Flight nanny into MSP
The nanny carries your puppy in the cabin from Phoenix, never in the hold, and meets you at the airport. It is how most Minnesota puppies travel.
Minnesota families
Corgi puppies for sale
in Minnesota.
Our Pembroke Welsh Corgis grow up in a family home in Casa Grande, Arizona, and most Minnesota puppies come home on a nonstop into MSP. Here is how that day works, and what a short-legged dog needs for a Minnesota winter and a lake summer.
From the desert to the Twin Cities
How does a Corgi puppy get from Arizona to Minnesota?
Driving takes about twenty-five hours, far too much for a puppy who has just turned eight weeks old. The nonstop from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Minneapolis-St. Paul takes about three hours and fifteen minutes. Delta alone flies it several times a day, and Sun Country and American add more.
MSP is the airport for nearly the whole state. Duluth and Rochester have had seasonal Phoenix nonstops in past winters, but neither has a regular one now, and a connection adds hours and a plane change to a young puppy's day. A nonstop into MSP followed by a drive is the gentler plan, even from the North Shore.
Arizona keeps one clock all year and Minnesota does not, so the Twin Cities sit one hour ahead of us in winter and two in summer. A morning departure from Phoenix lands around midday or early afternoon Central time. Summer flips the worry to our end: Phoenix runs so hot that airlines will not put pets in the cargo hold there from about May through September, one more reason we only use the cabin, and we leave Casa Grande early to beat the afternoon heat. Travel is quoted separately once you reserve; the puppy itself is covered on what a puppy costs.
See who is availableGround transport with a USDA certified provider
Two to three days by road, with photo updates, ending at your door. It suits greater Minnesota families who would rather skip the airport drive. From December to March we pause or reschedule whenever a storm makes the roads unsafe. More on pickup and delivery.
Pickup in Casa Grande for winter visitors
Plenty of Minnesotans spend part of the winter in Arizona. If you are one of them, collect the puppy at our home, about an hour south of Phoenix, and meet the household that raised them before you head north.
Arizona airport pickup
Fly down for a day, meet us at Phoenix Sky Harbor, and carry the puppy home on your own flight. Book the in-cabin pet place with your airline early, because each flight allows only a few.
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Puppies ready for
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See the puppies available now, then ask about the one you like.
The MSP handoff
How far is MSP from your part of Minnesota?
Rough times on clear roads. A storm that leaves the airport running can still make US-52 or I-94 a poor place to be with a new puppy, so add time in winter.
| If you live in | Drive from MSP, roughly |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis | about 20 minutes |
| St. Paul | about 20 minutes |
| Bloomington and Eagan | about 15 minutes |
| St. Cloud | about 1 hour 20, up I-94 |
| Rochester | about 1 hour 20, down US-52 |
| Mankato | about 1 hour 20, down US-169 |
| Brainerd | about 2 hours 30 |
| Duluth | about 2 hours 30, up I-35 |
Around the state
What is Corgi life like across Minnesota?
The same dog lives very differently in a Minneapolis duplex, at a lake cabin, on the North Shore and on a farm road outside Mankato.
The Twin Cities
After a big snow, plowed sidewalks become trenches between banks taller than the dog, and those sidewalks are heavily salted, so wipe paws every time you come in. Minneapolis runs permitted off-leash dog parks, the best known at Minnehaha Regional Park near the Mississippi. Wait until your vet signs off on the vaccine series, and practice recall first.
Lakes country
A Corgi at a cabin will want to be on the dock. Many are front-heavy with short legs and tire quickly in deep water, so put a dog life jacket on yours in the boat. In late summer, keep your dog out of water with green scum or a paint-like film on it: blue-green algae can be toxic to a dog who swims in it or licks it off its coat.
Duluth and the North Shore
Lake Superior makes this the snowiest corner of the state, and Duluth's hills add ice. A grown Pembroke handles the cold, but powder over a foot deep turns a walk into a swim, so stick to packed paths. Minnesota state parks along Highway 61 welcome leashed dogs.
