A corgi puppy: the first weeks in a new home

A corgi puppy goes to its new home at around nine weeks old. A few things are worth getting ready beforehand, so the first days can be spent getting to know each other.

Before the puppy arrives

• A bed and a playpen or crate: a safe place of its own to sleep.

• Two bowls, ideally heavy ones in ceramic or steel.

• Food: the same food the puppy eats at the kennel. Any change is made gradually, over a week or two.

• A harness and lead that fit the puppy. A harness takes the strain off the neck and spine.

• Chews and toys of different hardness, because the adult teeth start coming through at around four months.

• A soft brush and a comb, to get the puppy used to grooming from the start.

• Puppy pads and an enzyme cleaner that removes the smell.

• A stair gate. While it is growing, a corgi is best carried up and down stairs.

The first days

• The journey home: the puppy travels on a lap or in a carrier, with a break every hour or two on a longer trip. Bring a towel and water.

• Quiet: the first week is for getting to know the house and the family. Visitors can wait.

• House training: out after every sleep, meal and play session, and lots of praise for going outside.

• Time alone in small doses: from the first days, practise short spells in another room before you first go out for longer.

• The vet: a check-up in the first week and a schedule for the remaining vaccinations.

Socialisation up to four months

Up to about sixteen weeks, a puppy takes to new things most easily. Show it different places, people, sounds and surfaces, briefly and at its own pace. With a corgi it is especially worth practising calm at the doorbell and around running children.

There is more about the breed in our guide to corgi temperament, and about brushing in the one on shedding and grooming.

A puppy from Numenor Valar

Our puppies grow up in our home among everyday sounds, and their socialisation is in the hands of Kasia, a dog trainer and canine behaviourist. See our current puppies or write to us: we will gladly help you get your home ready for a corgi.