That hyper little Jack Russell Terrier they call Jazzy got very sick a couple days ago. She was fine one minute and all of a sudden started getting very slow and cranky. A few hours later, she couldn’t even stand up. Mom even had to carry her up and down stairs and outside to go pee.

We have lots of black-legged ticks or deer ticks at our other home in West Virginia. Last year when my sweet little brother Chauncy, who lives at the Rainbow Bridge now, got sick, he got to go see our vet for a treat. They took us all and him and his momma, Jazzy, tested positive for Lyme Disease. Me and Princess Maisy didn’t, but then we don’t hang out in ground hog holes. Yuck! Well, Chauncy got real sick that time and after several weeks finally started feeling better. Now Jazzy was sick from those nasty ticks.

The vet wanted to give her shots and pills instead of treats, but Mom and Dad said no this time. They thought there might be a better way.

So they started giving Jazzy these drops of NCD liquid zeolite and Agarigold mushrooms on her treats. They said the drops were from some place called Waiora, and that maybe the zeolite would remove the toxins the ticks put in Jazzy and the mushroom would help her immune system fight off the disease.

They just gave her a couple drops each of the NCD liquid zeolite and Agarigold mushroom three times that day on her treats and when Jazzy woke up the next morning, she could walk outside by herself. WOW! Later that day, she was hauling her ball around again. By the third day, she was her own old, ornery self. Circling around me and acting all Alpha and stuff. What a bitch!

Anyhow, just wanted to share that. My momma, Carol says that sometimes Doctors and Vets just want to give us too many shots and pills. Sometimes natural stuff is better for us and keeps us dogs healthier and makes us live longer.

So, if any of you Corgis or other dogs out there get bit by one of those nasty Lyme Disease carrying ticks, you might just want to try this Wairoa stuff, it works.

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TrainPetDog.com has developed a unique calorie calculator just for Pembroke Welsh Corgi dogs.  Give it a try.

Calorie Calculator Powered By Train Pet Dog

]]> http://mydogbert.com/corgi-care/what-should-i-feed-my-corgi/feed/ 1 http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/dogs-corgi-pembroke-welsh-corgi-coffee-gift-baskets-coffee-gift-basket/ http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/dogs-corgi-pembroke-welsh-corgi-coffee-gift-baskets-coffee-gift-basket/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:54:42 +0000 Carol http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/dogs-corgi-pembroke-welsh-corgi-coffee-gift-baskets-coffee-gift-basket/ http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/dogs-corgi-pembroke-welsh-corgi-coffee-gift-baskets-coffee-gift-basket/feed/ 0 http://mydogbert.com/featured-articles/welsh-corgi-pembroke-circle-swirly-metal-wind-spinner/ http://mydogbert.com/featured-articles/welsh-corgi-pembroke-circle-swirly-metal-wind-spinner/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:22:35 +0000 Carol http://mydogbert.com/featured-articles/welsh-corgi-pembroke-circle-swirly-metal-wind-spinner/ http://mydogbert.com/featured-articles/welsh-corgi-pembroke-circle-swirly-metal-wind-spinner/feed/ 0 http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/pet-gear-trifold-dog-ramp-grey/ http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/pet-gear-trifold-dog-ramp-grey/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:18:33 +0000 Carol http://mydogbert.com/?p=355 http://mydogbert.com/corgi-store/corgi-accessories/pet-gear-trifold-dog-ramp-grey/feed/ 0 http://mydogbert.com/corgi-videos/corgi-herding-instinct-or-lack-there-of/ http://mydogbert.com/corgi-videos/corgi-herding-instinct-or-lack-there-of/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:07:21 +0000 Carol http://mydogbert.com/?p=342 Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Zeros, during a herding demonstration at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Dog Show in Long Beach. She was being tested to see if she would exhibit any of her herding instinct.

Adult Corgis that chew can be taught to curb their behavior or chew appropriately relatively easily. Some will require professional assistance from a trainer or dog behavior specialist.

The different tages of growth

Corgi puppies chew when they are teething. This usually occurs sometime before the six-month stage, depending on the dog. Some may continue chewing past the six-month stage and some are just born chewers. Regardless, Corgis up to six months may be problematic. There are several steps that Corgi owners can take to minimize the damage that may occur with chewing behaviors:

• Puppy proof your home. This means removing all hanging wires, electrical cords, curtain pulls and other dangling objects. Hanging plants that touch the ground can also be temping to chew on and can also be poisonous.

