When considering adding a welsh corgi to your home, one of your first questions might be do corgis shed a lot? The short answer is yes, but there are things that you can do to control your corgi’s shedding.
Do Corgis Shed?
Corgis most definitely shed, and corgis shed a lot! This is because the typical corgi , whether a Pembroke welsh corgi or a Cardigan welsh corgi, has a double coat.
A double coat means that the corgi has a dense undercoat. Having an undercoat is good for the dog, as it helps keep the corgi protected from both both heat and cold temperatures and it helps repel water and dirt.
Because the undercoat serves such an important purpose, it is not recommended to shave a corgi to prevent shedding. Contrary to popular belief it will not help the corgi stay cool in summer and it removes an essential piece of what makes the dog a corgi.
But that double coat means that corgis have twice as much hair to shed!
And then there is the whole Murphy’s Law effect that your corgi will shed his or her white hair on your black items and vice versa! Ty below always did that! He had a white undercoat!
Of course, it also goes without saying that all that hair can be an issue is you have allergies. But this too can be addressed for some. See my article on corgi allergies here: Are Corgis Hypoallergenic?
How Much Does a Corgi Shed? When Do Corgis Shed?
So just how much corgi shedding can you expect?
My corgis tend to shed year round and then particularly “blow out” their undercoat every couple of months, during which time they need extra grooming.
Seasonality and temperature changes can affect things some, but generally you can expect quite a bit of shedding all year from your standard Pembroke corgi or Cardigan corgi.
It isn’t uncommon when grooming to end up with a grocery store plastic bag worth of corgi hair! But don’t despair. Ways to address this are coming up further down in this article!
Long Hair Corgis and Fluffy Corgi Shedding
Long hair corgis, also known as fluffy corgis, have long hair that is not part of the breed standard. They actually shed less than the standard Pembroke or Cardigan.
Fluffy corgis normally lack the double coat, but their hair is longer. So while shedding might be less, they do face other problems, such as matting. Thus, a long hair fluffy corgi must be brushed regularly.
How to Make Your Corgi Shed Less
It is impossible to truly stop corgi shedding. But, you can do things to help control it and to make your life more pleasant. Here are some tips.
1. Groom Your Corgi Regularly with a Good Brush
It starts with Grooming. In the photo below you can see before pictures of Eve where she has tufts of hair from blowing out her coat and how she looks before grooming. Her after photo is a bit further down.
Brushing is key to keeping that undercoat in good shape and controlling the amount of hair flying around your home.
Brush your corgi regularly. Brushing, especially with a brush aimed at targeting the undercoat, can prevent the hair from randomly coming off the dog and floating around your home.
Best Brush for a Corgi
There are several brushes that I like for grooming corgis.
Furminator: One top corgi brush that you may see recommended is the Furminator brush.
A Furminator brush can do an excellent job at removing all loose hair from the undercoat and keep your corgi’s coat looking in beautiful shape. Some criticisms of the brush, however, are that it can be too aggressive, and can excessively pull on the coat or even pull out hair or damage the top coat.
I have not experienced that with the brush. My main problem with it is simply sometimes getting the dog to sit still long enough for a full grooming session with it as it does take longer to use than other brushes. Needless to say though, be gentle with it. Don’t yank or pull at your corgi’s hair! Go slow and take your time.
Below is Corgi Eve after a Furminator session at a local groomer, and it is the after photo from the photo that I used above. I originally took this photo for a sponsored post on my Some Pets blog. You can see more on that here: Eve’s Petsmart Grooming Review.
Coat rake: A coat rake, also known as a dog undercoat rake, can help loosen and remove loose undercoat hair, while also addressing any matting.
I have never had issues with matting with my Pembroke corgis. Their undercoat usually comes out so cleanly that matts are simply not a problem. But a rake can also help prevent any issues there. It also works fine in place of a Furminator.
Slicker Brush: I love using a slicker brush on my corgis. These brushes are great at picking up their fine hair. They can do a good job at getting undercoat hair too, but be gentle if you do not have one with protective tips.
Using a slicker brush alone can take a while as they are slower to remove hair from as you groom the dog. But I find them easier to use than the Furminator.
2. Bathe Your Shedding Corgi
I find that a bath goes a long way to loosening up dog hair. This is especially true when my corgis are blowing out their coats. Often one good bath, followed by a couple of longer grooming sessions, with result in very little shedding, or at least very little excessive shedding, for quite some time.
In summer, I use a natural flea and tick control shampoo and conditioner on my dogs. It is basically my extra step in preventing fleas and ticks.
In winter, when the air is dry, I often use a soothing oatmeal shampoo for dry skin and a conditioner.
3. Try Dietary Adjuncts to Control Shedding
Quality food can help control shedding by keeping your corgi’s skin and coat in top condition. A poor diet can lead to dry flaky skin and various coat issues.
What to feed your corgi is a topic for whole other article and there are so many choices. I personally tend to feed Honest Kitchen, but there are many good foods out there. The main thing is to be sure that you are feeding a healthy and balanced diet.
Fish Oil: Giving fish oil can also help keep your corgi’s skin and coat in top shape and help control shedding. I use Grizzly Salmon Oil and add it to my dog’s food.
Flaxseed added to the diet instead can have a similar effect to that of fish oil. I prefer fish oil though for ease of giving it to the dog by adding it to the food and because a good brand tends to be more clear in the amount of nutrients it includes and proper dosing. It is important to give a fish oil that is formulated for pets. Other types may lack important adjuncts such as Vitamin E.
4. Deal with Corgi Hair Shedding in Your Home
No matter how much grooming you do and how great your corgi’s diet is, your dog is still going to shed! So here are a few ways to deal with it in your home.
Get a Good Corgi Vacuum
Get a good vacuum that can remove dog hair easily from carpets. Dyson makes several vacuums aimed specially at pet owners.
On my hardwood floors, I have had good luck with my Bissell Canister Vacuum.
A Roomba robot vacuum is also awesome to have as it can be set on a schedule to frequently pick up pet hair. Roombas do tend to need to have their canisters emptied fairly often though.
5. Learn to Live With It
At some point if you have a corgi you just have to learn to live with some amount shedding. No matter what you do, there is going to be dog hair around.
Personally, I just chalk it up to part of being a family with corgis. It is totally worth it!