Do Corgis Need To Be Groomed? Find Out The Truth
As a house-proud, interiors obsessed person, something I had to know before I rehomed Winston was: do corgis need to be groomed?
More specifically: how much do they need to be groomed?
Well, I was about to find out that corgis are one of the heaviest shedders of all dog breeds!
To keep on top of daily shedding, corgis need to be groomed regularly. This can be two to three times per week at home using a brush, and every three months or so at a professional groomers.
Keep reading to find out how I groom my own corgi at home and whether shaving a corgi is ever a good idea.
Let’s go!
How to groom a corgi at home
Every corgi owner understands the importance of grooming.
That’s because corgis are heavy shedders. Thanks to their double coat (which consistents of an inner coat and outer coat), they shed hair a lot every single day.
And without a consistent grooming routine and quarterly trips to a professional groomers (more on this below!), your floors, furniture, and clothes will be permanently covered in hair.
Personally, I stick to a fairly basic grooming routine for Winston.
Here’s what that looks like:
Corgi grooming routine
2-3x per week I brush Winston for 10 minutes using the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush.
When it comes to how I groom him, I follow the line grooming technique.
Working from the back of Winston, I take a section of hair and part it with my fingers until I see the skin. Then I give the hair a good groom, pulling out sections of undercoat that’s about to fall out.
Then I move onto another section of his body, parting the hair with my fingers and grooming out the undercoat.
Once I’ve completed the whole body, I run the brush through his entire coat for a smooth finish.
Here are some additional tips for successfully grooming your corgi at home:
- Comb your corgi’s coat in the direction of hair growth.
- Be gentle when grooming your corgi, particularly if they’re frightened of the brush.
- For long-haired corgis (or very matted standard corgis), use a matt breaker first to remove tangles and mats.
- If you bath your corgi, use a gentle dog shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Don’t get any water in their ears as this can cause infection.
Can you shave a corgi?
I don’t recommend shaving your corgi.
Corgis have an oil coating on their fur that keeps them clean and helps them dry faster. When you shave their coat, you hamper the production of this oil and damage the overall quality of their coat.
Here are some other potentially harmful consequences of shaving your corgi:
- Sunburn: Corgis have a double coat of fur that protects them from the sun’s harmful rays. Shaving a corgi’s fur can leave their skin exposed to the sun, which can lead to sunburn and other skin issues.
- Overheating: Corgis have a thick undercoat that helps regulate their body temperature. Shaving their fur can interfere with this process, making it difficult for them to cool down properly. This can lead to overheating, which can be dangerous and even life-threatening in some cases.
- Coat damage: Shaving a corgi’s fur can damage their coat, making it less soft and fluffy. This can also lead to uneven growth patterns or ingrown hairs, which can be painful and potentially lead to infection.
How to keep your corgi cool
If you’re worried that your corgi is too hot, find other ways to keep them cool.
- Leave your corgi at home. When temperatures soar, leave your corgi at home in a ventilated and/or air-conditioned room. On particularly sunny days, don’t exercise them after 9am and don’t, under any circumstance, leave them in the car while you’re running errands.
- Exercise your corgi first thing in the morning and last thing at night. On hot days, walk your corgi at the coolest points in the day. These tend to be very early in the morning and last thing at night, once the sun has set.
- Provide them plenty of water. Make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water so that they can stay hydrated.
A corgi’s double coat is great at regulating their body temperature. It keeps them warm in winter and cool in summer.
So long as they have access to water and aren’t left outside in direct sunshine or inside an unventilated room, your corgi will manage fine in the summer.
How often do corgis need to be groomed
Corgis need to be brushed 2-3x per week by you at home.
When it comes to getting your corgi professionally groomed, I suggest booking this in every 3 months.
This frequency ensures that your corgi’s nails don’t get too long and that their coat stays trim and clean.
Of course, you may need to give your corgi a few baths in between the professional grooming sessions (if they roll around in fox poop, for example!), but otherwise 4x per year should be enough.
Getting your corgi professionally groomed
Every 3-4 months, I get Winston professionally groomed. He loves it!
I could learn how to clip his nails, trim his coat, and wax his paws myself, of course, but I prefer to leave this up to the professionals. And it’s ok if you’re the same!
My local dog groomers has all the necessary equipment to give Winston a really good wash, de-shedding and nail-clipping.
He comes back smelling delicious and even gets given a little bow to stick on his harness!
To find a good local groomers near you, ask your vet or fellow dog owners. They’re the best source of information for a dog groomers you can trust.