• Keep chewable items in drawers or out of the puppies reach. For example, toys, shoes, remote controls, books, backpacks and briefcases, telephones and even laptop computers need to put away or kept on tables or desks well out of the Corgi puppies reach.

• Provide a wide variety of chew toys while you are gone. This means different shapes and sizes. Thick pieces of cotton rope with knots in the ends are great for chewing on. Heavy rubber balls or Nylabone chew toys are safe and virtually indestructible.

• Freezing dog teething rings and leaving them in the crate or doggy area of the house provide relieve to the gums and entertainment as well. If you notice the Corgi puppy chewing something that is not correct don’t punish them. Simply say “No” and substitute what you want them to chew on. Praise them when they are chewing on the right things. Make sure you say something like “Good boy/girl for chewing on your ball (rope, toy, stick)”. This helps the Corgi puppy learn the word for what he is chewing on. Later you will be able to say, “Get the ball/stick/rope” and the puppy will know what you mean.

Toys to avoid

Some toys, even those sold in pet stores, should never be given to a Corgi puppy. Toys that are flimsy or have many parts that can be chewed off pose choking hazards. Toys that have long strings or ropes that could become wrapped around the puppy’s neck are potentially deadly toys.

Stuffed animals are appropriate for some older puppies and dogs but for younger Corgi puppies that are chewing constantly, the stuffed toy will quickly be shredded. This leaves parts of cloth and the stuffing material that can be swallowed, leading to gastrointestinal blockages and possible choking issues.

Natural bones, even raw bones, are not generally advised for Corgi puppies. They are usually too hard for the puppy teeth and lead to splintering and breakage of the existing teeth. In addition the Corgi puppies will be more likely to try to swallow any splinters and this can result in the bone splinters becoming lodged in the gums or the throat.

If you do wish to allow your Corgi puppy to chew on bones, be sure they are raw beef bones that are from a joint. Never allow your Corgi to eat pork bones and also never allow raw or cooked poultry bones of any kind. Supervise the Corgi puppy while he is chewing the bone and remove it at any sign of splintering or when the bone becomes small enough that the puppy might try to swallow it.

The chewing phase in Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies, like the teething phase in children, will pass. By taking a few precautions with your household items, supplying lots of alternative chewing toys and teaching your puppy what to chew on the stage will pass without any problems now or in the future. Hopefully you don’t have a natural born chewer. That’s a whole other story.

Have your Corgi puppy vaccinated, as this is the time when they are most at risk. Then get your puppy his booster at 1 year old.

After that, you should only give your Corgi vaccines every 3 years. Also, you should only vaccinate for what your Corgi needs in your area, NOT for the diseases that have a 1 in a million chance of ever showing up where you live.

You should STOP all vaccines for your Corgi between the ages of 10-12 years old. At that point, the vaccine can hurt your Corgi more than it helps him.

Most un-natural products have side effects and vaccines are no exception. For example, many vaccines have a preservative in them called Thimerosal that contains Mercury. Ask for Thimerosal free vaccines. They cost more, but isn’t your Corgi worth it?

Sad to say, but many Vets are following in the footsteps of medical doctors and making fistfuls of dollars by giving our pets as many vaccinations and prescriptions as they can just to make a buck. Big Pharma is everywhere. Keeping our pets unhealthy is much more profitable than keeping them well.

You should ask your Vet about their vaccine protocols. If he or she is not with the “vaccinating less often program,” consider switching Vets. Your Pembroke Welsh Corgi’s longevity and even his life depends on it.

Don’t buy a dog food that lists corn, byproducts, meat flavor, or other poor-quality ingredients within the first three items (or at all, ideally!). You should also check on the label to confirm that the food meets Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for being complete and balanced. The dog food should also have successfully passing feeding trials.

If your Corgi has anal gland issues, or even to prevent them, increased fiber in the diet will help. Plain canned pumpkin is one of the best sources of fiber and it’s easy to supplement by adding one tablespoon with each meal for a large-breed dog. Use a teaspoon for the smaller breeds, and a couple teaspoons will be about right for a Corgi.

Most Corgis come with shedding problems, and need to be on a good-quality fish oil as well. Remember that not all fish oils are created equal! Fish oils provide omega fatty acids that are beneficial to the skin and coat in addition to other tissues inside the body, including the joints. A good fish oil for your Corgi is one that has been tested for mercury, heavy metals and other contaminants for safety. Also, it should provide at least 1000 mg of omegas per serving for efficacy. The FDA does not regulate these or other nutraceuticals, so it’s up to us to not just rely on the product advertising or the fact that it’s sold at a veterinarian’s office to assure quality.

