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17 years old! π€―
Published about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
How old is the oldest corgi? That's a question I found myself wondering this week when a lovely reader emailed me about her 17 (!!!) year-old corgi.
I really, really hope I can keep Winston living a healthy, happy life for a long time. Seventeen years would be wonderful! That gives us another ten years together and that would be magical.
Though thinking of myself in ten years... aged 44... makes me feel slightly less warm and fuzzy inside π
If you've owned a corgi who made it to 17 years old or more, will you hit reply and let me know what you think the secret is?
The reader I mentioned above told me that she brushes her corgi's teeth twice daily!
So, it just goes to show how important dental health is to a dog's overall wellbeing...
P.S. We had a check-up with the vet one week after Winston's teeth extraction (more about that here for new subscribers). The vet was really pleased with how he's healing! So after I hit send on this newsletter, I'm going to treat Winston to a few lovely new chew toys... π
Will you live forever? Was that a yes? Perfect!
Snoot boops and bunny hops,
Winston & Bella x
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The reason behind your corgi's head-tilt π€
A 2021 study from EΓΆtvΓΆs LorΓ‘nd University in Budapest, published in Animal Cognition, looked at why dogs tilt their heads.
Researcher Andrea Sommese compared seven gifted border collies β able to fetch ten or more named toys β against dogs with average recall. On hearing a command, the gifted dogs tilted their heads 43% of the time, versus 2% for the rest β a possible sign of focused attention, maybe the brain matching word to image...
Corgis were bred to catch verbal and whistle commands at a distance while herding cattle β listening hard is built into the breed's DNA.
So next time your corgi tilts their head at a word, they might not be performing. It might be worth noting which words set them off...
If you've got a brilliant head-tilt photo, hit reply and share it with us!
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The corgi who out-hacked every human on the ship π¦
Ein is the fourth member of the crew in the 1998 anime Cowboy Bebop β a Pembroke Welsh Corgi genetically enhanced by a research lab into a "data dog," smart enough to hack computer databases with his mind, drive a car (steering only β pedals were still a problem), and play shogi.
He can't talk. He communicates by barking once for yes, twice for no, so most of the crew has no idea how sharp he really is.
Apparently the voice work came from a real dog β a Cardigan Welsh Corgi named Jack!
If you're making homemade food for your corgi, it's really important it's balanced. 95% of homemade dog food isn't nutritionally complete, so to ensure your doggo doesn't miss out, ensure you're adding key ingredients like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Annamaet Enhance is a great nutritional powder if you're in the market for one.
Arthritis is a difficult disease for humans and dogs alike. It makes your corgi's joint stiff and achey, and there are some days they will prefer to stay in bed as much as possible. It can be a very painful joint condition and one of the most common seen by vets. The good news is that itβs also very treatable and doesnβt have to be a bad thing...
Corgi of the day
I've got an update on recent corgi of the day, Freyr (and his rosettes!).
He came out of the County Fair with 7 Blue Ribbons! His (human) sister, Willow, was only half a point away from Reserve Champion! π
The #1 newsletter for Corgi owners and lovers! Corgi Companion is packed full of training tips, product recommendations, owner stories, and camaraderie. Delivered every week, straight to your inbox.
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