Misty Ridge Puppy Instructions

Feed: Two times a day, initially. You can cut back as they mature so that by one year of age they only get fed once a day. We feed Eukanuba Excel Puppy.

DO NOT change their diet immediately. You are about to totally change their environment and the added stress of changing their food will undoubtedly cause diarrhea. We will provide you with the dry food that we are currently feeding them. To this we add canned puppy food and some yogurt. The yogurt is to promote intestinal flora and the canned puppy food is to add calories (at this age, while they are doing the majority of their growth, extra calories are important).

• Approx. 1/3 cup puppy chow soaked in hot water prior to feeding
• ½ tsp plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons canned puppy food (Eukanuba)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil or 1 fish oil soft gel (daily)

We always soak their food before we feed them, that way it expands before they eat it, not in their stomach after they have eaten. Remember that a major problem with Corgis is their tendency to become fat as they age. As your puppy gets older and you need to watch there weight, you can add green beans to there food and remove the canned puppy food. (They add protein but no fat or carbs, so they get more to eat but it doesn’t add weight.) And finding a diet and sticking with it is better than changing every time you buy dog food. Also, adding an unsaturated fat to there diet (any vegetable oil will do) will help keep there skin and hair coat healthy, especially in this hot dry climate.

To house break: Take them out RIGHT WHEN THEY WAKE UP and RIGHT AFTER THEY EAT. Also, if they start to walk around sniffing the floor, get them outside ASAP.

We suggest “crate training’ them. This can be especially helpful for teaching them to “hold it” until morning. Corgis are “people dogs” and the best way we have found to keep them at night is in a crate by your bed. Make sure you get a crate that will accommodate the full grown dog, not just the puppy. After they become accustomed to the crate, if you wish, you can now buy collapsible portable crates that will be ideal for using if you take your dog with you to hotels or camping. But initially, it must be something that will withstand abuse. Put the crate next to your bed with adequate bedding in it so the puppy is comfortable. Old towels or sheets make good bedding. The puppy can “arrange” it to suit himself/herself. As a rule, they will not defecate or urinate in a confined space. The key here is to make sure that if you hear them cry at night, you take them out right away. Let them “do their business” and then put them back in the crate with a small treat. It is incentive to go back in the crate and makes the crate there “home” and not a punishment.

The crate can also be a place for the puppy to go for naps and rest time. Especially if you have children, make sure they understand that if the puppy is tired and goes to there crate to sleep, they MUST leave them alone. Think of it as “there space” where he can be comfortable and rest. An added benefit of crate training is that if you ever want to ship the dog by air, going in a crate will not be a crisis and the dog will not require “doggy Prozac” just to fly.
 
They are definitely still into the “chew everything up” puppy stage. This includes people. You will need to establish limits for them. What is appropriate to chew on and what is not. Don’t leave them in an area they can find something you wouldn’t want them to have. We strongly suggest a puppy obedience class. They will have many suggestions and it will also help to socialize them, both with other people and other dogs.

Above all, have patience! They will mature and settle down. It just takes time.

They will need at least one more set of shots, if not 2. Take them to the vet of your choice (with a fecal sample) within the first week. We will give you a record that my vet has given me that you will need to take with you when you make your first visit to the vet. It details what the vet who did the initial exam gave in the way of shots and what was found on the physical exam. DO NOT take the puppy around other dogs until your vet deems that there vaccinations will be sufficient to protect them.

Above all, be patient and kind. Corgis are very adaptable and very affectionate. They make great family dogs and enjoy life with gusto and enthusiasm. Share your life with them and they will repay you a thousand fold with devotion and love.

And, enjoy!