Grooming is a very important part of a pet parent’s job, and with Corgis that doesn’t change. Corgis come in two types, including the Pembroke Welsh and Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and their coats can come in many different colors.
While they do shed throughout the year, especially twice a year during the shedding period, these dogs are still considered low-maintenance dogs. Nevertheless, grooming Corgis is highly recommended, both to keep the dogs looking good and to make sure they are comfortable, healthy, and happy.
Grooming a Corgi: How to Groom These Dogs?
Before you figure out how often and exactly how to groom your Corgi, you have to decide exactly what needs to be done to it. The thing is, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to the grooming task because all pet parents do it a little differently.
That being said, here are some of the basic grooming tasks that all Corgi owners should consider doing:
- Brushing their coat
- Trimming/cutting along the feet and ears
- Teeth and ear cleaning
- Nail clipping
- Bathing them
Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.
- Brushing their coats. Corgis will shed regularly, so daily brushing is a must. Make sure you brush away from the body and look for matted hair or knots. In the spring and fall shedding seasons, you’ll notice more shedding than usual, but this is normal. Make sure you use a slicker brush, but in the spring and fall, you should use a deshedding brush made specifically for the undercoat.
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- Trimming/cutting along the feet and ears. Trimming the hair around your Corgi’s feet and ears is a good idea, but this normally only has to be done every one or two months. Corgis are used to having a nice thick coat, so you don’t want to trim these areas too closely or too often. A light trimming will work well enough.
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- Teeth and ear cleaning. Corgis sometimes get wax buildup in their ears, along with infections, which makes cleaning their ears important. To do this, use a cotton ball and ear cleaner made for dogs. You should also brush their teeth once a week to prevent bad breath and tartar buildup, allowing them to play with a toothbrush doggy toy in between brushings. If your dog scratches its ears or head, it might be a sign the ears need to be cleaned.
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- Nail clipping. You should clip your Corgi’s nails once a month and use a nail grinder as well. If they don’t have their nails clipped regularly, Corgis can be very uncomfortable and even in pain. When their nails need to be clipped but you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can take your Corgi to the vet or to a professional dog groomer.
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- Bathing them. Bathing is only needed about once a month unless the dog gets unusually dirty, but keep in mind you may need to bathe them more often during the twice-a-year shedding seasons. Always use a gentle shampoo made just for dogs, and dry them off with a clean towel afterwards. Finally, don’t let them remain wet or damp for long because it can lead to illness or even stress for your Corgi.
Of course, you should begin every grooming session with an inspection of your Corgi. Pat its body down before you do anything else and look for problems such as dry skin, any areas where hair loss has occurred, bumps, or anything out of the ordinary.
In fact, if anything seems amiss, it’s good to contact your vet, but inspecting it regularly usually catches problems before they become too difficult to take care of properly.
And speaking of your vet, regular checkups are a must when you have a dog, including a Corgi. Dogs are good at hiding their pain, but regular checkups can catch any type of problem before it gets to the point of being serious. In fact, sometimes a checkup will catch a problem even before the dog starts having symptoms.
Finally, never shave your Corgi. If they need their hair trimmed, do just that – give them a good trim. Twice-a-year trims are recommended, but that may vary depending on the dog. When trimming a Corgi’s hair, remember that less is more, so don’t go overboard when it comes to trimming its fur.
How Often to Bathe a Corgi?
Corgis should be bathed once a month, sometimes more if they get dirty or during shedding season, but you should never overdo it. The oils in the dog’s skin are important and need to be there in order for the Corgi to be healthy.
If you bathe your corgi too often, the skin can get very dry and have a shortage of oils, which causes problems with its skin.
This is also why you should look hard at its skin at the beginning of each grooming/brushing session. If there is any sign of any type of skin problems, you should contact your vet.
Do Corgis Need to Be Groomed? How Often Do Corgis Need to Be Groomed?
For many reasons, Corgis do need to be groomed regularly. Brushing their coat daily is considered a must since they are such big shedders.
Regular grooming also gives you the opportunity to notice problems before they get too severe or painful for the dog. The information mentioned above tells you how often each task needs to be done.
Regular grooming of your Corgi can help them be healthy, comfortable, pain-free, and most importantly, happy.
Conclusion
Corgis need to be groomed regularly or fairly regularly, depending on the task.
The most important task should be brushing its coat daily because Corgis are big shedders. Bathing, trimming hair, and cleaning teeth and ears are also important, but they do not have to be done regularly. This is mainly because it can harm their skin if done too frequently.
As far as taking them to a professional dog groomer, it’s up to you. You can likely handle most of these tasks on your own, but if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, trust the job to a groomer.
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