Flight nanny into Reagan National or Dulles
A flight nanny we trust keeps your puppy in a carrier at their feet, never in the hold, and hands it to you at the airport. For most of Northern and Central Virginia, this is the simplest way home.
Virginia families
Corgi puppies for sale
in Virginia.
We raise Pembroke Welsh Corgis in our home in Casa Grande, Arizona, and one of ours already lives in Suffolk. Here is how a puppy reaches each corner of Virginia, and what Corgi life is like once it arrives.
Getting here
How does a Corgi puppy get from Arizona to Virginia?
By road it is about 2,300 miles to Hampton Roads, more than thirty hours behind the wheel, so for most of Virginia the answer is a nonstop flight into Washington. Reagan National (DCA) and Dulles (IAD) both have nonstops from Phoenix Sky Harbor, an hour north of us, and the flight takes about four and a quarter hours. Virginia runs three hours ahead of Arizona from March to early November and two in winter, so a puppy that leaves Phoenix after breakfast lands in your mid-afternoon.
Richmond (RIC) and Norfolk (ORF) are closer to much of the state, but they see only a few nonstops a week from Phoenix at best, so most dates mean a change of planes. A connection adds hours to a puppy's day. For Hampton Roads, the better answer is often to skip the airport entirely.
Summer sets the timetable. Phoenix tops 100 degrees most days from June into September, and airlines restrict pets in the cargo hold in hot weather, one reason ours only ever ride in the cabin. We book early departures, and if it is not safe to travel, we move the date. Travel is quoted on its own after you reserve; our delivery page explains each option.
See who is availableGround transport to Hampton Roads
A USDA certified provider drives the puppy east over two to three days, sends photo updates, and delivers close to home. This is how our Suffolk family's Corgi traveled, and it spares Tidewater families a seven hour round trip to Washington.
Fly to Phoenix and meet us at the airport
You fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor, we bring the puppy to meet you, and you fly home with it under the seat in front of you. Reserve its cabin place when you buy your ticket, since each flight takes only a few pets.
Collect in Casa Grande on a move east
If your family is relocating from Arizona, perhaps on military orders from Luke or Davis-Monthan to a Hampton Roads base, you can collect from our home before you set off. Plan short driving days and a crate belted into the back seat.
Available now
Puppies ready for
a home.
See the puppies available now, then ask about the one you like.
Drive times
How far is the airport from your part of Virginia?
Rough times without heavy traffic. Rush hour in Northern Virginia can add an hour, so we aim for a landing that keeps you off the road when everyone else is on it.
| If you live in | Airport and rough drive |
|---|---|
| Arlington and Alexandria | Reagan National (DCA), about 15 minutes |
| Fairfax and Loudoun County | Dulles (IAD), about 20 to 30 minutes |
| Winchester | Dulles, about 50 minutes |
| Fredericksburg | Reagan National, about 1 hour, often more on I-95 |
| Charlottesville | Dulles, about 2 hours |
| Richmond | Reagan National, about 2 hours |
| Roanoke | Dulles, about 3 hours 30 minutes, or Charlotte (CLT), about 3 hours |
| Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Suffolk | Reagan National, about 3 hours 30 minutes, or ground transport |
Around the state
What is Corgi life like in each part of Virginia?
A Pembroke can be happy anywhere in Virginia, but daily life changes a lot between the Beltway, Tidewater and the Blue Ridge.
Northern Virginia
Most Corgis here live in townhouses and condos under HOA leash and cleanup rules. The walking is excellent: the W&OD Trail runs about 45 miles from Arlington to Purcellville, and Great Falls Park allows leashed dogs. Northern Virginia also has some of the state's highest Lyme disease numbers, so ask about tick prevention at your first vet visit.
Richmond and Central Virginia
Richmond summers are hot and sticky. Walk early in the James River Park System, where leashed dogs are welcome, and keep midday for the air conditioning. The older city neighborhoods are full of rowhouses with steep stairs, and a long-backed puppy should be carried on them until it is grown.