Your Corgi may also need some joint products for management or prevention of arthritis. Glucosamine and chondroitin are the two most important ingredients for these products to contain.

It’s so important to read the labels and find the best products for our Pembroke Welsh Corgis. They depend on us to keep them healthy and happy. Corgis tend to get overweight easily, just like most people nowadays, so their diet should never include table scraps and the should get plenty of exercise.

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All you need is a litter tray and the dog litter that you can buy at all good pet stores, both online and offline. Just line the bottom of the tray with a good brand of liner and add the litter on top. Be sure to change it regularly to make sure that it does not begin to smell. Although the litter absorbs odors, it can only do that for so long and when it does begin to smell you can be sure that your dog will refuse to use it.

Now, litter potty training is perfect for Corgi puppies but not so good for older Corgi dogs because the likelihood of finding a tray big enough is remote to say the least. Plus it will cost a fortune in litter and seriously cause a stink in your home! For older dogs, crate or paper training is a much better option.

The first step in litter training is to put the box somewhere accessible to your Corgi but somewhere that the tray is not likely to get disturbed or stink out your home. A laundry room or annex is always best, although you might want to consider a place next to your back door to make the transition as seamless as possible when your Corgi is ready to move outside. You should never place a litter box in a family room or anywhere your children are likely to spend a lot of time.

No matter where you do decide to place the litter box, it has to be somewhere that your Corgi will feel comfortable with because he or she will not use it if it is not in just the right spot. Pick a spot that is undisturbed by noisy household appliances and is generally low traffic. If you find that your
Corgi puppy is still not going in the litter after a few days then move the box to another spot and repeat until your puppy is happy with where it is placed.

However, you should introduce your Corgi puppy to the litter box slowly because he or she will not take to it if you suddenly just put him or her in the box and will not let him or her out until business is done. Try placing his or her front paws in it first and allowing them to have a sniff.

Repeat this several times in the space of the first hour and then return to the box later when your Corgi puppy starts to show the behaviors that signify that he or she wants to do business. Only then should you place the Corgi puppy in there because this will indicate what the litter tray is for. Never play with your puppy in it because you do not want to find that it has become a play pen, complete with flying litter and other stuff that should really stay in there!

You will need to take your Corgi puppy to the tray fairly regularly to start with because it will take time to get the message through that the tray is the only place to do business. Many Corgi puppies initially do not like the feel of the litter so it might take some time to get used to it.

After a couple of weeks, you might want to start encouraging your Corgi puppy to go outside as well because you cannot just remove the tray and expect your Corgi to go outside when he or she does not know how.

Only remove the tray when your Corgi puppy barely uses it anymore or when he or she is too big, whichever happens first. If your Corgi puppy is too big but still needs a little potty training then try using paper instead for a time. This has its advantages as you can move paper toward the door.

If you do notice that your Corgi puppy is getting a little too big for the tray then start to line the tray with newspaper and make sure that quite a bit of the paper is in plain sight so that your puppy associates it with the tray just in case you have to use it to make the transition from indoors to outdoors.

The litter training method is actually ideal for those looking for a solution to potty training but live in an apartment because it provides a ready toilet that you can work with whilst establishing a routine. If you have a Corgi and live in an apartment then you can continue with it indefinitely if you so wish, although that is not exactly recommended.

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Since a Corgi is a rather hairy breed, the frequency of bathing should be carried out no more than once every six to eight weeks. If Corgis are bathed too frequently the skin and coat lose their protective characters, which keep the coat shinny and healthy. The Corgi occasionally gets feces on the skin and coat, due to digestive upsets that may have caused diarrhea. To avoid the bad smell, the Corgi may need more frequent bathing by the owner. In the case of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, this area of staining is easy to “spot” clean, because of their lack of a tail. A more localized cleaning can be done to the area we refer to as the “mudflap” with simple shampoo, water and paper towels.

Take care in avoiding irritant soaps or human soaps. The soap materials used for human beings are not suitable for Corgis. Similarly, many human shampoo products have some ingredients that are not suitable for bathing your Corgi. Hence, always try to use the shampoo products that are mentioned mainly for use in dogs. Take care in using any new products, as they may cause an allergic reaction.

Always have a good time and patience when bathing your Corgi. Have products required for bathing all in one place, and within easy reach of your water source. Corgis love the sprinkling of water when getting bathed and they love swimming in rivers, and oceans. Even when you are using a bathtub, having everything in one place makes bathing your Corgi much easier. Try to have a leash, conditioner, towel, and shampoo all available in the bath place.

