Corgis are amazing dogs. Originally, corgis were bred to herd sheep, cattle, and horses. Interestingly, there are two dominant varieties of the Welsh Corgi. These are the Cardigan corgis and Pembroke corgis. The Pembroke Corgi has erect ears, with a bit of a fox-like appearance. Compared to the Cardigan corgis, the Pembroke is shorter. This dog breed sheds twice in a year – mostly in the spring and autumn.
The corgi is a lively and affectionate dog. It requires a lot of attention and would like to follow you everywhere you are going. The corgi has a high desire to please its owner. Indeed, corgis have tremendous intelligence and learn very fast. Corgis are relatively easy to train and are very alert and sensitive. Combined with their eagerness to bark, corgis make excellent watchdogs.
Agreed, corgis are wonderful dogs, but do you know what it takes to own a corgi? Do you know its temperament, its behaviors outdoors and indoors? Do you know the good and bad sides of owning a corgi? More importantly, will your corgi be safe for your kids? Let us learn about all these in detail.
Corgi Temperament
The corgi is very outgoing and friendly. They are impulsive animals with high herding instincts. These are alert dogs that are quick to sense new happenings or detect when something out of place occurs.
Given their high level of attentiveness, corgis can pick up the faintest sounds – or identify the tiniest changes in their surroundings. Corgis bark a lot and are excellent watchdogs.
Take note that corgis are protective and can be quite stubborn with an annoying tendency to do their own bidding. Corgis have strong herding instincts. They could nip at the heel of your children.
With the right training therapy (especially when started early), corgis can be adorable and devoted family companions.
What’s it Like Owning a Corgi?
If you are going to own a corgi, be prepared to give it a great deal of attention. Corgis have a high susceptibility to canine separation anxiety. This makes it inappropriate to leave your corgis for long- otherwise, they develop destructive tendencies.
Also, corgis are energetic dogs meaning they will need substantial exercises to keep healthy and lively. These are not dogs to be kept aloof. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t make their exercise regimen too intensive as they are understandably prone to stress.
You will love the eagerness of your corgi to please you. They are quick learners as well – with an apt ability to master new commands and tricks.
The Good and the Bad of Corgis
Typically, every dog has its selling points and those not-too-nice aspects that you should rightly consider. For the corgi, there is so much to love about it. They have a robust body, very enthusiastic and spirited, and affectionate.
This dog emits positive vibes and will surely keep you engaged. They are empathetic dogs and keenly emotionally intelligent. You wouldn’t need to stress yourself to train your corgi as they are quick to catch techniques and commands.
They bond lovably with your family members and even strangers. You will also be thrilled with the alertness of the corgi, making it a fantastic watchdog. More also, the corgi is polite to strangers.
In the face of all these beautiful stuff about the corgi, you must also understand that there a bit of negatives about the corgi.
First, this dog will quickly develop destructive habits when left alone for too long. If left aloof perpetually, your dog will succumb to chewing your furniture, barking excessively, and other bad habits. You need patience and confidence to establish your dominance on your corgi.
While the corgi is exciting and eager to please, the corgi has its inherent stubbornness. This dog breed is strong-willed, not always playing to your script. Considering its herding impulses, the corgi will nip at things that move.
The relatively intense barking of the corgi could prove problematic for you. Also, corgis shed twice a year heavily. This will make grooming a necessary activity.
Temperament at Home
At home, you have a corgi that is a brilliant dog with high activity levels. It is friendly and quickly bonding with you and your loved ones.
They can be quite skeptical of strangers that come into your house, but when they can establish trust with that person, they become so active and friendly around them.
Temperament for Training
The corgi is one of the most intelligent dog breeds we have seen. It has a peculiar penchant for picking up instructions and routines. Their attentiveness contributes significantly to their receptiveness (when it comes to commands and techniques).
This quickness to learn can be further enhanced with reward-based training where you encourage and consolidate positive behaviors. Nonetheless, when training your corgi, don’t be excessive with your reprimands and disapproval. Remember, corgis are very emotional.
You know what? Most of the negative behaviors of corgis can be eliminated with early training and proper socialization.
Getting Along With Other Pets and Children
Undoubtedly, the corgi has strong herding instincts. This goes a long way to shape their overall behavior despite their excellence as family companions. The corgi is impulsively protective of the family of its owner – being that it sees them as its flock.
The huge problem here is that corgis may interpret your running kid as a member of the flock attempting escape. This activates the impulses of the corgi to herd and protect the child.
In so doing, the corgi may attempt to cut off the path of the kid, even barking or growling at them. In situations where the kid persists in running, your corgi would chase the kid and nip at its heels. This, as you understand, can lead to severe bites, however, not deliberate.
Such a violent edge of the corgi can be intimidating for your kid as it wouldn’t understand the sudden change in the demeanor of its supposedly lovely corgi.
In another twist, the corgi may not be too long-suffering of the rough plays your kid plays with it. The corgi, given its small stature, can interpret such overtures from your kid as predatory.
If your kid persistently agitates your corgi (however playfully), you can expect a violent reaction from your corgi. Take note that the aggression being self-defense.
Considering these impulses from your corgi, we won’t readily advise you to have a corgi in your house if you have young kids running around the place. Your corgi could react violently to excessively rough plays from your innocent kids or even herd them.
Stubborn Little Things
We must bear in mind that the corgi is pretty independent and self-reassuring. This innate self-reliance can translate into difficulty in handling your corgi. As typical of herding dogs, corgis are strong-willed and tend to boss their actions – not yours.
This attitude of taking charge on the part of the corgi resembles that of bigger dogs. Training the corgi takes quite a deal of patience. However, it is much easier when you start to train the corgi from a much early stage – establishing your dominance over it in the family.
Personality Traits to Be Cautious About
The corgi is a farming dog. This means it would naturally chase other animals. You have to be wary of this. If a new dog or cat comes within its territory – or into your home – the corgi could drive it away.
Corgis are very smart and manipulative. They learn fast, alright, but they would want you to consistently lay them a rule for them to accept it. Respect training is crucial for your corgi.
You also have to be wary of the barking penchant of your corgis. Yes, they bark a lot with a strong appetite for nipping people on the heels. These barks are typically high pitched and disrupting of the peace of your surroundings.
This could prove problematic if you have neighbors (sharing close quarters with you), and you leave your corgi outside unrestrained. The exuberance of your corgi is another thing to be wary of. You daren’t leave for alone for too long.
How to Manage Corgi Temperament?
Managing the temperament of your corgi requires a lot of training from an early age. The good part is that corgis are very smart and will readily adopt a command if they want to accept it.
Take note that being independent dogs, they will not readily submit to your authority from the go. You need consistency, patience, and application when training your corgi.
You can eliminate the negative behaviors and consolidate the right ones using positive reinforcement. This involves rewarding the corgi when it exhibits behaviors that you approve of and reprimanding it when it goes off-script.
Over time, it would learn to sustain the positives and discard the negatives. You can be sure of this as the corgi is dog breed eager to please its owner. This is provided you have established your authority over it.
Corgis are ever receptive, willing to learn perpetually all through their lives. They enjoy learning new challenges and tasks.
Are Corgis a Good Fit for You?
The corgi may not be a good fit for you if you don’t have the time to spare for it. This is not a dog breed you can keep away for long; otherwise, it will develop negative habits. The corgi may also be the wrong dog for you if you don’t have the patience to train it.
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Mike is the Founder of Familylifeshare. Mike is well-knowledged in marriage, parenting, dogs, blogging and committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise with his readers. Know more about Mike from here.
