Before:

The big day arrived:

Well the big day arrived, and Marcie gave us six beautiful puppies - four girls and two boys, all red & white with really pretty, flashy markings. All are well, fat and sassy.

Week 1:

Marcy, again, has proven what a great mom she is. She cares for them carefully, keeps them clean and well fed, and is doing very well herself, recovering quickly from her pregnancy and whelping. These pups are growing fast and are very healthy and active. Beautifully marked, I am looking forward to seeing how they grow and progress.

Week 2:

As before, Marcie is taking such good care of her little ones! They are growing and growing; peeping and squeaking. They are SO pretty with their lovely white markings and long, healthy bodies. It won't be long now, before we see eyes open!

Marcie is so funny, she insisted she had to come with me to help round up the horses from the pasture, then she was back in the box, cleaning and feeding her babies, satisfied she had done a full day's work. What a girl!

Week 3:

It's actually almost 4 weeks now... I have been out of town on business a lot this past two weeks and can hardly believe how much they have grown! Their eyes and ears are open and SHAZAM! the minute that happens, then there is no stopping them. They are already walking (well, sort of!) and playing with each other and grrring and woofing and they are just hilarious to watch. My daughter added the stuffy toy to the box and they jumped on it! They are so much alike we keep getting them mixed up...... Marcie is about ready to wean them - she is tired and wants to go out and PLAY BALL! But she's hanging in there - she's a great mom. Sorry for the poor pix - forgot my camera at work so had to use some cell phone pix.

Week 4:

WOW! These guys are getting really cute! They are HUGE! They play and play and play! If I give them new toys, they attack with puppy enthusiasm. Mommy Marcie is almost out of the box. Once in a while they line up at the milk bar, but most of the time they enjoy their "grown up " food. Soon after these pix were taken they went outside into the larger puppy pen and Marcie went "home" to her boy, Garrett.

Inside: (Week 4 video - 1) / Outside: (Week 4 video - 2) (Week 4 video - 3)

Week 5:

So now these guys are starting to develop little personalities. They are fearless! They chew my ankles every time I go in their pen to clean it, and tickle me to DEATH! They are fully weaned, eating dry puppy chow, and enjoying their outdoor pen full of toys. It's been REALLY HOT, so they have a fan and a mister, and seem to enjoy that too.

(Week 5 video)

Week 6:

Six weeks old and they are now "named" just to try to keep track of who's who. Marcie's "boy" Garrett loves the movie "Cars," so that's what he asked to name the puppies. So here goes:

Holly, Lizzie and Minny are all very cute, normal coated, brave and outgoing. They look so much alike it's hard to tell them apart. Sally is fluffy coated, extremely brave and outgoing - she's a real pistol! She's the leader of the band!

Lightning is also fluffy coated and a very funny guy. Mater is the tough guy and the first to untie my shoe laces or play tug-o-war on my pants leg when I go into the pen to clean up. He is normal coated.

The two fluffy coated pups do NOT seem to have really long fur. I have seen 6 week old fluffs that looked like puff balls and these do not. In fact, I could not really tell they were fluffs at all until about a week ago. Their coats are much softer and silkier.

Definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembroke_Welsh_Corgi

Some pictures of fluffies (some long, some not so long): http://www.google.com/search?q=fluffy+corgi+photos&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&rlz=

There are degrees of fluffiness. Most fluffies have feathering - feather type hair on one or all of the following: ears, chest, legs, feet, hindquarters, under parts. Some fluffy Corgis are hardly detectable as such. Coats can just be softer, silkier and longer than usual. If you talk to most fluffy owners, they will tell you fluffies are very special! These are the first fluffs I gave ever bred and I am enjoying them! Health-wise there is no difference between them and the normal coated pups. However, the fluffy coat is a coat fault, therefore they will be sold as pets only.

Week 7:

So, these guys are wanting to GET OUTSIDE. They are sick of being penned up! Except when I let them out they disappear on their own adventures and it is a real "treat" to round them up again. Boy, are they brave! They think everything is a toy, something to investigate, or just to pounce on! They will be getting their first shots today. Right now their favorite game is to play King of the Mtn - I put a toy on the stool in the pen and they each try to grab it and haul it down first. Plus, some pups are now trying to GET ON the stool and so far a couple have succeeded. They are SO PROUD of themselves! Another game is when they hide under it, stalk their siblings, and jump out and pounce!

Week 8:

Well, now they are outside all day in the big pen and LOVING it. They play and run and grrrrr and pounce, and nap now and then too. Not a single one is shy or aggressive, but all are brave and pushy - "me first!!" They grow and grow.....

Movies: (Puppies 8 weeks-1) (Puppies 8 weeks-2) (Puppies 8 weeks-3) (Puppies 8 weeks-4) (Puppies 8 weeks-5)

Week 9:

These guys just crack me up! We let them out of their pen into the back yard now more (now that they are bigger and can't squeeze through the fence and go walk-about!) and they LOVE it! They've decided the Great Dane is worth their attention too, and give him a piece of their minds every day! (He stays in a horse corral-sized pen between the back yard and the horse pasture.) Now that they are bigger, our neighbor kids come over to play with them to get them used to kids, and it is hysterical to watch. The pups have decided they love to meet people "more their size," and the giggle-fest goes on......

Movie: (Puppies week 9)

Week 9:

Well, all the puppies have been placed in terrific homes in OR and CA. It's just so great to have the opportunity to meet such great people and to share these wonderful puppies with such terrific families. Congratulations to Nicholas, Wendy & Raul, Katie and Kristin. Hopefully, our "keeper" pup will go on to do great things in the show ring too! Stay tuned 'til next time!

Meet the Parents

Sire: CH Faerie Glen Drifan Grand Design 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 second litter. She finished her Championship in Nov 2009, in just three months. Her daughter from her first litter, "Maris" aka "Shredder," has been showing very successfully this year and has earned 6 conformation points so far with one BOB over specials from the classes.

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:

CH Faerie Glen Drifan Grand Design, aka "Desi," is a four year old tri-colored boy; a lovely dog, beautiful on the move, with a to-die-for outline, great length of body and angulation, from the Faerie Glen kennel in Oroville, CA. 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). Both Marcie and Desi are OFA Good (hips). Marcie has been tested for DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) and is only a "Carrier." Desi will be tested soon. (DM testing is relatively new, and not all dogs are tested yet.) 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; 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 companionship, 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; 11-12 inches high) so they do well in a smaller space, like an apartment, but MUST have a dedicated owner who will exercise them regularly. 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 regular 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 both 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 use 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 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. But it only works if you DO it, regularly!

Reputable Corgis breeders test their dogs for health issues (vWD, eyes and hips, more recently, for DM) 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 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. 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!

Check out our Puppy Album from past litters.