Help!!!

[awilliams]

I have recently purchased a corgi and I am not sure that she isn't a "Fluffy". The breeder swears that she is not ( and I trust her ) but everyone else who sees her comments on her longer then most hair. How do I tell at 9 weeks if she is a fluffy??

[corgimommy]

you show us a picture.. I would give her a little longer... but I have never seen a longer haired 9 week old pup that was not a fluffy

[glencorgi]

I have recently purchased a corgi and I am not sure that she isn't a "Fluffy". The breeder swears that she is not ( and I trust her ) but everyone else who sees her comments on her longer then most hair. How do I tell at 9 weeks if she is a fluffy??

By 9 weeks it should be pretty clear whether she is fluffy or not. By 3 to 4 weeks the tell-tale signs begin to appear - fringe on the ears being first. A silkier texture "might" be noticed even earlier. By 5 weeks coat length will be noticeable. Now there are coat variations in fluffs, not all are Sheltie length and flowing. I've had a "demi" fluff foster and her coat length wasn't as long as some of the other fluffies I've fostered or seen. In Cardigans there is a silkier/softer coat with a little more length than a correct/normal coat and they are often called "glamour coats." What kind of background and experience does your breeder have in the breed and/or with fluffies? IF she is reputable and experienced, then she should know. On the other hand, I've heard some stories about some slick stories told to puppy buyers too. A picture would definitely help.

Debbie

[awilliams]

Can you show a "glamor" coat? I will upload a picture tonight!!

[Michael Romanos]

Did you see the other pups in the litter or the parents?
If you had the choice, why did you choose a pup with at best, a more than generous coat length?
If it is a fluff and unshowable and unsuitable for breeding, will the breeder refund your payment - or most of it (as the breeder most certainly should) - and will you give your puppy up?
Is the breeder a member of any clun including the American Kennel Club?

[awilliams]

Yes the breeder will give me a full refund is she is a fluffy, but I am not sure that I could give her up!!I love her so much already! So yes, I plan to keep her even if I find out that she is unshowable, but I would like some of my money back!
Yes, I did see both of the parents and neither of them had the fluffy hair coat. I picked her because she was so pretty and sweet with just the right amout of sass! The breeder said that her coat was just "full" (just like her parents who are shown). Yes, the breeder is a member of the AKC as well as many other Corgi clubs I am worried now beacuse a lot of people that have seen her say that she is fluffy and her ears are never going to come up
Does anyone know of any internet pictures of a "fluffy" puppy?
How long do ears take to stand up?

[Michael Romanos]

Gee, you had me worried for awhile. It seems the breeder is doing her/his best for you. The ball is in your court somewhat. If you don't mind not getting the best possible, then take the next best.
A Corgis ears should be erect by 12 weeks, If not they can be made erect by using a taping method. If thsi doesn't work, then it's bad luck.

[corgipop]

Upload a photo or two for us to see a pem at ten to twelve weeks should have the ears up and there shouldn't be any "fringe" on the ears like that of a Papilion. A full coat after a bath may make her appear fluffy, but her coat should not be long and silky like some Cardis. Pems have short double coats and I don't recall seeing many pups with overly thick and long coats.
Dave

[BlueNL6]

I have a Fluffy, and I think I know what you are talking about with the ears. I got Butters at 16 weeks and her ears weren't fully erect, It took probably a good month or two after that for them to come up. They are fully erect but they don't point straight up to the ceiling, they are more on the diagonal, (check out my pictures) as compard to my other corgi. I don't know if taping would help. I really don't care with mine, I think it gives her personality. I will try and get a picture of Butters as a puppy up on this website. (but you'll have to remember that she was 16 weeks + when it was taken.

[glencorgi]

Keep in mind "glamour coat" is something more commonly used within the Cardigan breed as opposed to the Pembrokes and many CWC breeder wills say, a fluff(or coated dog) by any other name is still a fluff. Although these are Cardigan puppies, you can see a difference between the correct coated puppies and the fluffs. According to the breeder, she considers Moustache on the boys' page as a true fluff while Stanley falls more into the "glamour coat" distinction.
<http://www.foggybottomusa.com/website1_048.htm>
On the girls' page, Rose and May are also what she would consider more of a "glamour coat."
<http://www.foggybottomusa.com/website1_049.htm>
These are the puppies at six weeks.

