In this article you’ll discover:
- Your Corgi’s stages of growth.
- How to deal with your Corgi as they age.
- 5 tips to make sure your Corgi grows healthily.
- And so much more…
Table of contents
When do Corgis stop growing?
Corgis tend to stop growing when they’re about 1 year old. However, you can further develop their muscles by keeping them fit. If you give them enough exercise and a steady diet, they can become more slender and bulkier. This means they will reach their full physical size by around 3-4 years.
How much should a Corgi weigh at 6 months?
Corgis should weigh at least 17.3 lbs (7.85 kg) up to 22.1 lbs (10 kg) if they are female. Males Corgis should weigh between 17.3 lbs (7.85 kg) and 23.6 lbs (10.7 kg. You can check them by feeling their waist. If you can feel their rib cage slightly, then the weight is just right.
How much food should a 6-month-old Corgi eat?
A 6-month old Corgi should eat about 3 meals a day. Some owners recommend that each serving should be about ½ cup. You can feed them either wet food, whole foods or kibble during this time. Whole foods and kibble will help them develop stronger teeth, while wet food helps with hydration.
Corgi growth stages
#1: Newborn (Birth date – 4 weeks)
Newborn Corgis tend to stay with their parents and drink their mother’s milk. During this time, you can let the mother feed and nurse them.
You should focus all your energy on keeping the mother healthy at this time. Their food requirements will greatly increase due to the need for better breast milk.
For the best results, you can give mommy Corgis nutrient-rich meals such as Purina’s Pro Plan Dry Puppy Food. Give them steady access to food in their crate or playpen for maximum results.
After 2 weeks, your Corgi will start opening their eyes and move around. You can begin feeding baby Corgis dry foods at around 4 weeks since they’ll have teeth by then.
You might be interested in: 3 reasons why your Corgi has floppy ears
#2: Puppy (1 month old – 6 months)
Corgis that are about 1 month old can be taken care of independently from their mothers. By this time, mothers will be less inclined to nurse them because their teeth will make breastfeeding uncomfortable.
When they’re 2 months old, your Corgi can start interacting with the environment more. Socialization tends to begin around this time as your Corgi begins to understand how people live.
Expose your Corgi to all kinds of stimuli and start forming habits with them. Take them out for regular walks, teach them where to poop, and start crate training them.
#3: Young Adult (1 – 4 years)
Corgis that have reached about 1 year old will be fully capable of reproduction. At this time, certain behaviors might set in.
Male Corgis might start mounting female Corgis or may otherwise become more territorial or active.
Female Corgis may regularly urinate around the house to entice potential mates.
If these behaviors become too problematic, it’s a good time to consider spaying or neutering your pet.
This age bracket is also an opportunity to have your pet grow even further. Corgis can become leaner with exercise due to increased muscle mass.
Consider giving them agility training to help with their joints. Corgis are able to take on agility training as early as 10 months. However, they may have to be a year old to fully handle it.
#4: Adult (4 – 8 years)
By 4 years old, your Corgi will have reached their physical apex. You can’t make them any bigger than they are.
All of your attention should be focused solely on maintenance and disease prevention. By this time, you should have a fixed exercise routine with your Corgi. They should also have a grasp of all the basic commands which include:
- Sit.
- Stay.
- Heel.
- Come.
- Lie down/Roll over.
Note: Changing your dog’s behavior if they’re adults can be difficult due to their habits being already fixed. If you find yourself struggling with retraining, hire a personal trainer to help you out.
Corgis are able to exercise between 30 minutes and 1 hour a day. They’ll tire out less quickly if they’re fit.
Weight requirements can vary by specific breed. Adult female Pembroke Welsh Corgis are at their best at 25 lbs (11.33 kg), while males should be at 27 lbs (12.25 kg).
Cardigan Welsh Corgis naturally weigh more heavily due to their slightly longer and taller builds.
As a result, females can feel comfortable between 25-34 lbs (11.33-15 kg), while males should weigh between 30-38 lbs (13.6-17.23 kg).
#5: Senior (8 years old onwards)
When your Corgi reaches 8 years old, it means they are old and about to reach their life expectancy (11-13 years on average).
You’ll notice less activity and energy, which makes them vulnerable to obesity. As such, you need to consult your vet regarding dietary changes.
In their old age, they should be given senior dog food. A natural property of senior food is that they have less calories, so this should help regulate your dog’s weight.
You also need to consider their physical prowess. Your Corgi may start developing arthritis this time as a result of constant leg use over the years.
In some dogs, arthritis isn’t preventable. It’s simply the result of wear and tear. When your dog has this, they will walk less and may even limp in some situations.
The key to caring for older dogs with arthritis or low energy is to go on short walks with them every day. Play whenever possible, like in the video here:
Instead of 30 minutes – 1 hour, you can shorten it to 20 or 15 minutes. Make sure they have enough time to do their business.
Walk at your dog’s preferred pace and take breathers when they stop. This will prevent their muscles from atrophying and help maintain their weight.
Also, you should only walk them in flat areas. Their paws and joints will be more sensitive even without pre-existing conditions. Observe your dog’s reaction during playtime and take frequent breaks to prevent too much pain.
Note: Walking schedules and areas can change further depending on health problems. Depending on your vet’s advice, you might have to give your dog a wheelchair.
Corgi growth chart
Ideally, dogs should weigh according to height. However, since Corgis are dwarf breeds, it’s useful to look at their weight in comparison to their age.
