SPAY/NEUTER Unless you have acquired your puppy to show or breed, it should be spayed/neutered at about the age of six months. If you are waiting to see if your puppy grows up to be show quality, you must wait because it is not possible under AKC rules to show an altered dog. However if you are going to spay or neuter, it is important to understand that your female does not need to come into heat once or have a litter before she is spayed!
. . . . There are health advantages to your dog’s being spayed or neutered. Neutered males will not ever get testicular cancer and castration is the treatment for an enlarged prostate, which often occurs in middle-aged and older males. Females, if spayed before the first heat have a significantly reduced chance of getting breast cancer.

DIET: There are a number of excellent foods which can be purchased from vets and pet shops. Usually, the premium foods are better. Never feed generic dog food as it is nutritionally inadequate. Precise, Innova, Verus, Science Diet, Pedigree, Purina One and many others are fine for most dogs. Feed puppy food for about the first year (Innova Puppy, Precise Puppy, Verus Puppy, Purina Puppy Chow, etc.). Recommended quantities on bags are usually overly generous - they are aiming to sell as much dog food as possible! As a general rule, feed young, active dogs about 2 cups a day and perhaps mix a tablespoon of canned food in with it. This is mostly for flavor and dogs like the Mighty Dog, Iams, Pedigree, Alpo, Nutro and Triumph brands of canned food. As your puppy gets older, the amount of dry food will probably have to be reduced gradually to perhaps as little as 1/2 to one cup per day for old dogs, depending on exercise, the individual’s metabolism and the type of food and amount of treats fed. Keep fresh water available.

OVER-NUTRITION is suspected as a contributing factor in hip displaysia and other health problems. Don’t let your growing puppy get overweight! All too often I see Corgis that are obese because the people they own are so well trained to give them just about any treat they ask for. Some dogs always act hungry. Resist giving excessive food, treats and table scraps. Over feeding is one of the worst things pet owners often do to their dogs. If your dog is too fat, you are DEFINITELY feeding too much!!!!!!!!

Go to http://www.voicenet.com/~geos/reba.html to see Reba, a 70 pound 2 year old female Corgi. To control weight, make changes more or less gradually depending on the degree of under or over weight. Usually, cutting food by about ¼ to ½ cup a day will result in gradual weight loss. To achieve weight gain, add ½ cup a day and make sure the dog is worm free. Weigh your dog often and record the weights. Adjust food as needed to maintain a healthy weight. If you are one of those who can’t resist giving treats, try carrot sticks, a banana slice, an apple slice, or green beans. Most dog biscuits are 100% nutritionally complete for dogs and they are good to a point. The regular food amount can be adjusted to accommodate the number of biscuits fed. You do NOT have to change to a "Lite" or "Senior Maintenance" dog food to control weight! JUST FEED LESS FOOD! AND PROVIDE MORE EXERCISE!

NAILS NEED TO BE CUT FREQUENTLY AND SOME DOGS HATE IT! Be prepared for a struggle, but remain calm and persist. I’ll gladly teach you how to cut nails or I’ll do it for you, but nails need attention about every two weeks. An Oster nail grinder works well, but we like the Black & Decker Wizard grinder the best.

TEETH start building tarter when some dogs are about a year old. Have your vet clean your dog’s teeth once or twice a year so they will still be there when your pet gets old. I clean my own dogs’ teeth because vets do give anesthesia for this procedure, but my dogs will all let me do their teeth while they are wide awake. Do keep alert for tartar build up. Once in awhile, I have the vet do a cleaning and polishing, too.

TEETHING puppies will especially appreciate the Frosty Paws treats. A good thing for pups to chew on is a damp washcloth tied in a knot and put in the freezer. It feels good on those irritated gums. But for a special treat, try Homemade Frosty Paws
1 ripe banana
4 oz. fat free yogurt (vanilla or banana flavor works best)
2 oz. water
Mix together well in blender. Pour into Frosty Paws sized cups (a cut down Dixie cup or similar small container...just be aware that some dogs try to eat the cup, too!) and freeze. Makes about 6 servings. Or freeze in ice cube trays or muffin tins

EARS should be checked to see if they are clean and smell normal. Very dirty or smelly ears usually indicate a problem such as ear mites or an infection and would warrant a trip to the vet. Normal light dirt can be cleaned with a cotton ball and a little alcohol or baby oil. Do not try to clean down into the ear canal.