New Litter March 7, 2021. [Litter pedigree]

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The puppies are growing like weeds. Fat as ticks. They really don't do a whole lot right now except eat and sleep.

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These guys have grown so much! Tasha is a great mama and has been taking great care of them. Their eyes and ears opened so now they can see and hear everything. I moved them into a new box and am starting to try to litterbox train them. This is not the same as cats, but similar; I want them to "go" in the litter pellets to help keep the rest of the box cleaner. So far they haven't quite got the hang of it yet - they prefer to sleep in the pellets.... my granddaughters are a big help and are teaching them how to be hugged!

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    [3 week puppy video]

The pups are being weaned now and Tasha is torn; she wants to be with them, but they have become too demanding. They are insatiable! I've introduced them to semi-solid food and they gobble it down. Then they take a giant NAP. The litterbox training is going a little better, thank goodness!

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These chunky lunks are now litterbox trained! I am stoked! They're fully weaned on mush and soaked puppy kibble. I got their outside box put up so they have more room. They are playing a lot with each other and are fun to cuddle.

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Playing, sleeping, pooping, eating, playing. This is the life! They weight 5-6 lbs now and poop out at least a lb. each it seems....

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These guys are having so much fun being outdoors! One or two's ears are starting to stand up, they are fully weaned, the love to play with mom, have been wormed a couple times and will get their first vaccination this week. Now they have a few more jungle gyms to play on and are using their litter box(es) really well. That makes my life SO much easier! (the green pellets are alfalfa so they smell good, and since they are plant material, if eaten don't do any harm - and trust me, they tried!) They chew on anything and especially love my pant legs! By the way, there is one fluffy puppy, his name is Zorro, and he is not available.

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    [7 week puppy video]

The pups are exploring and they chew on EVERYTHING! The world is their oyster.

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• The Boys
• The Girls

The pups are exploring farther afield, braver and braver. They love playtime with my granddaughters and their mom, Tasha!

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(See their photos below)

Dam:

Nireno La Tache, aka "Tasha,"is the dam. She is almost two years old and this will be her first litter. I imported "Tasha" from my breeder friend in Australia, at Nireno Kennels. They have amazing corgis who win compettions worldwide, and I was so excited to finally get one! "Tasha" has a tail, so I can't compete in conformation events in the USA with her, but eventually I will most likely start her training in agility or some other performance event that doesn't have that restriction. Her tail is really quite pretty! It's a shame that Pembrokes must have docked or bob tails to be shown in conformation events in America; I really think it should be optional. But that's just my opinion, so don't shoot me. ALL the pups in this litter have docked tails.

"Tasha" is a very sweet, playful girl and gets along well with other dogs and people.

Sire:

Rocky L Schrodingers Cat, aka, "Axel," is the sire of this litter, a two year old red and white dog who was bred and raised here at the Rocky L. He has produced one stellar litter in CO so far, with at least one going to a show home. All five pups in that litter are gorgeous and very sweet. I am really excited about this (current) litter that he produced for me, it's awesome! He has another litter due soon in CO, can't wait to hear more about it! "Axel" has been shown and earned a few AKC points toward his Championship, but since the shows were all cancelled due to COVID, his show career was shelved for a year. First time back, March 2021, he earned a couple more pts, so hopefully he's on his way!

Health:

"Tasha's" health test results are DM "Carrier" and EYES/vWD/D Locus Dilute all Normal/Clear. Hips "Good." Review her official results here. "Axel's" health test results are EYES/vWD/DM/D Locus Dilute all Normal/Clear, Hips "Good." Review his official results here. Both sire and dam have been tested for DM (Degenerative Myelopathy). "Axel" is "Clear/Normal," while "Tasha" is a DM "Carrier." All that means is all their puppies will only be "Carriers" or "Clear." There is 99% NO chance their offspring will ever manifest symptoms of DM.

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; it may be something as simple as color; 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 that 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 seven to nine weeks, when show potential determination is made. Pets may go to their new homes at 10-12 weeks old and are sold on a MANDATORY Spay/Neuter contract with a Limited AKC registration: once the pup is spayed or neutered the new owner sends me the certificate and then I send the AKC registration application to them. Neutered pets are easier to live with since they do not "mark" territory as much, are less likely to become aggressive, nor are they as obsessed with the opposite gender. In fact most neutered pets get along better with opposite sex buddies. (I'm only speaking DOG here, honest!)

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, Flyball etc. Corgis are ACES in ALL these events. It's fun too! MANY of our corgis have gone on to compete with their owners in a variety of performance events. Check out performance events on the American Kennel Club web site.

Of course, they are wonderful companion dogs, regardless if you EVER want to participate in competition events! :-)

Our Corgis are bred for companionship, conformation and performance - the all-around Corgi!

What you need to know about Corgis:

Corgis are a member of the Herding group. They are stout, tough and strong, And, they have no idea that they are short. THEY think they are 6 feet tall! They were bred to move livestock. They need room to get plenty of exercise. On the flip side, they are a good size (25-30 lbs; 12 inches high max.) 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 VERY susceptible to weight gain and it will harm their back, heart and circulatory system if they are allowed to get too heavy. This can be a challenge, as Corgis are ACES at fooling you into feeding them too much!

PLEASE don't allow your Corgi to become a fatty! You will do more harm than good!

Corgis get along well with people, other dogs, cats, livestock and they LOVE to travel because then they can make more friends! 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 dogs. 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. We have used several of them very successfully as "Therapy Dogs" at local retirement homes and boys & girls daycare facilities. 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 they will bark briefly when a strange person, dog or vehicle arrives. (Hello! Somebody is here! Maybe they brought dog treats!)

Corgis SHED. Be Aware. My favorite example is, "after a Corgi sheds for a week you can assemble a whole new dog." Now, it's not THAT bad. But, Corgis DO shed. Brush them weekly, and sweep the floor - often. But it only works if you DO it, regularly! (And have a good vacuum cleaner!)

Reputable Corgi breeders test their dogs for health issues (for example, vWD, eyes and hips, more recently, for DM) and do not breed any who are not clear of genetic disorders, or at the very least, are less likely to perpetuate a problem. In this way most breeders are trying to reduce the incidence of hereditary issues. 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 usually 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! You may find one at www.goldengatecorgis.org/rescue.htm.

Our Puppies:

We raise our pups from day-one with care, affection, firmness and love. They spend their first month in the warm house; then they are weaned and moved into a large enclosure, either on the back porch or in the garage (weather dependent). They are clean and 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! HOWEVER, and I get asked this a lot: your puppy will be crate trained, but WILL NOT be leash or house trained. That training is YOUR job. But not all that hard to do as they get a little older! ;-)

We hear from our "old" puppies quite regularly and get photos and email often. In FACT, TWELVE or our Rocky L Corgis were featured in the 2012 Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America calendar! (March, June and August, as well as various candid shots throughout the calendar! How cool is THAT!