Southern Minnesota farm country
Open fields mean wind, and a January wind chill can sit well below zero. Make potty trips short and sheltered, perhaps a shoveled patch on the lee side of the house. On rural roads without sidewalks, put a reflective harness or clip-on light on your Corgi in the short days, because a dog this low disappears behind a snowbank to a passing driver.
Worth knowing
What catches Minnesota Corgi owners out?
The wrong terminal
MSP has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, in separate buildings with their own roads and parking, linked by light rail. Drive to the wrong one and you lose half an hour while your puppy waits. We confirm the airline and terminal in writing; check it again on the morning of the flight.
December darkness
The sun sets around 4:30 in the Twin Cities in December, earlier up north. An afternoon landing can leave a Duluth or Brainerd family finishing the drive in the dark on snowy highways, so in winter we book the earliest sensible flight and leave you daylight to spare.
Ticks that ignore the calendar
Lyme disease is common in Minnesota, and blacklegged ticks stay active on fall and winter days warm enough to melt the snow. Corgis run low through grass and brush, right at tick height. Ask your vet about prevention before your first spring, keep it going later into the fall than you would guess, and check ears, armpits and toes after walks in the woods.
Winter weight
Five months of short walks plus a Corgi's appetite add up quickly, and a pudgy Pembroke carries the extra pounds on a long back. Replace lost walking with indoor work: hide food around the house, teach new tricks or join a winter training class. Measure meals rather than guessing.
Winter and summer
How does an Arizona Corgi handle a Minnesota year?
Better than most people expect, if the first weeks are planned. Many grown Corgis love snow, but an eight-week-old from the desert has never seen any and has not grown the dense adult coat. Before the puppy arrives, shovel a patch of grass near the door, since fresh snow can be deeper than a Corgi puppy is tall. Keep early trips out to a minute or two. On arrival day, have the car warm, put a fleece over the carrier, and save introductions for the living room.
Salt is the daily chore. De-icers sting pads and upset a stomach when licked off, so wipe feet after walks on treated sidewalks and use a pet-safe ice melt on your own steps. Summer swaps salt for mosquitoes, so ask your vet about heartworm prevention. The spring shed is heavy, and twice-weekly brushing keeps it in check; our grooming guide shows how. Everything that travels home with the puppy is on our health and care page.
Minnesota questions
Questions from Minnesota families
Which terminal at MSP do we go to?
It depends on the airline the nanny flies. Sun Country and Southwest use Terminal 2, while Delta and American use Terminal 1. The two have separate entrances and parking, so we send you the airline, flight number and terminal in writing once the trip is booked. If you ride light rail to the airport, the Blue Line stops at both.
Can a Corgi puppy come to Minnesota in January?
Yes. The puppy rides in the warm cabin, and a short dash from the terminal to a heated car is fine with a fleece over the carrier. What we watch is the forecast for your drive home. If a storm is due on travel day we move the date, and the puppy stays with us until there is a clear one.
Should we drive from Duluth or Rochester to meet the flight at MSP?
Usually, yes. Neither airport has a regular nonstop from Phoenix right now, and a connection can add hours to a puppy's travel day along with a change of planes. Two and a half hours from MSP to Duluth, or about an hour and twenty to Rochester, is the kinder choice. If the schedules change, we will look again.
Do you keep a waitlist for Minnesota families?
No. We keep no waitlist and publish no upcoming litters. Puppies ready for homes appear on our available page and go to the first family that reserves and suits them. If you want a spring or summer arrival in Minnesota, check back as that season approaches, because the puppies listed then are the ones who will travel.
Next step
Planning a Corgi for a Minnesota home?
Tell us your town and the month you have in mind, and we will plan the MSP trip around both. See who is ready now on our available puppies page.
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