Conditioner is helpful to make grooming easier later. Bathing should be a fun and convenient activity for both the Corgi and the owner. My Dog Bert loves taking a bath, and your Corgi should too.

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You’ll need to watch your Corgi constantly for the first few weeks. He needs to be confined to his crate or small pen whenever you can’t watch him. Dogs will rarely make a mess in their bed or den, so this is training your Corgi to hold his elimination needs.

You also need to take the Corgi outside regularly. With a puppy, he will need to go out every time he eats, wakes up, gets done playing, et. He will also need to go out every couple hours. Remember, he is used to his mom helping him every few minutes and has no clue of how to hold his urine and stool. It’s a learning process.

Just like other forms of Corgi training, potty training has several things needed for effective results. They are as follows:

The Timing

The best time to start correcting misbehavior, when it comes to potty training, is right after he poops or pees. If you see the Corgi pooping, get his attention immediately and encourage him to continue his job outside. If he is outside, heap on the praise. Make a big deal out of it.

If inside, give a command that will signal your Corgi to stop, but keep the tone of your voice low. Then, start introducing him to the command “outside” while guiding him gently to go outside towards a specific location where he is allowed to eliminate regularly.

The Act

Most of the time, owners just discover the accident indoors and do not see the act. In this case, it is best to ignore the incident and wait for the next occasion the Corgi poops. Just clean up the mess immediately and make sure there is no tell tale sign or smell left or he may think this is his spot to go. Never rub his nose in it, as this would not give him the proper lesson.

Your Corgi will not know why you are doing this terrible thing to him and he will just be scared of you. Your Corgi needs to trust you.

Even if only several minutes have passed, your Corgi would never be able to make a correlation between the action he did and the scolding. If he is chewing a bone for example, and you scold him for pooping inside the house earlier, he would think that he is being scolded for chewing the bone, not for eliminating indoors.

The Accompaniment

There are instances when the owner sees the Corgi eliminating indoors and orders him to go outside, but the little devil came back in and continued pooping. Again, in this case, the puppy has done nothing wrong. He does not know what the owner wants to communicate by going outside.

If you want the Corgi to understand pottying outside, you should have the patience to accompany him outside and teach him further. This could be made easier by using a leash for better control of the dog.

The Command

Training, in general, makes use of commands which are an effective tool to communicate with the Corgi. However the main problem here is the use of the words. What people don’t understand is that the dog simply can’t comprehend the meanings of the words if not introduced to him well.

So in dog potty training, the trainer has to introduce the meaning of the commands well in order to gain some good results. For example, you could begin with the word “outside” to send him the signal that he should go outside. Then it could be followed by the words “go potty” to make him understand that it is time to eliminate.

Whenever he complies, never fail to praise him (in acknowledgement of a favorable behavior) for following the commands. Doing this process repetitively will condition his thinking so that when you say the words “outside” and “go potty” you want him to go out of the house to poop.

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1. Take your Corgi for regular medical checkups. You should also perform a monthly home exam of the skin, eyes, ears, nose, teeth and gums.
2. Stay up to date on your Corgi’s vaccinations, flea/tick and heartworm preventatives.
3. Feed your Corgi a quality dog food that lists meat as the first ingredient and contains the right balance of protein, fats, carbs, fiber, vitamins and minerals or you may prefer to feed a homemade diet. Avoid table scraps and extra treats. Although an energetic breed, Corgis tend to gain weight easily.
4. Spay or neuter your Corgi for a longer, healthier life. Spaying your female before the first heat period will prevent breast cancer and help eliminate uterine infections. Neutering your male before age 4 will eliminate the chance of testicular cancer, help reduce the risk of prostate problems and curb aggression.
5. Have your Corgi’s teeth cleaned and scaled professionally on a regular basis. Ask a trained professional or veterinarian for a recommended schedule. Every 6 months to once a year is usually recommended. You may also want to brush your Corgi’s teeth.
6. Make sure your Corgi gets regular exercise. Although their legs are little, they sure love to run–so don’t deprive them of off-leash romps..
7. The Corgi’s soft, medium-length coat is easy to groom and is shed twice a year. Comb and brush with a firm bristle brush. I highly recommend a product called the Furminator. Bathe your Corgi when necessary–or a good rule of thumb is about every 2 to 3 months. Keep your Corgi’s nails trimmed.

There is much more you can do to extend your Corgi’s life, but these seven tips should get you started. If you have any additional tips, please comment on them below. Love to hear your ideas, as we want to keep Bert around for a good long time.

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