Q. Does the Pembroke Welsh Corgi shed? I would love to get one of these cute little dogs, but I don’t want dog hair all over the house.
A. I agree about the cuteness factor, but the perky little Pembroke is a shedding machine. The short legs of these pint-sized dogs from Wales allowed them to scoot under the legs of the cattle they herded, avoiding kicks as they did the job they loved. Longtime favorites of British royalty, Pembrokes are hardy and intelligent, sometimes referred to as big dogs in small bodies.
They are double-coated dogs with a hard outercoat on top and soft downy undercoat beneath. If you have your heart set on this smaller of the two Corgi breeds – their Cardigan cousins are a bit larger and unlike the Pembroke, they have tails – don’t be discouraged by the shedding. If you get a grooming table and a curved wire slicker brush and attend to its grooming needs a couple of times a week, brushing from the skin out as you work your way around its body, you can keep the hair under control. Brush in the direction the hair grows, paying particular attention to the flanks, chest and “pants,” areas where undercoat can form the thick pockets we call “packing.”
The only trimming to be done involves removing hair tufts from atop the paws, best done with thinning shears, and sculpting the round little fanny into what we call a “bunny butt.” It’s wise to get a Corgi puppy accustomed to having his nails trimmed at an early age. These stout-hearted little characters need to know that you are in charge so they won’t declare their paws off limits!