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Permalink Reply by Jane on February 28, 2012 at 11:36pm

I've seen it mentioned a couple of times by a few breeders that do a lot of rescue work on another forum I visit. From what I gather it's rare but they have seen it in corgis occasionally. In one case they did say it ended up being a brain tumor.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on February 28, 2012 at 10:15pm

I'm re-reading your posts, and while I agree a neurological disorder can't be ruled out, when I combine the biting with the unrelenting barking, I keep thinking you have a dog with very low frustration tolerance.

Here's the thing with Corgis:   It seems more than a fair number of Corgis don't like being crowded.  That certainly isn't true of all Corgis, or even necessarily most of them.  My Madison is a total cuddler who you can squeeze and hug and smooch and flip over for belly rubs, and she adores it all.  But Jack hates being crowded.  Will wrestle with other dogs but hates if they come over his back.  Doesn't like if you reach directly over his head to pet him.  Hates being forcibly confined for nail trims and the like.  Until the past couple months, almost never sat on laps and when he does, he gets grumpy and jumps down if you lean over him or crowd him; he likes to just lie there on his own terms with maybe a short neck rub.    I have heard it speculated that Corgis, who herded cattle in close quarters, are more likely than some dogs to be hyper-sensitive about motion or crowding in front of them; a Corgi who didn't move when a cow kicked might be a dead Corgi.  That makes sense, in much the same way that Border Collies who need to work with handlers at great distances (and therefore be attuned to soft sounds from far away) can be sound-sensitive, more than most breeds. 

Anyway, Jack hates being crowded and I've heard of many Corgis who feel the same.  Now, he is not especially prone to aggressive outbursts.   What he will do when he feels crowded is grumble or sometimes yap and jump down, look at us funny, and walk away in a bit of a huff.   He does the same when Maddie crowds him.  He corrects other dogs (no teeth, just noise) for getting over the top of him.    The outbursts can seem a bit sudden and to many people might seem unpredictable; dog comes in for attention, give dog attention, dog gets cranky and makes a noise and leaves.  Really what it is is Jack saying "I would love a neck rub" and me leaning over just a hair too close and him saying "NOT LIKE THAT!"

Anyway, were he a dog more inclined to use his teeth, instead of yapping and huffing off he might snap.  The provocation is minor from my perspective, but to him I've gotten on his last nerve.  (Funnily enough, he will tolerate just about anything from humans who don't live in the house; at worse he'll run backwards but never yaps or grumbles).   

Now maybe I'm reading your post wrong, but it sounds like he is most likely to bite when you are petting him?  If so, he may have very specific ways he likes being petted and doesn't tolerate certain moves that may seem innocuous on your part.   Does that seem possible?  Maybe he doesn't like if your arm passes over his head, or if you get too close to a certain spot on his body, or if the shadow of your body crosses over him in a certain way?  

Mind you, that is not an excuse for him to use his teeth on you, but perhaps thinking in a broader way might help you pinpoint what his likely triggers are.   

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Permalink Reply by Priscilla, CARLY, and Frankie on February 28, 2012 at 10:58pm

That is a good point Beth, It does make sense. Ive noticed Carly is hyper sensitive to people touching her unless she rolls over and they do it where she says. She use to hate me touching her head but she tolerates it now.. She doesnt like to be up against a wall in a hall way or cornered and shes always had trouble with door ways ..I find it strange how different she is , to my other corgi. Frankie will lay on me and demand to be rubbed and hugged and let anybody and everyone touch and crowd him.. that is how different they are :(

Tonight i was able to walk her  longer than i had all weekend.  When i dont give her enough exercise i notice shes way more touchy and hard to deal with. It cant be helped though i was taking care of my sons two girls while hes in Hawaii and the dogs didnt get much attention. I know a tired corgi is a happy corgi.. but Seriously!! she never tires out.. and frankie is done after a walk to the corner most of the time...LOL

This breed is very difficult to understand but at the same time i am learning every day and i want to be able to take care of my dogs and do it well. Im so thankful for this place where we can discuss all the special needs of our dogs,

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