Nov 19: Well, the waiting is over! Meg decided enough was enough - she'd been dragging that belly around for a couple weeks now! She was xrayed with eight pups Thursday Nov. 15th, started labor about 8:30 am Monday morning and after a VERY long day we had all eight squirming puppies to show for it. Three boys and five girls, all red and white puppies. They have spectacular markings and we are anxious to see how they grow.

The cats were mesmerized by the whole process and kept coming in to visit during the day to take a head count. The youngest cat "Alvin" thought the puppies were his newest play toys, so he was politely asked to leave when he started trying to bat them around like a ball. Meg was fine with all of it. She's tired but doing well.

Stay tuned.

Wow! These puppies sure have grown! They are ADORABLE! They squeak and eat and crawl and sleep in shifts, and Meg takes care of them without much help at all.

Frankly, I have to say this is one of the prettiest litters I have seen; not that I am biased or anything... No eyes open yet, but I expect that to happen this week. They are crawling around and then crash and nap wherever they land. They are very active and Meg takes very good care of them. Sometimes her friend Alvin the Cat offers to help, but she manages fine on her own. She is now spending a little more time outside, making sure the other dogs know she is Queen Corgi. Her (human) boy "Garrett" came to visit and thinks the puppies are really cool.

Wow! they are really growing fast. Eyes are open now and they are starting to play. They totter around and try to chew on each other, then topple over and have a snooze.

Well, now the pups are in their new big pen in the garage on shavings. They are eating well and very chubby. They still tire easily, but are really fun to play with while they are awake. They got to meet their sister Veda a couple days ago - she is 10 months old. She was just fascinated by them. They had no interest in her whatsoever once they found out there were no faucets to keep them occupied.... FYI, these puppies will look a LOT like her!

Holy cow! these guys are ADORABLE! Fully weaned, eating like HORSES they have really grown! We went on a holiday trip for two weeks and came back to the pups doubled in size! They are SO playful and love going outside to play. The cats are very patient and suffer being pounced on regularly. Only a few have their ears up, but the rest will soon look like corgis too.

Meet the Parents

Dam:

Rocky L Phantom of the Opera, aka "Meg," is the mother dog. She is red and white and 3 years old. This is her second litter. Her first litter of seven, are positively gorgeous and have incredible "forever" homes in three states. "Meg" is well started showing in conformation, having won 6 points so far and has one Major (4 pts.) She is also started in Agility and shows a lot of promise. She is a love and gets along well with the other dogs, cats, horses and goats. Her favorite trick is to sit up and do her "Prairie Dog" imitation. Or maybe it's a Meercat? She is also an AVID swimmer and especially likes to go to the local Boys and Girls Club for "reading" (a community service program that encourages kids to read; they read to the dogs!). Her favorite is Clifford, the Big Red Dog. Meg spends most of her time living in Somerset, CA, with her very own (human) "boy" Garrett whom she loves dearly, and two huge labradors.

Sire:

CH Larklain Rogers Magic Marker, aka "Marker," is a really pretty, easy-going and incredibly sweet dog from a very famous kennel (Larklain) in Wyoming. The Larklain name is known far and wide for truly excellent corgis and I am fortunate to have been able to breed to him. He is red and white, has sired almost 20 litters, producing many conformation champions. (He is the sire of my boy "Simon," who is also a titled performance dog.) One of the many things I really like about "Marker" is his temperament, and he passes it on. He is an absolute love and every one of his offspring that I have met are just like him. Marker is owned by Carol Swinney of Casper, WY.

Health:

Both sire and dam are vWD clear (von Willebrand's Disease), CERF clear and OFA Good (eyes and hips). Check these links to learn more about these tests

What does this mean to you? Our dogs are tested, shown and bred to "build a better Corgi" for show and performance competition. From a litter, maybe one or two will reach the show ring. The rest are placed as PETS. The decision is very subjective and it is often a very slight difference that sends one pup home as a pet and another to a show home. Occasionally it may be something as simple as a "mismarked" white tip on an ear or eyes a shade too light, that determines whether a pup misses the show ring and is placed as a pet. The pet owners are the big winners in the long run. Bottom line, ALL the pups are healthy and strong, with less likelihood of any genetic disorders or health problems later in life. Of course, there is no guarantee some obscure thing may manifest itself, but the chances are less likely. A well-bred Corgi is usually a long-lived Corgi.

The litter is evaluated at about six to eight weeks, when that determination is made. Pets are sold on a MANDATORY Spay/Neuter contract: once the pup is spayed or neutered the new owner sends me the certificate and then I send the AKC registration papers to them.

