My Bubble Butt Brings All the Pups to the Yard: A Corgi Grooming Guide

by Misty Gieczys

orgis—the pint-sized pooches with hearts as big as their personalities—have captured the adoration of dog lovers worldwide. And let’s be honest, who can resist that adorable, wiggling rear end as these dwarf dogs strut their stuff?

But how do you keep this iconic dog, and that even more iconic “bubble butt,” looking their best? The following will outline how to groom your Corgi clients quickly and easily.

Fig. 1) The first step to a beautifully groomed Corgi is a deep-cleansing bath. These adorable low-riders are notorious shedding monsters, so a thorough cleanse and de-shed is essential. Make absolutely sure to dry their double coat all the way down to the skin. Trapped dampness can lead to uncomfortable skin issues.

You’ll know they’re properly prepped when you can easily run a wide-set comb (like a poodle comb) through their entire coat. A fully dried and combed-out coat is the perfect canvas for the next stage of grooming.

close up of a hand holding trimmers up to the top area of a Corgi's front paw being held in another hand

Fig. 2) Tidying up a Corgi’s paws involves carefully shaving the hair that grows between and around their paw pads. Using clippers with a #10 to #40 blade, gently remove this excess hair to provide better traction and maintain cleanliness.

Following this, you’ll move on to shaping the foot into a desirable “cat foot”—a look characterized by its high arches and tight, compact form. To achieve this, take your scissors (straight, curved or even bulking thinners) and position them perpendicular to the nails. Carefully trim the hair all the way around the foot, maintaining this perpendicular angle. Then take your slicker brush and brush the hair upwards around the foot.

Now, using your shears, angle them slightly into the foot as you trim around it again. The slight inward angle is what helps to establish that desired arch. After this, you’ll brush the hair upwards again with your slicker brush.

For the final touch, create a slightly steeper arch at the very top of the foot. Each time before making this final angled cut, set the foot down briefly to ensure you’re not accidentally removing the established high arch.

close up of a hand holding trimmers up to the underside of a Corgi's front paw being held in another hand

Fig. 3) For a clean look on the back of the front feet, carefully remove the hair from the wrist pad down to the large paw pad. To protect the dog, place your finger between the scissors and the paw pad. The goal is a tight, neat trim on the back of the foot.

Remember, the furnishings on the back of the front leg need to hang over the wrist pad on a long-haired Corgi; do not trim those off. On a short-haired Corgi, they would be blended into the wrist pad.

close view of trimmers up against the back of a standing Corgi's back paw

Fig. 4) Moving to the back legs, remove the hair on the back of the hock. There should be no free-flowing hair extending off the back of the hock; the goal is a tight, well-defined look that continues down to create a compact foot.

close view of trimmers cutting the hair around a Corgi's rectum

Fig. 5) Carefully trim the hair directly around the rectum itself. This helps prevent fecal matter from getting stuck in the fur and creating a messy trail. It’s important to note that while this particular Corgi has no tail, many Corgis have a small “nub” tail. But regardless of the tail length (or lack thereof), the technique remains the same.

To safely trim this area, gently push all the hair located above the rectum upwards and out of the way. This will give you a clear and unobstructed view of the rectum so you can trim the hair closely and safely.

close view of clippers being used to trim the hair on a standing Corgi's “butt cheeks”

Fig. 6) To create a clean separation between the two “butt cheeks” and establish a sanitary path, clippers with a shorter comb attachment should be used. The crucial technique here is to ensure that only one of the clipper teeth comes in contact with the dog’s skin.

Starting directly at the rectum, run the clippers straight down and under. Repeat this process on both sides of the rectum until you achieve the desired defined trail.

clippers are used to to define the outer edges of the Corgi's rear end

Fig. 7) Now it’s time to define the outer edges of the rear end. You can achieve this by using either a clipper with a comb attachment or your scissors. The goal is to remove the excess hair on the outer thigh, essentially creating a box-like shape that accentuates the roundness of the rear.

Fig. 8) To begin sculpting the top of that iconic bubble butt, locate the pin bones, take your curved shears and, working past where the tail would naturally sit (or does sit, in the case of a Corgi with a tail), begin to round the hair. Think of it as creating a gentle curve that connects the pin bones.

To further soften and refine the bubble butt contour, use your finishing blenders to carefully work around the boxed area to eliminate any harsh lines and enhance the roundness you started creating with the curved shears.

Visualize a chicken drumstick as your guide: the shape should transition smoothly from the top of the rear downwards, tapering gently towards the top of the hocks.

back view of a docked Corgi tail being trimmed

Fig. 9) Even if the Corgi you’re grooming has a docked or non-existent tail, you can create a cute visual suggestion of one. To do this, leave a small amount of the longer hair directly above the rectum. Then, using your curved scissors and following the rounded shape you’ve already established for the butt cheeks, make a half-moon shape cut into the longer hair.

Finally, use your finishing blenders to soften the edges of this newly shaped “tail,” ensuring it blends naturally with the rest of the rear. Remember to keep the hair underneath this faux tail relatively short for sanitary purposes.

Fig. 10) Moving to the side profile, clean up the hair on the front of the knee (the stifle joint) of the hind leg. Following this, you’ll begin to shape the underline of the dog. The goal here is to avoid a “pot-bellied” look and create a straighter, more streamlined silhouette.

Starting from the rear of the dog, trim off any hair that touches the ground. The underline should be a straight line from the back legs forward. You can use either straight or curved shears to remove the excess hair and establish this cleaner, more defined underline.

quarter view of a Corgi's mid section as the underbelly is trimmed

Fig. 11) Remember that dogs have a three-dimensional shape, so you want to avoid a blunt, straight cut along the underline. To create a more natural and visually appealing flow, take your blending shears (either finishing blenders or chunkers) and angle them downwards as you trim the belly hair.

Fig. 12) When viewing the dog from the front, the front leg furnishings should not be visible. Any hair that extends outwards to the side of the leg needs to be trimmed neatly. The furnishings should appear to be behind the front leg, not adding width to its profile.

Remove all excess hair from the front and sides of the leg so that it does not touch the ground. Finally, blend the back edge of the front furnishings smoothly into the longer hair that overhangs the wrist pad, ensuring a cohesive and clean look.

a hand trims the chest of a standing Corgi

Fig. 13) The length of the chest trim will be determined by the underline you established in Fig. 10. To trim the chest, gently pick up the front leg slightly, being careful not to overextend it, as this will distort the natural line of the underline, and continue the straight line you created for the underline forward into the chest area.

Make sure to then use your finishing shears to round out and soften the chest line, creating a smooth transition downwards to the point you’ve just established.

If your Corgi has any wispy hairs on their ears, blend those gently into the lines you’ve created around the head and chest, ensuring a cohesive and tidy appearance.

Throughout the groom, step back frequently to assess the overall balance of your trim, ensuring nothing sticks out or disrupts the smooth flow of the silhouette.

Congratulations, you have now created a cute, iconic Corgi groom!

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