How to Groom a Pembrook Welsh Corgi

Bathe your corgi only when absolutely necessary. Pembroke Welsh corgis are a short, double-coated breed with a soft undercoat and rough outercoat. This outercoat is covered in a thin layer of oil that keeps the hair shiny and smooth, and frequent bathing strips this natural oil. If you must bathe your Pembroke, place him in the bathtub and wet his coat with warm water. Squirt dog shampoo along his back, and work up lather with your fingers. Scrub the shampoo all the way down to his feet, and rinse away the bubbles with clean water. Add a handful of conditioner to his fur, let it sit for five minutes, and rinse. Conditioner is essential to help restore oil and softness to your corgi’s coat.

Frequent brushing is vital to keeping your Pembroke Welsh corgi’s coat healthy and free of mats. Brush him every day with a slicker brush to remove dead undercoat. Stand the dog in front of you and begin brushing just below the base of his ears. Move slowly down the back toward his hindquarters, cleaning the brush when it fills with dead hair. Brush down each leg to his toes, and be careful combing near his genitals, as some dogs are very protective of their private areas. Lay the dog on his back and brush his belly, working from the area between his front legs all the way back to the feather-like hair along his hindquarters.

Pembroke Welsh corgis are a natural breed and require very minimal trimming. Trim the hair between the dog’s toes with a small pair of scissors. Pick up each foot and spread the toes gently with your fingers. Snip the hair on the bottom of the foot even with the foot pads. Trimming away excess foot hair prevents mud and thorns from matting between the toes.

Trim your corgi’s nails with sharp toenail clippers. Trim the nail in short increments, taking off just a little at a time to leave the quick intact. Stop trimming when you see the beginning of the quick, which will appear as a small half-moon-shaped gray or pink segment in the middle of the nail. Brush your corgi’s teeth at least once a week with specially formulated dog toothpaste. Clean your dog’s ears with a damp washcloth. Pembroke Welsh corgis have naturally erect ears, and a quick wipe with a rag is enough to keep them clean.