Auggie

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic

Auggie Basics


Get ready to fall in love! Auggie, also known as Aussie-Corgi, Augi, Auggi, or Augie, is a mix between a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and an Australian Shepherd. This designer dog breed is friendly, energetic, and smart, making a wonderful companion to families of all shapes and sizes. Auggies are spirited and playful and will follow your every step – as much as out of love as out of curiosity. Smart cookies, these dogs easily get bored so you always have to keep them entertained and occupied. After all, they do have herding genes from both sides in their lineage!


If you are looking for an active, intelligent dog to be your companion through life’s adventure, Auggie’s your pooch. These affectionate, lively dogs will always be by your side, always ready for the next bout of fun you’re going to have. Just make sure that you’re also ready for all those escapades, too.


Auggies are spirited and playful and will follow your every step – as much as out of love as out of curiosity.


Origin


No one can tell, with absolute certainty, when and where the Auggie breed first originated. There probably have been quite a few unplanned mixes of Corgis and Aussies over the years, but there’s no documented history of the intentional crossbreeding of the two breeds. The best guess anyone can have is that the Auggie was first developed as an actual breed during the peak of the designer dog craze, which puts the origin of the breed in the late 20th, early 21st century.


As for its parents, their histories are much richer than that of their offspring. The Australian Shepherd, despite what the name might indicate, was first developed in the western states of the USA in the 19th century, bred from British shepherd breeds into a new breed that was officially recognized by the AKC in 1991 – quite late considering its long history. Pembroke Welsh Corgi, on the other hand, hails from 10th century Wales, where it was first bred as a cattle herding dog and developed into the cute breed we love today, which was officially recognized by the AKC in 1934.


Pedigree

The Auggie is a designer dog breed, and as such, isn’t recognized by the AKC and doesn’t have a pedigree standard in the official sense of the word. You can’t register your Auggie puppy for AKC papers, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t boast an impressive lineage! The cross between the Australian Shepherd and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was developed to display the best traits of both parents – in one real cute package. However, to achieve a uniform look for the breed, there have to be multiple generations of Auggies, which is not the case with most designer dogs.


Auggie is a so-called first generation or F1 mix, which means that this hybrid is always a result of a direct crossbreeding of an Aussie and a Corgi – not two Auggies. While there are claims that this type of designer dog is the healthiest, as further crossbreeding could result in the more frequent appearance of certain congenital issues, this is also the most unpredictable type, in terms of personality and looks both. This hybrid might take up after one parent or the other, or be a blend of both. But that’s part of their charm – the surprise factor!


Food / Diet


Choose a high-quality dry food formula that is tailored to the unique needs of your Auggie: a formula for medium-size, active dogs appropriate for their current life stage (puppy, adult, or senior). Food should be made from premium, natural ingredients, without any fillers, artificial ingredients, and packed with protein – real meat should be the number one ingredient on the list. These are energetic dogs that spend a lot of their time in active mode so they need quality food to fuel and nurture them.


Of course, just because they are active doesn’t mean you have to overfeed them to meet their dietary needs – in fact, that’s something you shouldn’t do. If you don’t stick to recommended portion sizes or don’t provide enough exercise to boot, your Auggie will quickly gain weight (especially if they are of the short-legged variety). Obesity is a serious issue and can cause a myriad of health problems, so make sure that you help your pet maintain optimal weight.


Friendly and very affectionate with their people, Auggies make great pets for families with or without children, as well as singles.


Training


With parents such as Aussie and Corgi, there’s no doubt about it – Auggie is one smart cookie! However, you can’t avoid a bit of sass with all that smarts, so these dogs can sometimes have a stubborn streak, making them more challenging to train, unless you know how to approach them. An Auggie will get bored fast, so repetitive, bland training sessions wouldn’t do anything for you – shorter, more engaging bursts of training and mixing things up a bit will keep them occupied. Of course, you should use positive reinforcement training methods, with treats and praise offered as a reward for a job well done, rather than trying to punish them for something they did that you don’t approve of. This way, while your pet is learning basic obedience and commands, you’ll also deepen the bond between you.


You should start training them early, with basic commands such as sit and stay taught around 8 weeks of age, slowly progressing to more complex parts of training, such as potty training or crate training, when they are around 14 to 16 weeks old. Auggies are clever dogs and will need a lot of mental stimulation to stay out of trouble, so training them for some kind of dog sport such as agility (if their build allows it) could come in quite handy down the road. These dogs love to have a job to focus on and redirecting that to dog sports usually does wonders.


