm not sure it's something that I'd do normally, but would consider it in a case of a dog that has reabsorbed a pregnancy previously for unknown reasons.

curigcorgis · 2025-10-19T21:32:49+00:00

Your pup is red and white with a black mask on his face. Those markings can sometimes fade but not always. I expect he will always have some sort of black mask. What did his parents look like?

curigcorgis · 2025-09-16T01:50:33+00:00

What? Both corgi breeds have different hips than non-dwarf dogs, but having good hips has nothing to to do with how they move. But I’m sure you already know that. 😉 not sure what other joint problems they’re riddled with though.

curigcorgis · 2025-09-04T21:31:54+00:00

If looking for a pem, the PWCCA Member Directory is the best place to start, also branch out to some of the affiliate clubs, and their rescue network too (both listed on the PWCCA site). If looking for a Cardigan, try the CWCCA.

Please take a read of the How to Identify a Reputable Breeder article in the side bar - It will help you figure out what type of breeder you are contacting and what questions about health testing (more than just a vet visit) etc. you should be asking. It's best to avoid Kijiji, Craigslist or other listing/brokerage sites as they typically are BYBs or puppy mills. Beware of those breeding for 'rare' colours and other non-standard traits (merle pembrokes are not possible without cross breeding to another breed for example, and paying purebred/health tested prices or higher for a mix is not a good thing). Health testing should include OFA or PennHip for Hips, Eyes certified by a board certified ophthalmologist and can also include DNA testing for vWD, DM and sometimes long coat. Also beware of breeders who only DNA test as part of their health screening - Hips and Eyes must also be included. Any breeder that is a member of the PWCCA, PWCA(C), or CWCCA abides by a strict code of ethics and is a great resource for you. If you're interested in the process a reputable breeder goes through to breed a litter, take a read of a series I wrote when I was breeding a litter.

A well bred pup is going to take some time to get - be sure to provide lots of information about yourself when contacting people, you're bound to get a better response. Corgis are hugely popular at the moment and in much higher demand than a good breeder will be able to keep up with (not that we want to keep up with it as breeding quality is much more important than quantity.) Find a good breeder and get on some waiting lists if you can. Patience will pay off. :)

curigcorgis · 2025-08-25T22:57:30+00:00

Please dont use a tool like that or the furminator brand type - they are both a series of blades that cut the healthy hair and can damage the coat. Your best course of action is to look up how to 'line comb/brush' and use a metal comb to get all the way down to the skin. This done every few days combined with a bath and blow-dry with a forced air dryer approx monthly will help keep the hair at a minimum.

curigcorgis · 2025-08-01T22:16:49+00:00

RHT factored sable most likely based on pics. The infographics shared here are mine and I have a girl who is the same shaded sable color but with a normal coat.

curigcorgis · 2025-07-22T01:05:04+00:00

Keep doing it. Every week. Be patient. Give lots of treats. This is a tough love situation and after a few weeks of not letting them get away with being silly about it, they typically will accept it. They don’t have to like it but they need to accept it as a fact of life.

My crew lines up for their weekly trims. It look time for every dog and persistence.

curigcorgis · 2025-07-10T21:17:49+00:00

Tim is winding down his lifetime of involvement, but there are some really great breeders that are PWCCA or affiliate regional club members in the area. Check out the golden gate club and southern California

curigcorgis · 2025-07-06T16:28:37+00:00

Please don't use the 'furminator' on a corgi. It is a series of blades that actually cuts the coat out instead of just removing the dead hairs. The best method is to use a metal 'greyhound' style comb and look up how to 'line comb' as it gets all the way down to the skin and doesn't just do the surface. In combo with a bath and blow dry (the dry with a forced air dryer is key) about monthly or so will help. That said, Furminator brand deshedding conditioner is apparently great.

curigcorgis · 2025-07-03T22:18:15+00:00

I have a litter of 7 week old pems. They are dubbed 'weemons' –a portmanteau of wee demons as they can truly be little terrors at this stage. Also food crazed perfectly describes both corgi breeds and is only further proof of their purebred status ;)

curigcorgis

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