Male and female Corgis tend to have slight weight differences. Belpatt has produced comprehensive charts detailing what happens as the months progress.
For females, the gap between weight averages increases as they age. At 3 months, Corgis should weigh between 9.5-12 lbs.
Once they reach 1 year and 2 months old, they should be around 22-29 lbs.
For males, the gaps are slightly wider across each month. During their 3rd month, the ideal weight is between 9.5-13 lbs (4.3 – 5.44 kg).
On their 14th month, they should be around 22-31 lbs (9.98 – 13.15 kg) . Owners should keep their pet’s weight under these prescribed ranges to stay healthy.
5 tips on how to make sure your Corgi is growing healthy
#1: Bone health is important at every stage
Corgis may be cute dogs, but they’re also achondroplastic. This means that they all have dwarfism.
This dwarfism can cause bone problems later on if you aren’t careful, as their leg bones are usually unable to support their body weight.
Even with exercise, they can still be susceptible to injury due to genetic issues. Common bone-related problems can include:
- Osteoarthritis.
- Hip Dysplasia.
- Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).
All of these issues can cause extreme pain on the part of your dog. If these aren’t managed, they can be life-threatening.
Here’s a list of what you can do to keep their bones healthy at all stages in life:
Use a harness
Using a harness is crucial in keeping bones healthy. It allows pressure to be distributed all over the body when pulling, instead of focusing on one point. This prevents sudden injuries to the joints when changing directions or pulling.
Keep the ground flat
If possible, keep the terrain flat because walking on uneven ground puts pressure on your Corgi’s joints.
Avoid going to places that have elevations such as stairs or rocky inclines. They can walk on hills, but take straighter roads as a preference.
Reading tip: Can Corgis Climb Stairs? 5 Hidden Dangers & 9 Simple Tips
Go for a Calcium-based diet
Calcium is a great way of maintaining your Corgi’s bones. This will help keep their joints healthy when combined with exercise.
It also helps with other bodily functions such as proper blood clotting and digestion. There are multiple ways you can feed your dog calcium regularly:
- Yogurt.
- Calcium-rich treats.
- Homemade foods (fish and cheese).
Note: When giving your dog meat or fish, take out the bone since these are choking hazards for Corgis.
#2: Keep everything clean
Regularly grooming your Corgi is necessary in order to keep them healthy.
This is because their coats do more than just make them look cute. Coats actually help with their temperature regulation.
They also help them avoid skin infections which can come from regular scratching and matting.
Their coats also tend to tangle up and harden over time. Regular grooming prevents this from happening because it keeps their coats silky and soft.
This is applicable to all stages of a Corgi’s life, especially during their senior years when their coats start to become musty.
As such, here are a few ways to regularly clean your Corgi:
- Vacuuming them.
- Brushing their coats.
- Trimming their claws.
- Giving them monthly baths.
- Keeping their paw hairs even.
Note: The schedule for each of these tasks tends to vary according to your Corgi’s specific needs. You can check out our article here for more information on how to help with shedding.
#3: Help them overcome their fears
Research indicates that stress is a contributor to shortened lifespans in dogs. This suggests that owners should take care of their Corgis psychological health as well.
Anxiety can affect dogs in other ways too. For example, it’s common for anxious dogs to be afraid of other dogs and be aggressive in the process.
This fear can get them hurt by encouraging aggressive behavior in other dogs. In addition, anxiety can make dogs disobey commands, making them difficult to train.
Other common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Shivering.
- Destruction.
- Constant digging.
- Territorial pooping/peeing.
- Howling or barking when familiar faces aren’t present.
To help overcome anxiety, consult a dog behaviorist or a vet. Both will help by prescribing medication and desensitization therapy.
These will expose your dog to situations they aren’t comfortable with, in a controlled, positive way until they get used to it.
#4: Spay/neuter early
Spaying/neutering has a lot of health benefits for Corgis. To start, this lessens their chances of contracting certain diseases.
Neutering prevents tumors from developing around the males’ reproductive organs. This eliminates any chance of prostate cancer as well as aggressive behaviors.
According to a study, urinary tract infections (UTI) are highly common in dogs and account for 14% of all diagnoses. Spaying reduces this risk in females by lessening their chances of acquiring UTIs. This also eliminates irritability.
Corgis can be neutered or spayed as early as 6 months to 1 year, just before they hit puberty and start exhibiting gender-specific behavior. Consider spaying or neutering them at this time to prevent any complications later.
#5: Prevention is always better than cure
Getting your pet treated for any illness is usually costly.
Surgeries can cost anywhere between $100 and $4,000 – and that’s just for individual procedures!
The prices can go much higher the more problems your dog has, not to mention it also hurts your precious Corgi.
As such, it’s important to take preventative measures. This can be done in various ways:
Set up pet insurance
Pet insurance will help shield you from crippling expenses caused by sudden illnesses. Secure lifetime insurance to make sure they are covered later in life. The longer you stick to your plan, the more secure your pet will be.
Vaccinate whenever possible
Vaccines can help your pet against certain diseases such as rabies and Parvo virus infections. They’re also what allows countries like the US to enjoy low rabies rates, with only 1-3 annual cases. Talk to your vet about vaccines and secure your dog’s health.
Go on preventative visits to your vet
Regularly visiting your vet will help prevent ticks and fleas from becoming contagious. Observe your dog’s behavior and check their coats when you groom. At the first sign of fleas and ticks, go to your doctor to begin medication.