After!

She did it! After a minimum of "nesting," digging, and fussing Marcie gave us seven puppies overnight starting at 1:30 am and finishing at 7:30 am; five girls and two boys. All red and white, all very flashy with interesting markings. She's a great mother and is doing a great job taking care of them. Stay tuned!

Week 1

Well, we survived week one. Marcie is a great mom and after the first few days of frantic protectiveness - she had to see them every single SECOND - even going out to potty was a hurry-up and get BACK exercise.... Now she's taking a break now and then to play her favorite game of fetch, but that only lasts 5-10 minutes and then she's back to the pen to check out the babies and take a head count. Right now all they do is squeak and eat and sleep. As you can see they are very flashy, all with full white "collars."

Week 2

Sorry I'm a little late this week. The puppies are growing, Growing, GROWING! Eyes have almost completely opened and they are trying to totter around. They don't last long though and crash and sleep where they fall. Marcie is feeling better and better - eating well, and taking her "mom" responsibilities very seriously. She keeps them clean and fed with big fat bellies. However, whenever there is a game of ball going on outside, she feels she MUST participate, if only just to be sure everyone is following the "rules."

Week 3

The puppies are growing, Growing, GROWING! Eyes are open and they are now trying to crawl out of the whelping box to track down Marcie. She takes really good care of them, but I think they are starting to wear her out. This week we will start introducing milk replacer in a bowl to see how they like it. They are really starting to play with each other now that they can see one another and it is hilarious to watch.

Week 4

I cannot believe these guys are four weeks old already. I've offered them food and they are scarfing it up. Now they play and grrrr and run around and are starting to really SEE stuff. If I sit in the pen with them, pretty soon they are all in my lap or crawling under my legs or chewing on my shoelaces. They are curious as cats and absolutely adorable.

Week 5

WOW! aren't we getting cute? Now they are outside in a larger pen filled with shavings to help cleanup patrol.... Once it stopped raining they got to go out on the grass too, and see the big wide world and boy was it fun! Accompanied by Parker and cousin Yoshi, they decided they liked it out there a lot. They voted, and decided being locked inside the ex-pen was not to their liking, because the grass was greener on the OUTside!

Week 6-7

Sorry for the delay, managed a few days on vacation, then a three day dog show. The pups are so funny now and are completely weaned, eating like the little pigs they are! They play and play; run and jump and are at the age now when they run run run fast fast fast at the drop of a hat, without regard exactly, for where they are going.... and their rear legs go a little bit faster than their fronts so after about 6-8 feet, they tumble and crash. It's pretty funny. They love to be held and yell to get out of their pen the minute we go outside.

CLICK> 7 weeks video-1 with Rachel in the backyard    7 weeks video-2 with Rachel in the backyard<CLICK

More Pix: Individual shots

Week 9

These guys are MOVING all the time. Tough to get pix! When I am at home, they play in the backyard a lot now with the bigger dogs (who teach them their manners) and then climb under the deck to crash - where I can't reach them! Makes me nuts. Now that they are big enough to not be lunch for the local hawks, during the day when I am at work they get to stay out in their big (protective) pen, which they love. We have owls too, so all the puppies come in every night.

They love to carry stuff around and they find whatever object they can grab (leaves, toys, sticks, shoes, etc.) and RUN! playing "you can't catch me!" with each other. Very funny!

Weeks 10-11

OK, now they're SWIMMING! Too funny. The kiddy pool came out for the bigger corgis when it got so hot, and these guys dove right in on their own. All my girls back 4 generations have loved to swim, so I guess these guys are no different. Then they run around in the dirt and now I have filthy, but happy puppies. One is gone to his new home and a few more are about to be picked up soon.

We are so enjoying them at this age - they "swarm" the cat, they race around the back yard investigating every big or little event, and they are now checking out the new baby ducks who have taken over their old pen and tell them off at least once a day.

They've now been in the car, been exposed to a larger dog (we have a Great Dane too), played with kids (SHORT people! it was love at first sight!) and are constantly monitored by the older corgis from whom they learn their manners. We socialize them extensively, and nip any dominant behaviors in the bud. We play hard and they are used to rough and tumble. All of them have been wormed, had two puppy shots and their toenails trimmed often. Pretty soon they will be gone and we will miss them.

Meet the Parents

Sire: AM JAP CH Cantebriar He's a Dandy x Dam: CH Rocky L Secret Admirer

Pedigree for this litter

Dam:

CH Rocky L Secret Admirer, aka "Marcie," is the mother. She was born in Nov, 2007, one of four from her litter to hit the show-ring. She is from our fourth generation of breeding corgis here at the Rocky L; she is red and white and this is her first litter. She finished her Championship in Nov 2009, in just three months. Her litter-sister "Patty" is also working on her championship, is "pointed," and recently took some time off to have a litter of her own, nine beautiful pups born in Jan, 2010.

Marcie is a dedicated "ball" dog and lives to bring it back for you to throw, over and over! Most of the time she lives with her human boy, "Garrett" who loves to take her hiking and camping. She has inherited her sire's incredible temperament - gentle, yet energized and athletic. She is a very well- balanced and good mannered girl, with a gorgeous head, lovely coat, dark eye, good angulation and movement, good length of body and turn of stifle.

Sire:

AM JAP CH Cantebriar He's a Dandy, aka "Dandy," is a five year old red and white boy who is just gorgeous, with a beautiful coat, well-balanced with good angulation and length of body, lovely gait and a to-die-for temperament, from the Cantebriar Kennel in Merced, CA. He just returned from two years in Japan, where he finished his breed Championship and was shown at 88 shows and won Best of Breed 80 times. In the U.S. he's earned dozens of Best of Breeds and has multiple international BIS and BISS's to his credit as well. He has returned now to the U.S. and is currently showing as a "special." He has a wonderful pedigree behind him and has produced some beautiful pups.

Health:

Both sire and dam are vWD clear (von Willebrand's Disease), CERF clear (eyes). Dandy is OFA Fair (hips) and although I missed Marcie's date with the xray this time around, her dam and two of her litter sisters are both OFA tested at Excellent. Check these links to learn more about these tests. She will be "officially" tested very soon.

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 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 the "show" determination is usually made. At 11 - 12 weeks the pets can go home with their new owners after deworming and having at least two puppy shots. 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. Neutered pets are easier to live with since they do not "mark" territory as much, are less likely to become aggressive, nor are they obsessed with the opposite gender.

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 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 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 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. 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 days 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. The latest and greatest thing out is the "Furminator," a new tool that is a very successful grooming tool for removing excess fur. But it only works if you USE it, regularly!

Reputable Corgis breeders test their dogs for health issues (vWD, eyes and hips) and do not breed any who are not clear of, or at low risk 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 daughter, an experienced "puppy wrangler." She raises these 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 dependant). 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! We hear from our "old" puppies quite regularly and get photos and email often.

Check out our Puppy Album from past litters.