Corgi owners also love giving their Corgis treats. If you have a Corgi, then you have a good idea of what your they like to nibble on. There are so many treats available these days and they all come in  different shapes, sizes, colors, and consistencies.

For every great  treat, there are those on the market that are not so good. These treats can harm your Corgi by being lodged in it’s throat or intestines. This can cause choking or worse.

If you love treating your Corgi friend, then you will want to be aware of those treats that can be potentially harmful. Even with treats that are not usually dangerous, you need to supervise your Corgi when they eat.

Some Corgi treats to watch out for

Greenies: Most Corgis really enjoy these treats. They are advertised as a treat that helps clean teeth. However, you need to be aware that “greenies” can cause choking. This is because Corgis can eat these very quickly causing large chunks to lodge in the throat.

Young Corgi puppies should not eat this treat and Corgis that are prone to “scarfing” food. If your Corgi eats these treats, be aware of potential vomiting, bloody stools, and difficulty breathing. If you notice any of these symptoms after your Corgi has eaten this treat, seek medical attention.

Rawhide Chews: What Corgi does not love snacking on these chewy treats? Rawhides are good because it cleans your Corgi’s teeth and keeps them occupied. However, rawhides are dangerous, as well. Some rawhides that originate outside of the United States may actually be preserved with arsenic-based chemicals that will be ingested by your Corgi when he or she chews.

For this reason, make certain that any rawhide treat you purchase is processed in the United States where this preservative is forbidden. If you cannot tell where a treat originated do not buy it! In addition, you still need to watch your Corgi when he or she is munching on rawhides to help prevent choking. Make sure you buy rawhides that are the right size for your dog, too. A small dog needs the smaller sized rawhide treats.

Chocolate: Chocolate is a terrible thing to allow Corgis to eat. Of course, sometimes dogs get into candy and cake without your knowledge. Chocolate is toxic to both dogs and cats, so you need to be aware of your dog sneaking chocolate nibbles, especially around the holidays.

Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine. This acts in the canine about the same way caffeine acts in the human. A little will make the doggie hyperactive, but a huge dose may be fatal. If your Corgi has gotten into chocolate, you need to look for vomiting, shallow breathing, and irregular heartbeat. A visit to the emergency vet unusually results.

Bones: It seems that it is the right of every Corgi to be able to crunch on a real bone from time to time. Corgis love bones of all types. However, some bones can be dangerous. Both chicken and turkey bones are especially dangerous because they are brittle.

When your Corgi chews on it, they can easily splinter and cause choking. Some pork and beef bones can also cause the same problem. Veterinarians agree that the one of the safest bones you can give your Corgi is a shinbone. If you must give your Corgi a bone, make sure you supervise them and if he or she shows signs of bleeding, then you should call your vet immediately for some advice.

This is not to say that you cannot give your Corgi an occasional treat. That is one of the fun parts of owning a Corgi. You do need to watch  and make sure that your Corgi is safe when snacking. Always pay attention to what kind of treat you give your Corgi in case of a recall.

Click Here! to get an awesome recipe book of safe treats you can make for your Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

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

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.

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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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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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.

Jazzy is a Jack Russell Terrier who was born deaf. Maisy was my Christmas present that year and when I went to pick her up at the breeder, there was this little JRT puppy in a box by the door. When I picked her up the lady said she was going to the vet to be put down because she was deaf. Not happening… I got two Christmas presents.

Jazzy is a sweetheart and nobody can tell she’s deaf. She spends her days watching out the windows for crows, mice and ground hogs. No varmints allowed on our property. She is very secure and trusting, just a great dog. She loves people, dogs… not so much. If they make eye contact with her, she is in aggressive mode. We walk her a lot to get her used to strange dogs and over this. She communicates with signs and by cuing off the other dogs. She’s a smart little gal and a ball freak.

Maisy is a ShiPoo, and was my Christmas present several years back and what a good one. She is the Alpha dog, although Jazzy tries to be. When the cards are down and it’s important, this little lap dog shows the other two who the boss really is. She is very easy going, but allows no fist-a-cuffs between the others. She is the palace Princess and everyone knows it. She has the mentality of a three year old. She understands, but is selectively obedient. :0)

She is Momma’s baby and never more that a couple feet away. No matter what she’s doing, if Mom walks off, Maisy has to go too. Very devoted little dog. She likes other dogs, not the handshakes so much, and animals. Cautious of people unless Mom says they are OK. She is also a squeaky toy freak and carries one with her at all times.