I’ve spent a little over a decade running a small apparel print shop that specializes in niche, personality-driven clothing. A surprising amount of that work has revolved around dog-themed designs, and corgi t shirt in particular. I’m not a corgi owner myself, but after printing, selling, and occasionally fixing mistakes on hundreds of these shirts, I’ve developed strong opinions about what makes one worth buying—and what turns it into closet clutter after two washes.

The first corgi t-shirt I ever printed was for a local pet boutique that underestimated how particular corgi people can be. The artwork was cute enough, but the shirt itself was stiff, the cut was boxy, and the print sat too high on the chest. Customers picked it up, smiled, then quietly put it back. That order taught me early that with corgi designs, charm alone doesn’t carry the product.

In my experience, the shirt fabric matters more for corgi prints than for most novelty tees. Corgi artwork tends to rely on fine lines—those short legs, that long body, the facial expressions—and low-quality cotton can blur those details quickly. I’ve had customers bring shirts back after a month, pointing out that the dog’s eyes looked “muddy” now. Almost every time, it came down to a thin, loosely woven fabric that didn’t hold ink well. A midweight, combed cotton or cotton-blend tee keeps those details crisp far longer.

Fit is another area where I’ve seen people make mistakes. A customer last spring ordered a batch of corgi t-shirts online for a meetup group and went with the cheapest unisex option available. Half the group ended up not wearing them. The issue wasn’t sizing errors—it was the cut. Corgi fans skew toward people who wear their dog love proudly and casually, and a shirt that hangs like a cardboard box doesn’t get worn, no matter how funny the design is. I usually recommend a slightly tailored unisex cut or a true women’s cut if the brand offers one. It sounds minor, but it’s the difference between a novelty item and a favorite shirt.

Design placement is something only someone who’s printed a lot of these notices. Corgi designs often include text—sarcastic phrases, “butt” jokes, or exaggerated expressions—and if that graphic sits too high, it looks awkward once the shirt is worn and moves. I learned this the hard way after approving a proof that looked perfect flat, then seeing it worn at an event. The corgi’s face ended up practically under people’s chins. Since then, I always adjust corgi graphics slightly lower than standard chest placement.

I’ve also seen well-meaning buyers overdo the joke. There’s a temptation to cram every corgi stereotype into one design: short legs, big ears, attitude, shedding jokes, and food obsession. Those shirts sell once, maybe as a gift, but they don’t get worn repeatedly. The corgi t-shirts that people come back for are simpler. One strong visual. One clean line of text, or none at all. The humor lands better when it’s not shouting.

From a durability standpoint, I’m cautious about ultra-cheap prints. Heat transfers that look fine out of the box often start cracking right across the corgi’s body after a few washes, which is especially noticeable on darker shirts. I’ve had to reprint entire runs because customers were understandably upset that their favorite dog suddenly looked like it was shedding vinyl. A properly cured screen print or high-quality direct-to-garment print holds up far better over time.

If you’re buying a corgi t-shirt for yourself, my professional advice is to think beyond the design thumbnail. Picture how it will feel after three hours, how it will wash, and whether you’d still grab it six months from now. If you’re buying it as a gift, subtle usually beats loud. The people who truly love corgis don’t need the joke explained—they just want it done well.

After all these years printing them, I can tell you this much: the best corgi t-shirt isn’t the one that gets the biggest laugh in the store. It’s the one that stays soft, keeps its shape, and still makes someone smile every time they pull it on without thinking twice.