Pet pups have NO restrictions - they may be shown in ANY event except conformation dog shows. There are MANY performance events which cater to purebred dogs, regardless if they have been spayed or neutered. Obedience, Rally, Agility (our personal favorite), Tracking, Herding, etc. Corgis are ACES in ALL these events. It's fun too! Check out performance events on the American Kennel Club web site.

Our Corgis are bred for BOTH conformation and performance - the all-purpose Corgi!

What you need to know about Corgis:

Corgis are a member of the Herding group. They were bred to move livestock. They need room to get plenty of exercise. On the other side of the coin, they are a good size (25-30 lbs; 12 inches high) so they do well in a smaller space, like an apartment, but MUST have a dedicated owner who will exercise them religiously. Physically, with their long back and short legs they are susceptible to weight gain and will break down their back if allowed to get too heavy. The extra weight is very hard on their heart too. This can be a challenge, as Corgis are VERY GOOD at fooling you into feeding them too much! Funny article about Corgis and their irrepressible appetite!

Corgis get along well with people, other dogs, cats and livestock. They are usually GREAT with kids, if socialized well when young. Because of their size, they are not physically intimidating to kids, but they are not so small as to be easily breakable either. (Corgis are pretty tough!) Corgis do better in pairs (at least), with another Corgi(s) or other breeds. They are active and need a buddy or else they get bored. Boredom leads to barking, digging, chewing and other unpleasant habits. Corgis are masters at being couch potatoes too, so with a Corgi you have the best of several worlds: they are great at being indoors, outdoors and because of their size, they FIT well, almost everywhere. Corgis travel well too. Ours go EVERYWHERE with us; and are welcomed too, since they are always on their best behavior, friendly and affectionate with everyone. Keep your Corgi company, happy and occupied and you will have a friendly, outgoing companion who is a joy to live with and take with you everywhere. Corgis are not usually the best guard dog (typically they will run up to the burglar and ask for a snack and to be petted...), but will bark briefly when a strange person, dog or vehicle arrives.

Corgis SHED. Be aware. My favorite example is, "after a Corgi sheds for a couple weeks you can assemble a whole new dog." Now, it's not THAT bad. But, Corgis DO shed. Brush them now and then, and sweep the floor - often. The latest and greatest thing out is the "Furminator" and new tool that is very successful removing corgi fur.

Reputable Corgis breeders test their dogs for health issues (vWD, eyes and hips) and do not breed any who are not clear of genetic disorders. In this way the breed is being kept free of hereditary problems. If you find a Corgi "cheap," or from the pound or the paper - BEWARE. Of course, nothing is absolute. Occasionally some obscure disorder will manifest itself in a well-bred dog, or a "pound puppy" will live to the ripe old age of 17 without a single health problem. Remember the odds. These are exceptions. Good quality, well-bred Corgis have a minimum of health-related genetic disorders as compared to many, many other over-bred breeds, overall.

This is NOT to say you shouldn't take a RESCUE Corgi - if you have the opportunity! "Rescue" Corgis are often the best buddy you will ever make. Due to unforeseen circumstances, occasionally a nice Corgi will be abandoned or lost. The Corgi Rescue organization is RABID about finding and taking these dogs in, caring for them and placing them in exactly the right home. Rescued Corgis are the luckiest dogs! Look for one at www.goldengatecorgis.org/rescue.htm.

Our Puppies:

Our secret weapon is my teen-aged daughter, an experienced "puppy wrangler." She raises these pups from day-one with care, affection, firmness and love. They spend their first month in her room; then they are moved into a large enclosure, either on the back porch or in the garage (weather dependant). They are clean & healthy; handled constantly; taken outdoors to play; exposed to our cats and horses and other dogs (when old enough). They are vaccinated, wormed and groomed regularly. No aggressive behavior is tolerated from the beginning. By the time they go home with their new owners they are brave, outgoing, healthy and strong. And FUN! We hear from our "old" puppies quite regularly and get photos and email often.

AND, for some reason our line of Corgis have a propensity for water. (Not THAT unusual, but not typical either) Most are talented swimmers; lakes, rivers, swimming pools, livestock water troughs or the ocean - makes no difference to them! Many are dedicated "ball-dogs" as well (retrievers). ALL are fun!

SIRE: CH Larklain Rogers Magic Marker

Click for pedigree and other information about him

DAM: Rocky L Pajama Phantom of the Opera CGC, (pointed)

Click for pedigree

CH Larklain Rogers Magic Marker, aka "Marker"

Marker smiles!

(Basil, one of Meg's "kitties")

(I want it and I'm gonna take it! grunt! Meg playing tug of war with "Simon," another "Marker" son)

Ahhhhh!