The First Few Months of Life with a Corgi

How to build a foundation of love and trust for life.

You've brought your Corgi home. Now what?

The first few months are a sacred time. They're when your puppy learns who you are, what the world is like, and how to be part of a family. At DnD Corgis, we've started the work. Now it's your turn.

The First 72 Hours

Your Welcome Home Guide has a complete checklist for the first 72 hours. Here's the short version:

• Potty break before entering the house

• Crate set up beside your bed with the scent blanket

• Same food, same amount, same schedule as our farm

• Vet appointment booked within 72 hours

• Microchip registered in your name

• No visitors, no dog parks, no pet stores

The Crate

The crate is your puppy's safe space, not a punishment. Set it up beside your bed, close enough that you can drop a hand down and touch the door. A puppy who can smell and hear you settles in minutes instead of crying for hours. The crate should be just big enough for them to stand, turn around, and lie down—a crate the size of a bedroom teaches a puppy to potty in one corner.

The Scent Blanket

Your puppy came home with a scent blanket that smells like mom and litter mates. This is the most important object for the first three nights. Put it in the crate on night one. Do not wash it for the first two to three weeks—the smell is the point.

The Daily Routine

One job this month: a predictable routine. Wake → outside. Breakfast → outside. Play, potty, nap. Lunch, potty, short training, nap. Afternoon: one new safe experience. Dinner, potty, family time. Bedtime: last potty, crate beside your bed.

The Overtired Puppy

Puppies need 18 to 20 hours of sleep a day. If your puppy suddenly goes wild, bites hard, and cannot hear you, they are exhausted, not bad. Put them in the crate for a nap. Nine times out of ten, that's the fix.

Socialization

Well-socialized puppies grow into confident adult dogs. Quality matters far more than quantity. Positive experiences only. Let your puppy choose the distance. No dog parks yet, though. Uncontrolled dogs are the single biggest risk to a young Corgi's confidence.

Nipping

Puppies explore the world with their mouths. Redirect to a toy every single time. Say "Ouch" and stop the game for ten seconds. For heel nipping, stop walking and wait for calm. Most hard biting happens in the evening—it's almost always an overtired puppy.

For a complete guide to your first month—including feeding schedules, potty training, and socialization checklists—refer to your DnD Corgis Welcome Home Guide. It's your roadmap for the journey ahead!

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"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." — Proverbs 22:6