Do Corgis Shed?
I once asked a parent of a friend who owned two corgis, “do corgis shed?” Their response, “Yes, twice a year! From January to May, and May to January…” Fast forward, a few years later when we got Mila - we can without a doubt confirm, YES - they most certainly shed year round. It’s not for the faint of heart. In the puppy stages, Mila didn’t shed all that much the first 6 months to a year. After that, we had to invest in a some sturdy vacuums and grooming supplies because of the amount of shedding (more details on this below).
Corgis are known for their adorable appearance and charming personalities, but they are also notorious for their year-round shedding due to their double coat. If you can stay on top of the maintenance of the shedding from cleaning to grooming - it’s not so bad - they are relatively low maintenance compared to some other high maintenance breeds.
Year-Round Shedding: Corgis are a breed that sheds consistently throughout the year. This means that they will shed their fur continuously, unlike some breeds that have specific shedding seasons. The amount of shedding can vary from one Corgi to another, but it's a common characteristic of the breed.
Double Coat: Corgis have a double coat, which consists of an outer layer of guard hairs and an insulating undercoat. The guard hairs are longer and coarser, while the undercoat is soft and dense. The double coat serves to protect them from the elements, from cold and wet weather to hot summer weather.
Maintenance: To keep your Corgi's coat healthy and manage the shedding, regular grooming and maintenance are essential:
Brushing: Brush your Corgi's coat at least a few times a week. This helps remove loose hair, distribute natural oils, and prevent mats or tangles (if they have longer hair). Use a slicker brush or an undercoat rake to reach the dense undercoat.
Baths: Bathing should be done as needed, usually every 2-3 months, or when your Corgi gets dirty. Be sure to use a dog-specific shampoo to avoid drying out the coat or skin.
Blow-Drying: After a bath, use can use a blow dryer on a low, cool setting to dry your Corgi's coat thoroughly, especially in the dense undercoat. This can help reduce shedding and prevent skin issues. We typically towel dry with the fan on since our girl doesn’t like the noise of a blow dryer.
Regular Checkups: Regular vet checkups are crucial to monitor your Corgi's overall health, which can also affect the condition of their coat.
Diet: A balanced and high-quality diet can contribute to a healthy coat. Ensure your Corgi is receiving the right nutrients to promote healthy skin and fur.
Shedding Season: While Corgis shed year-round, they may experience more pronounced shedding during seasonal changes. During these times, you might need to increase your grooming routine to keep their shedding in check.
Professional Grooming: If you're not comfortable handling your Corgi's grooming needs on your own, consider taking them to a professional groomer. Groomers have the expertise and tools to manage a Corgi's double coat effectively.
Corgis are wonderful companions, but their shedding can be a challenge for some owners. By following a regular grooming and home maintenance routine, you can help keep your Corgi's coat healthy and reduce the amount of hair you find around your home.
Below is a list of our favorite products we purchased in the past which have proven to be tried and true for us.
Dog Shampoo - Make sure that you are using a shampoo that is appropriate for your dogs fur and skin type.
Dog Brush - Furminator - We like using this outside, rakes out the dead or loose undercoat. We only use it for about 5 minutes once a week outside, you can do it more or less. I would recommend paying attention to how your dog reacts to the frequency and duration of brushing.
Lint Rollers - are a must, because no matter how much we brush or vacuum there is always pet hair on our clothing so we leave one by the front door in case we need to freshen up!
Robot Vacuum | Self Emptying - We have gone through 4 different robot vacuums! This is by far our absolute favorite because of the “self emptying” feature. (More on this topic later)
Dyson Animal Vacuum - There is a version of this that is more compact and light, but we opted for the heavy duty version and it is worth every penny. We’ve gone through, 2 or 3 different ones before landing on this and we have ZERO regrets because we haven’t had to replace it yet! You’d be surprised how much fur it sucks up in one round of vacuuming. One of the main reasons we got this one was because we didn’t want to have to keep emptying the vessel while vacuuming - which is something we might have to do more frequently with the smaller/light weight version.
*Shark - Hand Vacuum - Yes, there is a third player in this game… You must think we are nuts. But this comes in handy for the car because its wireless and also makes vacuuming the stairs on a daily basis super easy. Rather than whipping out the heavy duty Dyson every evening we just hide the hand vacuum by the stairwell. Every few nights, as we go up stairs we will do a quick pass and leave it at the top of the stairs. In the morning we walk it back downstairs for the next time.
*Dog Grooming Vacuum Kit - The options above work great however, in the winter or rainy weather we don’t like brushing outside because we don’t want to be cold or wet. So we resort to brushing indoors - which can sometimes create a mess. That’s where the Grooming Vacuum comes in handy because it sucks everything up as you are brushing your dog out!
*Air Purifier - Brushing or no brushing, most dogs will shed or leave behind dander. While some people might not have allergies, we like to make sure that when guests come over they are comfortable no matter their medical history so we typically run our purifier daily to reduce allergens and pollutants in our living environment.
Thanks for checking out this blog!
We have included pictures of our favorite items with our affiliate links incase you are interested!
* Edit: We got another dog, Corgis don’t shed nearly as much as Aussie Sheps. We added a few additional products due to our new family member!