Now for some start at the beginning questions. At what age did you bring her home? Did you buy her on a show potential contract or a pet contract? Which box is checked on her registration paper? Full or limited registration? And are they AKC registration papers? When you picked her out, did you have a choice from the whole litter or were there a couple designated as show potential for you to choose from? While these may seem like nosey questions, they actually do provide a background as to how to respond to the questions with more accurate answers.

There is already one fallacy, your breeder is not a member of the AKC. She may be a member of an AKC member club, but she as an individual is not a member of the AKC. AKC is a club made up of clubs, it does not have individuals as members. And to date, AKC does not register breeders (so there is no such thing as an AKC "registered" breeder). Kennel names can be registered, but not breeders. Nor do they license breeders. All of these are somewhat common misconceptions, however there are also breeders who misrepresent themselves in these ways and they are breeders to avoid.

Now those who are saying she is a fluffy, what is their background, experience and knowledge of the breed?

IF she is indeed a fluffy, then it can take longer sometimes for their ears to come just due to the extra weight of the hair on the ears. In the US it is not widely advised in the corgi community to add calcium supplements to a puppy's diet except under veterinary supervision; according to what Michael has posted NZ is a bit different in that opinion. I would add cottage cheese, plain yogurt and cheese to her diet to help give an extra boost. Another suggestion is to shave the back of her ears to take some of the weight off and make it easier for the ears to come up.

A wide variety of fluffies of all ages and colors can be found at:
<http://bellsouthpwp2.net/c/h/chrisandheidi/Heidi/great_hall_of_fluff.htm>

Although you may have gone into this purchase with one set of notions, if you're primary motivation was to have a wonderful and delightful companion; then you still haven't gone wrong. And I know a number of corgi owners who believe there is nothing better than a fluff.

Debbie

[robinlee]

Hi Everyone !

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing but so much has been happening with our new girls! Three weeks ago I bought 2 puppies a golden and a tri colored cordi's! They are just something else. They are sisters and have been good I think so far.
I need to ask if I am doing well in the potty training situation, here is my schedule. Puppies are crated for the night. And husband lets them out when he gets up in the morning, feeds them and brings them in for the morning. I get up and takethem out again, however sometimes I don't make it in time and we have an accident in the kitchen. They are confind in the kitchen and that is also where there crate is. We have a baby gate between the kitchen and livingroom. After breakfast they have a little play time, then by that time we are ready to go to work, we put them outside and they pee and poop again. Everytime I take them out they pee or poop. I praise them and give each a treat when they do there business.
After that we come into the house and they are put in there crate. My mother comes about 11 to let them out, they pee or poop depends, water them and lets them play for 1/2 hour then back inside and in the crate.
At 3:30 husband and child comes home, out immediately, they pee and poop depending if thay have to go or not. They go for a walk in the back yard for exercise, then back into the kitchen for bone time and play time, sometimes they nap in ther beds. After supper outside again, but then in the evening we have an accident. Just before bed we put them outside again and we usually have a good pee .
How are we doing? They are listening to us, they sit, come and now are telling me when they need a drink of water. We are working on the chewing of hands and they are getting better with that.
My question is...how long before they will stop having accidents in the kitchen ? Am I doing good or am I just impatient with them because they are so small yet and they are going to be prone to do accidents til they are a little older? My huband says that they are just little in puts and out puts until they are four or five months old.
Please let me know if I'm doing good or bad. Thanks

Robinlee

[molly]

Sounds like you are doing great. There WILL be accidents!! Molly

[Michael Romanos]

Hi Robinlee

My current Pem, Taylor only made three toilet mistakes as a newly acquired pup and I was responsible for two of them. But unlike you, I work from home so I was with Taylor constantly. I think the Corgi care shuffle that you do is not the ideal but you seem to be doing as best as possible. The thing is consistency and persistency. 20 -30 minutes after a meal, out to the toilet, a shorter time after any vigorous inside play and the last one before you go to bed - and that can be as late as possible - and the first thing in the morning. Reward and praise after the 'act' is excellent. Puting down newspaper in the kitchen(for instance) is good because when you first bring home a pup, they quickly get to learn (from the owners guidance) that if they are going to toilet inside its got to be on the paper. And then there is the progression to only toileting outside. This subject is topical to me at present, because the latest person to join my Corgi Walking Group, is an elderly man with a four month old Pem who is chewing his way through the man's house and now confined mainly to the Conservatory (with the curtains pulled up and any other easily chewable object removed) where little Taffy can relieve himself without causing flooring damage. But of course the answers to these problems are in proper Corgi pup management - and pretty simple when you know how.