In addition to training, you should make sure to socialize your Auggie on time. Exposure to new people, kids, and other pets, while they are still in their formative age, will go a long way, helping them develop into friendly, sociable dogs they are meant to be. If you neglect to socialize them, they could become aloof, or even snappy at strangers and dogs you pass by on the street.


Weight


The expected weight for an Auggie dog is between 20 to 30 pounds.


Temperament / Behavior


Auggies are a delight to be around – when they are not making you laugh with their goofy antics, they’ll be nuzzling you, looking to cuddle or be included in your daily activities. They are playful, curious, and very intelligent, so they are always in the mood for some adventure – and if you don’t provide a source of fun, you can rest assured they’ll find a way to get into some kind of trouble on their own. As such, Auggies can be quite a handful if you were expecting a couch potato dog: but if you want a spirited, spunky pooch, you’ll love this breed.


Their herding genes are strong, so don’t be surprised if your Auggie tries to “herd” you in lack of sheep or other animals – this can be endlessly cute, but young kids might not be too crazy about it. Friendly and very affectionate with their people, Auggies make great pets for families with or without children, as well as singles.


Common Health Problems


First-generation hybrids such as the Auggie are considered to be the healthiest type of designer dog breeds, but even so, that doesn’t make them immune to certain health issues that affect their parents. As a mix between an Aussie and Corgi, this designer dog is at risk for hip dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease (IDD), degenerative myelopathy, and eye issues such as cataracts. The best way to minimize these risks is to get a puppy from a reputable breeder, which will screen for genetic issues and carefully select the parents.


To make sure your Auggie is as healthy as can be, you will have to put in some effort: a complete and balanced diet, regular exercise, and preventive vet checkups will contribute to their good overall health and wellbeing.


Life Expectancy


There’s not enough data on the fairly new Auggie breed for there to be an expected lifespan for these designer dogs, but we can have a fairly accurate guess based on the lifespan of the parental breeds. With that in mind, the life expectancy for an Auggie dog is between 12 and 15 years, which is considered an average lifespan for medium-size breeds.


Exercise Requirements


Feisty, happy-go-lucky, and always ready to go, Auggies are active dogs that have a lot of energy to burn off. They are playful, curious, and smart, so interactive toys and agility sports are a great choice for the Auggie. Ideally, they’ll have 60 to 90 minutes of vigorous activity each day, both to help them spend energy productively and to prevent obesity, which they are prone to thanks to the Corgi genes.


Plenty of outdoor time is a must for these dogs that descend from two herding breeds – hikes, walks, and zoomies in a securely fenced backyard are all great daily activities for the Auggie. They don’t do great in apartments and need active owners that can keep up with their exercise demands.


With parents such as Aussie and Corgi, there’s no doubt about it – Auggie is one smart cookie!


Recognized Clubs


While the AKC doesn’t recognize designer breeds in general, there are plenty of other clubs and organizations that do. The list of those that recognize the Australian Shepherd and Pembroke Welsh Corgi mix as a breed in its own right includes American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), Designer Dogs Kennel Club (DDKC), Dog Registry of America, Inc. (DRA), and International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR). The breed is recognized under two names – Aussie-Corgie and Augi.


Coat


The Auggie sports a double coat, with a dense layer of short hairs underneath, and silkier hair on the top. Throughout the year, their shedding is moderate, but when seasonal shedding comes, be ready to see pet hair all over your home. To keep their coat smooth and soft, as well as to minimize shedding, brush your Auggie regularly, at least two times a week, and every day when the molting season starts. Even though they go through seasonal shedding, these designer dogs are considered low-maintenance when it comes to their grooming requirements.


The coat color can vary, but they are usually tri-color, with combinations of black, brown, white, and tan.


Puppies


The size of an Auggie litter can vary, but most are around 6 to 8 puppies. As these are first-generation designer dogs, the looks of the puppies can significantly vary even within a single litter – some puppies could look more like an Australian Shepherd and others could favor the Pembroke Welsh Corgi more. Some might have short legs, others could have bi-color eyes, but the one trait they all share is their limitless cuteness. Needless to say, young Auggie puppies are quite fragile in those early days and should be handled with care: don’t leave your puppy unattended with young children or take them into big crowds.


Don’t let their cuteness trick you into spoiling them, though: young Auggies can get mischievous really fast. Start training and socialization early, both to create a bond with you as their owner, and to set up some solid foundations for more complex training you can begin with when they get a bit older, around 6 months of age.


Photo credit: Aggie2022/Shutterstock; TaylorMM/Shutterstock

Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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