Golden Corgi puppies

About the Golden Corgi

The Golden Corgi crosses the Golden Retriever with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and Daily Paws profiles them under that name and as the golden retriever corgi mix. With parents of such different sizes the range is wide: Daily Paws gives 25 to 64 cm (10 to 25 in) and 10 to 34 kg (22 to 75 lb), with a lifespan of 10 to 13 years. Many have a golden coat on a long body with short legs, but any mix of the parents' traits is possible, and a trainer quoted on the page says each puppy in one litter will look and act differently. The coat is medium to long and can be the Golden's flowing hair, the Pembroke's thick double coat or a blend of the two.

Both parents need plenty of exercise, so daily walks, play, hikes or swimming are part of the deal, and puzzle toys and training keep a clever dog busy. They shed a lot, so regular brushing and a good vacuum cleaner both help, and nightly tooth brushing is worth starting early. Golden Retrievers are usually eager to please while Pembrokes have a mind of their own, which makes reward-based training the right approach. Pembrokes put on weight without enough exercise, so keep an eye on the food bowl as well as the walks.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Golden Corgi puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Elbow and hip dysplasia, from the Golden Retriever side
• Degenerative myelopathy, a spinal cord degeneration of older dogs, from the Pembroke Welsh Corgi side
• Eye conditions, from the Golden Retriever side
• Hypothyroidism and allergies, from the Golden Retriever side
• Cancer, a Golden Retriever risk
• Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), from the Golden Retriever side
• Obesity, which Pembroke Welsh Corgis are prone to without enough exercise

Your Golden Corgi puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Golden Corgi.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 10 to 34 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 34 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

Previous: Goldador · Next: Golden Retriever

Sources

• dailypaws.com for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• Health notes from Golden Corgi breed information at https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-breeds/golden-retriever-corgi-mix. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

No published figure for grooming, the good with children rating, the good with other dogs rating and country of origin, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Photo: Redjedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.