Nov 14: One week already! The pups are growing fast - already over 1 lb. each. The girls are all red & whites and one tri. The boys are both tris; one has a lot of white, the other hardly any. It is amazing how unique each one is already. Meg already has her girlish figure back, has settled into motherhood and is very attentive. The pups just eat, sleep, squeak and grow.

Nov 29: Eyes all open and they are now walking and trying to run around, except they are a bit unbalanced so they lurch here and there and trip over themselves a lot. It is very entertaining. They can see and hear, but have not yet figured out all the sights and sounds yet, so they bump into each other a lot. Then they try to play with each other, grring and yipping, but forget what they are doing right in the middle of some game or other and fall asleep. Meg is vigilant about taking care of them and they are clean and fed almost hourly. She doen't spend evey second with them like she did the first week though, and if she hears us playing fetch in the front room with the other dogs, she's out there like a shot, wanting her turn!

above photos compliments of Tim!

Five Weeks (almost) Dec 10, 2006

Dec 10: Well, these guys are getting hard to keep up with! They are weaned and eating well. They run, play, tumble, grrr and then nap and start all over again. Their ears are just starting to think about standing up, but that doesn't matter right now because they are ADORABLE. The cat has a new game he likes to play with them, it's called "Bowling for Puppies." He wrassles with them and they pounce on his tail and then they roll around - sometimes I wonder if the cat will get too rough with them, but he's very gentle. The pups are pretty fearless and it only takes them about five minutes to get used to a new place and then they are off on a new adventure. They are now in a larger pen on shavings and are loving the extra room to run.

Nine Weeks Jan 8, 2007

Jan 9, 2007: This is our favorite time with the puppies. They are SO MUCH FUN. They are getting very independant and HUGE. Three "Picks" were made for show pups, so the rest will be available for pet homes. ALL are sound, healthy and terrific. This has been a wonderful litter and they are ALL gorgeous, fun-loving and sturdy. Their ears are starting to pop up too, but are still kind of floppy, giving them an endearing puppy look. Soon they will be going to their "forever" homes and we will miss them.

Jan 15, 2007

Well, all our puppies are gone to their "forever" homes. Congratulations to all who were able to take one home, two as far away as Colorado and Nevada! Two are now in show homes too, so wish them luck on their upcoming show careers. Some have kids, some have cats and some have dogs to play with; all are loved and cherished.

Meet the Parents

Dam:

Rocky L Phantom of the Opera, aka "Meg," is the mother and she is 2 years old. This is her first litter. She is Red & White, but carries the tri-colored gene since her dam is a tri. She was bred to a tri-colored male, so chances were she would have some tri-colored pups and she did! "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. 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.

Sire:

CH Sua Mah Drifan Grand Occasion PT, aka "Tux," is a really pretty, easy going and talented performance dog who has his conformation Championship as well as a herding title. He is a black headed tri-colored dog owned by Vicki and Mark Northway, of Montague, CA.

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.

The litter is evaluated at about six to eight weeks, when that determination is made. Pets are sold on Spay/Neuter contracts: 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.

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 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 Sua Mah Drifan Grand Occasion PT

DAM: Rocky L Pajama Phantom of the Opera CGC

(Meg's "kitty")

(I want it and I'm gonna take it! grunt!)

Ahhhhh!