Hampton Roads and Suffolk
Humidity is the constant here, and street flooding after storms and high tides is routine in parts of Norfolk. Keep a towel by the door for wet walks. Suffolk borders the Great Dismal Swamp, so mosquitoes and ticks make heartworm and tick prevention essential.
The Shenandoah Valley and the southwest
This is Virginia's hiking country. Shenandoah National Park allows leashed dogs on most trails, which few national parks do, though Old Rag and Dark Hollow Falls are among the handful closed to them. Snow at elevation can be deeper than a puppy is tall, and Lyme disease is as common in the southwest as in the north.
Worth knowing
What catches Virginia Corgi owners out?
The drive home, not the flight
I-95 between Washington and Richmond is notorious for traffic, and the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel backs up on summer weekends. A four hour flight followed by a five hour crawl is too long a day for an eight-week-old. Tell us your town and we will pick a landing time, or ground transport, that keeps it short.
Summer rules at the Oceanfront
In the Virginia Beach resort area, dogs are kept off the sand and out of the water from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Sandbridge and the beaches north of 42nd Street allow dogs early in the morning and in the evening, the only sensible hours for a double coat in July anyway.
Stairs and a long back
A puppy that launches itself down a flight of townhouse stairs is risking its back. Carry it for the first months, gate the top, and teach it to wait while you go first.
Ticks in every season
Virginia's ticks do not take the winter off, and a mild February day in the woods can still send one home on a Corgi's belly, which rides a few inches off the ground. Run your hands through the undercoat after every walk in the brush.
Day to day
What does living with a Corgi in Virginia take?
A Pembroke wants two good walks and some training or play every day. From June to September, walk at dawn and after dark, test the pavement with the back of your hand, and let a grown Corgi rest indoors through the afternoon. Spring and fall are the months for longer hikes.
Weight is where Virginia Corgis go wrong, usually in summer when walks get shorter and meals do not, so measure food and count treats. The coat sheds heavily twice a year, and in humid weather a damp undercoat can turn into a hot spot, so brush to the skin weekly and dry thoroughly after rain. Never shave a double coat; it shields the skin from sun. Our grooming guide covers the tools.
A Virginia family
Has a Copper Crest Corgi already made the trip to Virginia?
Yes. A family in Suffolk brought one of our Corgis home by ground transport, and they wrote to us afterward: “Amazing experience. Our Corgi’s demeanor is absolutely perfect. Smart, loving, loyal.”
Read every family storyVirginia questions
Questions from Virginia families
Should we meet the flight at Reagan National or Dulles?
Choose by your drive home. Reagan National is usually shorter for Richmond and everything south, since it sits on the way. Dulles is better for Loudoun, Winchester and the Valley. We confirm the airport and your arrival time, in Eastern time, in writing before anything is booked.
Can a puppy be delivered to us in Virginia Beach or Chesapeake?
Yes, by ground transport. The puppy travels east by road over two to three days and is handed over close to home, so nobody has to drive to Washington and back. In summer the trip is timed around the heat, and if a hurricane or tropical storm threatens the coast, we pause or reschedule until it is safe.
Is a Corgi a good fit for a Northern Virginia townhouse?
Yes. A Pembroke is a sensible size for a townhouse, does not need a big yard, and is content with daily walks, training and play. Plan around the stairs: carry the puppy, gate the top, and add pet steps if it is allowed on the sofa. Check your HOA's rules on leashes and common areas first.
When can our puppy start hiking in Shenandoah?
Wait until your vet says the vaccine series is complete before using trails many dogs share. Then start with short, level walks and build up slowly. A Corgi puppy will keep going long after it should stop, and steep descents strain a growing back. Save the longer Skyline Drive hikes until it is grown.
Next step
Is there a Corgi puppy ready for your Virginia home?
There is no waitlist, so start with the puppies available now and tell us your town. We will say honestly whether a Washington flight or ground transport makes the easier trip.
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