Supplies for your Cardigan Corgi

After 20 years of living with Cardigans I’ve developed a list of favorite products to help me care for my pack. I’ve broken them out into the Must-Haves and the Expanded Collection. These don’t include dog show or training supplies, because I don’t want to scare you away. Maybe I’ll work on that list sometime soon. Hopefully this list will help you get started, or help you build out your corgi-keeping collection.

Oh, and these are products are things that I like - they aren’t meant as an endorsement and nobody has paid me for recommendations.

Must-haves - the basics for Cardi care

Crate

This is NECESSARY for every home. All of my dogs are crate trained, making it easy for me to confine them when I leave home, if we have visitors, or if they are injured and need rest. I like double door crates for their flexibility in placement, and prefer a size that is roomy, but not huge.

Crate: My favorite is the 36” Midwest Select Crate. It is sturdy enough for the Cardigans, doesn’t rattle as much as other crates I have, and has three doors (one on each end and one on the long side) — making it easy to place in a room and access.

Crate pads: I like PetEdge’s Slumber Pet Plush Mats. They come in sizes that fit my crates, and don’t include stuffing, which helps if you have a dog who likes to de-stuff things. They also wash and wear very well — I’ve had some of mine for nearly a decade and they’re still in great shape. I also put a non-skid crate pad under them so the don’t shift around. My favorite brand isn’t made anymore :-( so I now use non-skid bathroom mats from HomeGoods or similar. The non-skid mat goes on the bottom, and the crate pad on top. I sometimes add an old towel to the top of the crate pad if someone comes in muddy (ahem, Lexi May).

Bowl for crate: I like 32 oz stainless steel flat-sided buckets because my dogs don’t chew them and they hang well from the side using a small carabiner. Dog show vendors have a good selection and price on these buckets.

Crate cover: If your dog doesn’t drag things into his crate, a crate cover can be nice to add some privacy. I had crate covers made for me as a Christmas gift, but find the flat sheet from a toddler or twin bed works really well. It’s not as classy, but hey, most of my stuff is covered in pet hair anyway, so who am i trying to fool?

Grooming Supplies

Pin brush (far left) is the one I use most frequently (almost exclusively, really) for my dogs. It does a nice job of getting rid of dead hair and making my Cardis look nice. The brush I have has bristles that are approximately 3/4” long.

Metal comb (middle) - though I don’t use it very much it’s nice to have, as it works well for dead hair and removing any mats that might form.

Boar bristle brush (right) works nicely for grooming the head and legs. Again, it’s one I don’t use as much, but nice-to have.

Scissors - short, ball-tip scissors are great for trimming errant hair (e.g., ear hair), mats, or long hair between pads on the feet.

Shampoo and conditioner - I use a variety of shampoos and conditioners, depending on why I’m bathing (my show shampoo is different from my “remove the stink” shampoo, for example). Unless your Cardi has a coat that needs special care, a good-quality dog shampoo and conditioner should suffice.

Dog towels - I have a stack of old towels I use to dry off the dogs when they’re wet and/or muddy. I have cut a corner off each towel so we can tell which ones are dog towels :-)

Where to buy? My recommendation is to go to a dog show and visit one of the grooming vendors. They can make sure you’re getting brushes, scissors, and shampoos that work on Cardi fur and, in my experience, they carry products that last.

Nail Care

Nail grinder - I grind my dog’s nails instead of trimming them - though I trimmed them for years, so that’s fine, too. I’ve upgraded my grinder a few times and now have what I feel is the ultimate solution for me. I use a Dremel 8050 Micro and love it. It has a light so I can really see what I’m doing, and the noise and vibration aren’t too bad.

I have added a Diamagroove grinder to the Dremel. It was eye-wateringly expensive, but has been worth every penny. It doesn’t heat up like normal grinding heads and won’t tear fingers or pads if I slip.

A less expensive alternative that I used for years is the Dremel 7300-PT. I consider this a functional entry-level grinder.

And don’t forget styptic powder in case you accidentally hit the quick while doing nails.

Collar & Leash

Collars and leashes fall soundly into the realm of personal preference—there is no one answer that works for everyone. My preference is for a rolled leather collar and nylon leash.

I like the rolled leather collar because in my experience it’s a little easier on the hair and has a smoother appearance on the neck. The collars I use are custom made by Rick at Master’s Pride. He uses top quality leather and it was easy for me to find the right color leather for each dog.

Nylon leashes are fave, as they’re easy to clean (just wash & line dry) in case they get muddy (or worse). Nylon also allows for a lot of selection so I can find one with just the right flair to suit each dog’s personality. The one in the pic is Rip’s leash; he has the attitude and verve of a superhero, so the pattern was perfect. My leashes are 6’ long, which I find short enough to manage, yet long enough for the dog to have a bit of freedom.

