Corgi grooming in Gloucester, MA

The Pembroke standard describes a short, thick, weather-resistant undercoat under a coarser, longer outer coat, with a fuller ruff around the neck and chest and longer, fuller hair on the rear of the hindquarters. The Cardigan's coat is much the same, with the longer hair on the backs of the thighs forming what its standard calls pants. Both standards call it a shedding coat, and the AKC scores the Pembroke at four on its five-point shedding scale.

The AKC places the Pembroke's heaviest shed in late spring and early summer. Loose undercoat that is not brushed out collects in the ruff and the pants and holds sand, salt and grit, and on a dog this low to the ground the chest and belly collect the most. A long-coated corgi, the coat the Pembroke standard calls a fluffy, has exaggerated feathering on the ears, chest, legs, feet and hindquarters, and it needs more brushing than a standard coat.

The AKC's Cardigan page is plain about it: some owners mistakenly think the dog should be trimmed short for summer, and when the coat is correct for the breed that is unnecessary, because the coat keeps body temperature where it should be in normal conditions. The AKC adds that shaving a double coat removes the insulating layer, exposes the skin to sunburn and can leave the coat patchy as the faster undercoat crowds out the guard hairs.

Shaving also does nothing about the shedding itself, since the undercoat keeps turning over at a shorter length. What makes a corgi more comfortable in a Cape Ann July is a coat with the dead undercoat removed, plus shade and water. The AKC adds one caution for darker coats: a black dog absorbs more heat on a sunny day, so take care in hot weather. A bath with Shed Release is the summer booking; any trimming stays on the feet and pants.

For the Pembroke, the AKC recommends a daily once-over with a comb and a slicker brush, which removes a lot of the shed hair before it spreads through the house; for the Cardigan it suggests a good brushing at least once a week. In a heavy shed, rake after a bath, and only once the coat is completely dry. Our how-to on de-shedding a double-coated dog at home covers the tools step by step.

Good Harbor and Wingaersheek reopen to dogs on October 1, and a corgi's chest and belly ride low enough to drag through wet sand. Rinse the salt off with fresh water and dry the underside before you brush. The AKC lists regular nail trims for both breeds and weekly ear checks for the Pembroke, and warns against letting a long-backed Cardigan jump down off the bed or couch. Tick season runs April to November, and the ruff and pants hide them well.