How Often Should I Bathe My Corgi? (And How Do I Do It?)

So, you’re not sure how often you should bathe your corgi.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• How often to bathe your dog
• How to choose a shampoo for your corgi
• Step-by-step process to wash your corgi
• And more!

You’ll have a squeaky clean dog by the end of this page!

Sound good? Let’s wash your corgi!

Last updated: 3/7/20.

Do corgis need baths?

Just like any other breed, your corgi needs baths.

Yeah, it can be a hassle.

Especially if your corgi hates getting wet or swimming.

But the good part is that they only need to be bathed once a month on average.

Or when they roll around in mud, dirt, or get covered in debris after a day out.

How often should I clean my corgi?

A rule-of-thumb:

• Spot clean your corgi as often as needed.
• Bathe your corgi no more than once a month.

A good rule of thumb is to give your corgi a bath just once a month unless he’s noticeably dirty.

The longer you keep him clean, the fewer baths he’ll need. You can go up to two months without a bath and he’ll be fine.

Don’t bathe your corgi too often

Bathing your corgi too often can lead to fur problems.

Depending on the shampoo you use, some may remove beneficial oil that coats their coat.

This can lead to more dirt getting stuck, matting, or skin problems, excess shedding.

The shampoo strips the natural oils found in the coat, which can dehydrate and dry out the skin.

Just bathe your dog using common sense and moderation and you’ll be fine. Once a month at most, unless noticeably dirty or smelly.

How do you bathe a corgi?

There is no special technique to bathe a dog, just like how there’s no “right way” to take a shower for yourself!

You can start by filling the tub up with warm water. Don’t worry about making it perfect as they have double coats to shield them from cold water.

Fill a tub with some warm water

Any lukewarm temperature is fine. Add the corgi to the bath slowly.

Soak your corgi

First, just rinse your dog. Get him soaked with water. If he shakes or tries to run away, keep him in place.

Depending on how he was socialized, bathing your corgi may be a difficult process.

You can use treats, positive encouragement, and a leash to stop him from running out of the bathtub, sink, or outdoors.

Apply shampoo and lather

After he’s soaked, squeeze out some shampoo directly into the water and in a line across his back.

Start a gentle lather to get the shampoo working on his coat.

Then start spot cleaning one body part at a time.

You can squeeze a bit of shampoo into your palm and work it into each primary area that often gets dirty:

• Belly
• Legs
• Neck
• Ears
• Feet
• Rear-end

Just use a bit of shampoo and lather in each area. You can use a cup to scoop up the water from the bath and apply it to each body part to keep him wet.

Rinse thoroughly

The shampoo you added to the water at the very beginning will kill a lot of the bacteria that’s rinsed off during the process.

This makes it safer to use the same water to rinse him.

After each section, rinse him with water. You can use the faucet, showerhead, garden hose, or whatever.

Rinse off the soap, one section at a time.

You can just leave the soap in each section and do a full rinse at the end so it has some time to work on the coat.

And then do a final rinse to get the rest of the soap out at the very end.

Dry off

Towel your dog in a burrito and dry him off.

Use a hairdryer to clean up the rest of the water and pair your efforts with eh towel for faster drying.

That’s it.

Shampoos for corgis

There are a ton of shampoos out there, and some are marketed specifically for corgis.

There’s no need to spend the extra cash on these products. You can use the most basic of shampoo to clean the coat.

You should actually want to use a gentle shampoo because a rough one will strip the oils from the coat and skin.

Use one that’s all-natural or organic.

Some have special additives to are advertised to help the coat or bring out the “shine.”

Do your research on these and see what’s in them.

Avoid anything you wouldn’t use on yourself. Simple is better.

Spot cleaning your corgi

You can also use different shampoos for different purposes.

• If you’re doing a full bathe, use one that’s made to remove dirt and healthy for the coat. Read reviews. Check the list of ingredients on the package.
• If you’re doing a spot clean, you can just use a basic shampoo that’s cheap and inexpensive.

Depending on your dog’s lifestyle, does he get dirty often? Constant baths will ruin the corgi’s coat and you should avoid that when possible.

You may want to resort to spot cleaning using a cheap shampoo so you don’t waste the expensive stuff.

For example, if you often hike with your dog and he comes with back covered in dirt on his paws, you should just spot clean the paws and that’s it.

On the other hand, if you just keep your corgi as a house dog, then it doesn’t need nearly as much cleaning as the outdoor corgi.

Avoid doing a full bath because this strips the natural beneficial oils.

It’s just like brushing your teeth. It’s good for you, but brushing too much will wear down your enamel.

The same goes for corgis. Avoid full baths when possible and limit them to once a month.

Spot clean the rest of the time with a cheap natural shampoo, such as some baby shampoos or oatmeal shampoos.

Oatmeal is also beneficial for their skin and usually natural, so it’s a popular choice in the corgi community.

Do corgis stink?

Corgis have an average “dog” smell and aren’t a smelly breed.

But if you don’t do proper grooming and bathing, your dog will smell.

This also depends on your dog’s lifestyle- does it stay outside most of the day? Do you take it on walks through the deep woods? Dirt? Mud? Water?

The grooming technique you use and how often you groom also affect the overall scent that comes from your corgi.

And lastly, the shampoo use makes a huge difference. Some shampoos have natural deodorizing compounds while others are just for cleaning.

When to start grooming a corgi puppy

You can start grooming your corgi weekly to get him used to it, especially when he’s a puppy.

When the dog is young, that’s when you need to get them used to have a tool going across their fur.

The coat also won’t be too thick, so it should be easy to get through.

There really is no “too early” to start grooming your puppy. Give him his first bath when he’s noticeably dirty or stinky.

Get him used to the process. If he doesn’t need a bath, then just start brushing him with whatever grooming tool you use.

Desensitizing him to the various grooming procedures and sounds will get him accustomed to it so he doesn’t have phobias which could cause disruptive behavior later.

Use treats and lots of praise to make the process enjoyable.

Socialization matters

If your corgi is still in the prime between weeks 8-12, this is a critical time to get your corgi used to all sights, sounds, and feelings of various grooming tools and bathing.

You want to expose your dog to everything you possibly can:

• Grooming tools
• Hairbrush
• Combs
• Toothbrushes
• Shampoo
• Bathtubs, sinks, and hoses
• Water
• Hairdryers
• Towels
• Nail clippers

Use lots of positive reinforcement, treats, and praise so they don’t take it as a negative experience.

This will help you later in life so your dog doesn’t freak out over everything and make grooming, bathing, and basic maintenance a chore for you.

Further reading

Some additional reading materials you may find useful:

• How often should I bathe my corgi puppy – Reddit
• How often do you clean your corgi? – corgi – Reddit
• How often should I bathe my corgi? – Rover

Did you clean your corgi?

You should now have everything you need to wash, care, and maintain your corgi’s bath!

Questions? Post ’em! Tips to share? Let us know!

Thanks for reading.