Flight nanny into Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham
The nanny keeps your puppy in the cabin the whole way and meets you at the airport. Summer heat embargoes target pets in the cargo hold, which we never use, but have the car cool at the curb anyway.
North Carolina families
Corgi puppies for sale
in North Carolina.
Our Pembroke Welsh Corgis grow up in a family home in Casa Grande, Arizona, and North Carolina is one nonstop flight away. This page covers the airports, the drive at your end, and what the Carolina climate means for a double-coated dog.
The journey
How does a Corgi puppy reach North Carolina from Arizona?
The drive from Casa Grande to Charlotte is about 2,000 miles, roughly thirty hours of interstate, so nearly every North Carolina puppy flies. Charlotte Douglas (CLT) is an American Airlines hub with several nonstops a day from Phoenix Sky Harbor, about an hour from our home, and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) has daily nonstops too. Either flight takes around four hours. North Carolina is three hours ahead of Arizona in summer and two in winter, so a morning departure reaches you by mid-afternoon.
Pick the airport by the drive home, not the fare. Charlotte covers the southern Piedmont and is the closer airport for the mountains; Raleigh-Durham covers the Triangle and most of the east. Asheville, Greensboro and Wilmington have their own airports, but from Sky Harbor they usually mean a connection, and a nonstop plus a couple of hours in your car is kinder to a puppy than a change of planes.
In summer we book early departures to beat the Phoenix heat and the thunderstorms that build over the Carolinas on many summer afternoons, and from June to November we watch the tropics. When the weather is not safe at either end, delivery is paused or rescheduled. Travel is priced separately once you reserve, and the delivery page has the details.
See who is availableGround transport to your door
A USDA certified provider drives the puppy east over two to three days, with photo updates along the way. It suits families on the coast or in the far west of the state who would otherwise face a long drive to Charlotte or RDU.
Fly out to Phoenix yourself
You fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor, we bring the puppy to meet you there, and the two of you fly home with the carrier under the seat. With nonstops from both Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, it can be a short trip.
Pickup at our home in Casa Grande
If you are in Arizona anyway, you can collect your puppy from our home and see where it was raised. An in-cabin pet reservation for the flight home should be booked early, since airlines cap pets per flight.
Available now
Puppies ready for
a home.
See the puppies available now, then ask about the one you like.
Distances
How long is the drive home from CLT or RDU?
Rough times with clear roads. Rush hour around Charlotte or through the Triangle can stretch these considerably.
| If you live in | Airport and rough drive |
|---|---|
| Charlotte | CLT, about 15 to 20 minutes |
| Winston-Salem | CLT, about 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Greensboro | RDU, about 1 hour 15 minutes, or CLT, about 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Asheville | CLT, about 2 hours |
| Boone and the High Country | CLT, about 2 hours |
| Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill | RDU, about 20 to 30 minutes |
| Wilmington | RDU, about 2 hours 15 minutes |
| The Outer Banks | RDU, about 3 hours 30 minutes, or ground transport |
Region by region
What is it like to raise a Corgi in different parts of North Carolina?
From the Blue Ridge to the barrier islands, North Carolina covers more climates than most states, and a Pembroke's year looks different in each.
Charlotte and the Piedmont
Hot, humid summers and mild winters with the odd ice storm. Charlotte's greenways, such as Little Sugar Creek, give you paved miles for early walks, but the pavement heats up fast after sunrise in July. Many newer neighborhoods sit on red clay that turns to mud after a storm, so keep a towel and a rinse bucket by the back door.
The Triangle
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill are full of wooded lots, and wooded lots mean ticks. North Carolina is one of the states where spotted fever is reported most often, so tick prevention and a hands-on check after walks matter. Umstead State Park and the American Tobacco Trail both welcome leashed dogs.
The coast
Wilmington and the Outer Banks bring sand, salt and sun. Hot sand and sandspurs are hard on young paws, and beach rules for dogs change from town to town, so check before you go. Southeastern North Carolina is alligator country near the northern edge of their range, so keep a Corgi leashed near ponds and slow water.
The mountains
Asheville and Boone are the cool corner of the state, which suits a double coat. Leashed dogs are welcome at most Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks and on many of its trails. Winter brings snow and ice at elevation, steep driveways and roads that close in storms, so winter arrivals need extra daylight.
Before you commit
What do North Carolina Corgi owners wish they had known?
Hurricanes reach the mountains too
Coastal families plan for storms, but Helene in 2024 did its worst damage hundreds of miles inland, around Asheville. Wherever you live, keep a crate, a week of food, vaccine records and a leash ready to grab. Our puppies are crate trained before they leave us, which makes an evacuation far easier.
Fire ants in the yard
Imported fire ants now cover most of North Carolina outside the higher mountain counties, and a curious puppy will push its nose straight into a mound. Walk the yard before the puppy does, treat mounds with a product labeled safe around pets, and look for new ones after heavy rain.
Copperheads in the leaf litter
Copperheads are common across the state, suburban yards included, and they hide in mulch, woodpiles and fallen leaves. A Corgi investigates everything with its nose a few inches off the ground. Keep beds tidy, leash up on wooded trails, and know where the nearest emergency vet is before you need one.
A damp undercoat in humid air
A Corgi's dense undercoat holds water after rain, a swim or even heavy dew, and in Carolina humidity it can stay wet against the skin for hours. That is how hot spots start. Towel off to the skin and use a dryer on a cool setting after baths.
Everyday life
How do you keep a Corgi happy through a Carolina year?
Plan exercise around the humidity rather than the thermometer. A muggy 80 degree morning in Raleigh is harder on a double-coated dog than a dry desert morning ten degrees warmer, so in summer walk at first light and after sunset and keep midday trips to the yard. Fall and spring are the seasons for longer hikes and new training; our training guide helps with the first weeks.
Corgis love food and gain weight easily, and a long summer of short walks is when it creeps on. Measure meals, count training treats as part of the day's food, and remember that a lean Corgi puts less strain on its back. Mosquitoes are active much of the year here, so ask your vet about heartworm prevention at the first appointment. Expect the coat to shed steadily all year, with two heavier seasons.
North Carolina questions
Questions from North Carolina families
Should we fly the puppy into Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham?
Whichever leaves you the shorter drive. Charlotte suits the southern Piedmont and the mountains; Raleigh-Durham suits the Triangle, Fayetteville, Greenville and the coast down to Wilmington. Charlotte has more nonstops from Phoenix, so families in between often get a better landing time there. We confirm the arrival in Eastern time, in writing.
What happens if a hurricane is forecast for our delivery date?
We move the date. Your puppy stays with us on its normal routine until the weather is clear at both ends and the roads near you are open, whether it is flying or traveling by road. If you live on the coast, keep some flexibility around any date from August to October, when storms are most likely.
Should we shave our Corgi for a North Carolina summer?
No. The double coat insulates against heat and sun as well as cold, and shaving it can leave the skin exposed to sunburn and the coat growing back unevenly. Instead, brush out the loose undercoat so air reaches the skin, give shade and air conditioning, and walk early and late. A cooling mat helps on hot afternoons.
We live on the Outer Banks. What is the best way to get a puppy here?
The northern beaches are about three and a half hours from Raleigh-Durham, which is a long drive after a four hour flight. Norfolk, Virginia, is closer, about an hour and a half away, but it has few nonstops from Phoenix. Ground transport is often the calmer choice, because the puppy is handed over close to home and nobody spends the day on the road.
Next step
Is there a puppy available for a North Carolina family?
We keep no waitlist, so see who is available now and tell us your town. We will tell you whether Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham or ground transport makes the easiest day.
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