I use vendors on Etsy for my leashes, as the selection is (seemingly) endless, and I’m supporting a US small business owner. The shops I’ve used are 3Pooches and TheFrenchDog for leashes and PetsAtWeLoveToCreate for collar tags. There are many other great sellers, too—these are the ones I’ve used.

Treats and treat delivery

When I’m training or on a walk, I like to have treats handy and a clicker handy. Which means, unless I have good pockets, I also need a treat pouch.

When training, I use many varieties of training treats, but since we’re talking about the basics, my favorite training treats are Zukes Mini Naturals (bottom left). They are perfectly sized for Corgis, not slimy, and my dogs love them. Another favorite of the pack is string cheese cut into pieces approximately the same size as the Zukes.

Other treats my dogs and I like are Charlee Bear—Lexi May especially likes the Grain Free Crunch treats and Darford baked dog treats (top right)—especially the turkey hearts (which aren’t real turkey hearts, they’re turkey treats shaped like a hearts).

My favorite treat pouch is the one pictured. I got it years ago and love it. Since the manufacturer doesn’t seem to make this style anymore, I’ll share with you why I like it so much, to help you find a similar one: it’s a great size, it has a functional belt clip, and it has a small exterior pocket to hold a clicker.

A clicker for training. I bought some in bulk from Amazon because they keep getting lost. I prefer the variety shown in the picture - with or without the wrist loop.

Oh, and you’ll need poop bags, too. I have no recommendations here—I buy mine at HomeGoods when I find them for a good price. I do like to remind myself that at least with Cardigans you don’t have to buy the XL bags :-0.

Chew Toys

My favorite chew toys for the dogs are ones that keep them occupied for a while and minimize risk. I feel like nearly every chew toy as some sort of asterisk when it comes to safety, and these are my go selection.

I feel that a Kong is a must-have. I prefer the Senior variety (at top right of picture) in size medium. The senior isn’t quite as hard as the regular, making it easier for the dogs to get out the treats stuffed inside, but it’s also strong enough that my pack can’t destroy it (this would vary by dog). I freeze low-cal canned food (pate variety-not stew) in the Kongs and give these as treats. This seems to keep them occupied for 20-30 minutes. I will also use peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t have artificial sweeteners) with small treats shoved inside. Old Mother Hubbard mini sized original dog biscuits wedge really well into the medium-sized Kong, making them more challenging for the dogs to get out.

Another must-have for me is a Nylabone (bottom right). I find the moderate chew bones to be the right amount of tough for my pack. Medium and Wolf size both work well. Lexi May recommends the chicken and dental varieties.

For special occasions, I will give a bully stick (middle) or a himalayan dog chew. When these start to get too small, I take them away or monitor closely to avoid choking.

Some chew toys I don’t use anymore are cow hooves and deer or elk antlers. Both of the girls are “aggressive chewers” and have cracked teeth which have required removal. My vet told me not to give them anything I couldn’t stick my fingernail into.

Food

Please consult your dog’s breeder or your vet for dog food recommendations — I’m not weighing in on this one, as this is very variable based on dog’s age, exercise level, special needs etc.

The Expanded Selection of dog supplies

This list includes things I love having for regular canine care, but don’t consider must-haves.

• Grooming table with arm - these make grooming so much easier, but aren’t necessary. I got my first table 10 years into dogs, so doing without is certainly do-able. I now have two of these, but the basic one I use most days is an entry-level table from PetEdge—the Master Equipment Grooming Table with Arm. I have the 30x32x18 size and it works well for my moderately-sized Cardigans.

• A dog dryer makes drying much quicker. I went years without a dryer (I got one when I got my first table), but it does really speed up dry time. I have two driers. One is much more powerful, was more expensive, and occasionally pops one of the circuits in my home (Double K brand). I use this one most of the time. The other dryer I have is a Master Equipment dryer that I got from PetEdge. It is functional, smaller in size, and doesn’t pop the circuit breaker.

• Crates for the car. At a certain point I got sick of hauling crates out to the car every time I took to dogs somewhere (my dogs always ride in crates when I take them places) so I bought crates specifically for the car. I now have a setup that I LOVE. I have Ruffland kennels which are made for transporting dogs. They are sturdy, well-ventilated, and don’t rattle in the car (which is a BIG deal for me). The size I use for the Cardis is Intermediate. My crates stay in the car most of the time, but the Rufflands are also light enough to move around easily.

• Silicone, collapsible water bowls are great for hiking or outings with the dog. I keep one clipped to my training bag so it’s handy when I travel.

If I start to count all the gear I’ve collected over the years that I use for training and trialing, this list could go on and on but this should be enough to get you started!