Copper CrestPembrokesInquireCalifornia families
Our Pembroke Welsh Corgis are raised in Casa Grande, Arizona, where I-8 begins its run west to San Diego. For much of Southern California that makes us a drive, not a flight, and for the rest of the state the Phoenix nonstops are short.
Arizona to California
For the south of the state, often a drive. Casa Grande sits at the eastern end of I-8, so the Imperial Valley is under four hours away and San Diego about five and a half, while the Coachella Valley and the Inland Empire are a long morning on I-10. Families there can collect at our home, and the puppy spends its whole first journey in their own car. North of Bakersfield the drive runs past eight hours each way, and flying makes more sense.
Flights are short and frequent. Phoenix Sky Harbor has nonstops to about twenty California airports: LAX is roughly an hour and a half, while SFO, Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento are about two hours. California keeps daylight saving and Arizona does not, so our clocks match from March to early November, and in winter you are an hour behind us. Whichever way suits you, the plan is made after you reserve, with travel quoted separately from the puppy; the delivery page explains the options.
See who is availableThis suits San Diego, the Imperial Valley, the Coachella Valley and much of the Inland Empire. Bring a crate that fits your car, a towel and plenty of water, and plan the desert stretch for the cool part of the day. The puppy's health records, food and written contract go home with you in the car.
For the Bay Area and Sacramento this is often the neatest answer. Take a morning nonstop to Phoenix, meet us and the puppy at Sky Harbor, and fly home that afternoon with the puppy under the seat. Add the puppy to your booking early, because airlines limit pets per cabin.
Your puppy flies in the cabin with the nanny, never in the hold, and the handoff happens at your airport. LAX is not always the best choice: Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario and Orange County are calmer places to collect, and Fresno, Santa Barbara and Monterey have Phoenix nonstops too.
A USDA certified transport provider can also make the trip, typically taking two to three days and sending pictures as the puppy travels. It suits families who cannot travel themselves. In summer, desert heat can pause or reschedule the run until conditions are safe.
Available now
See the puppies available now, then ask about the one you like.
Drive times
Times are one way, roughly, in ordinary traffic. Up to about six hours, a drive works for many families; beyond that, a flight is usually kinder to the puppy.
| If you live in | Drive to Casa Grande, roughly |
|---|---|
| El Centro and the Imperial Valley | under 4 hours on I-8 |
| Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley | about 4 hours 30 |
| San Diego | about 5 hours 30 on I-8 |
| Riverside and San Bernardino | about 5 hours 30 |
| Los Angeles and Orange County | 6 to 7 hours, traffic permitting |
| Bakersfield | about 8 hours |
| Fresno | about 10 hours |
| Sacramento and the Bay Area | 12 hours or more |
Corgi life in California
The California coast is close to ideal for a Corgi's double coat, cool and mild most of the year. Head inland and the picture shifts toward heat, dry grass and snakes. Where you live decides which of those you plan around.
Mild weather means a Corgi can be out at almost any hour. Ocean Beach Dog Beach and the dog beach at Del Mar are local favorites, since many other beaches are closed to dogs. Rinse off salt and sand afterward, because a low belly carries home most of the beach.
Apartments, stairs and coyotes are the city issues. Carry a puppy on walk-up stairs to spare its long back, and never leave a small dog alone in the yard at dusk, when coyotes roam the suburbs. Huntington Dog Beach is the classic off-leash outing, and inland summers call for dawn walks.
From Palm Springs to Fresno, summer heat sets the schedule, and foxtails grow thick along ditches and empty lots from spring onward. Rattlesnakes share the trails in warm months. These regions are the most like Arizona, so a Casa Grande puppy feels at home, but walks need the same early start.
Cool fog suits the breed, and Fort Funston in San Francisco is one of the best-known off-leash spots on the coast. Older buildings mean steep stairs, so think about a Corgi's back before you sign a lease. Late summer and fall can bring wildfire smoke; on bad air days, keep walks short and play indoors.
Worth knowing
From spring into summer, foxtail grass dries into barbed seed heads that work into ears, noses and the skin between toes, and they only move deeper. A Corgi's nose sits right at seed height. Check your dog after every walk past dry grass, and see a vet the same day for sudden head shaking, sneezing or a swollen paw.
California State Parks keeps dogs off its trails and most of its beaches, and many city beaches restrict them too. Check a park's rules before you load the car, and save off-leash runs for designated dog beaches and parks. A Corgi that has learned to settle on a patio while you eat gets to enjoy far more of the state.
If you collect from Casa Grande between May and September, the stretch past Gila Bend, Yuma and El Centro is the hottest part of the trip. Leave at first light, make sure the air conditioning reaches the back seat, and never leave the puppy in a parked car, even for a quick fuel stop.
Driving home, you pass a California agricultural inspection station on I-8 or I-10, and every car stops. Inspectors mainly ask about fruit and plants, so leave the Arizona citrus behind and keep the puppy's health records on the seat in case anyone asks about the dog.
Through the year
Exercise is easy to fit in, since most of the state allows walks all year. An adult Corgi wants a good walk or two a day plus play and training, and a bored one will invent its own job, usually herding the kids or barking at every passerby. Corgis gain weight easily, so keep treats small and count them; our training guide shows how to use part of each meal as rewards.
Coast or desert, the coat sheds steadily, with heavy blowouts in spring and fall, and mild coastal weather can make the shedding feel endless. Brush a few times a week and keep a lint roller handy; our grooming guide covers the tools. Inland, do not shave for summer, because the double coat protects against sun. After a beach day, dry a wet coat right through to the skin.
California questions
From the Imperial Valley or the Coachella Valley, yes, if you start early. From San Diego or the Inland Empire it is eleven hours or more of driving round trip, so an overnight in Arizona is worth considering. From Los Angeles, an overnight is the sensible plan. In summer, do the desert miles early in the day.
About twenty. The busiest are LAX, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Orange County, Ontario, Burbank and Long Beach, and American also flies to smaller airports such as Fresno, Bakersfield, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Luis Obispo. Most of those flights take between one and two hours.
Yes, as long as it gets out every day. Corgis need activity more than space, so two solid walks and some training count for more than a big yard. Mind the stairs in walk-ups, especially while the puppy is young, and check the lease for pet rules and weight limits. Corgis can be vocal, so start teaching quiet early.
October through April is easiest, when the desert between us and Southern California is mild. Summer pickups work too, with a first-light start, a cool car and plenty of water. Our puppies are first come, first served, with no waitlist, so the timing usually follows the puppy rather than the season.
Next step
Tell us your town, and we will say plainly whether to drive or fly. Browse the puppies available now, see what a puppy costs, or reach us at (520) 756-1342.
Keep reading