Welcome EJ, Morgan and Mitchell !

Welcome EJ, Morgan and Mitchell. Sorry to hear they are getting after each other. We would have various bouts of all out fights when Basil (passed on) and LIzzie were together. Never to the point that we had to completely separate them, but the fights were awful. I can understand your frustration. There are a number of people on the site with a lot of experience that can probably help. If you haven't already done so I would start a forum. It seems a while back there was one started on a similar topic. Good luck to you. Your two are handsome. I hope they can work it out! Good to have you here!

Hey EJ, give us more detail info like age, gender, who came first, scenarios...etc. I'm sure we'll be able to help you in the forum area, we have pet trainers, experienced breeders among our membership, so you're in good hands :)

Story of my corgis. Morgan came first and was so excited to get a brother. Mitchell was 5 months old when I got him. They played and played for a year. During that year I moved from IL to so cal. They were fine with the move and the place that I have is great for dogs, even a backyard with grass. I believe the reason they fight is because Morgan bites Mitchell's ear to get him to play. One day when Mitchell grew up he decided that isn't the way he wants to play. So he went crazy biting Morgan's face. Morgan doesn't understand at all so he plays back like it's a game. Both end up bloody and its dangerous for all that's around. Now I can't even walk them together with out another person around. I would just love it if they could get along. One always has to be in solitary. You can see a pic on the slideshow during xmas. They were both leashed up but were trying to tear each other up across the room.

Welcome! Sorry your two are fighting. Ours get to fighting sometimes too.

Welcome EJ. . .you're babies are absolutely adorable!!!!!

Hi EJ,
Your corgis are very cute! sorry they aren't getting along... Morgan and my Dexter do look alike... We should get a play date together with them!

ok, post the same question with the background into on the main forum, you'll get more exposure and feedback there. now here's my opinion:

walk them one on each side, for half and hour each day, walking builds relationship among the pack, when they're walking, they don't have time to argue, let them go potty before the walk, then don't stop in the middle. it will take sometime, but it will work. A well exercised corgi is a well behave corgi.

If they're not fix, fix them both now. It is good for their health and less hormone in the behavior equation.

A lot of times tension is heighten by the dog owners, if it is small stuff, let them sort it out themselves, they will need to understand the pack order in the house, pack order may change as the dogs age. When both dogs do show teeth, then its time to separate them. When you intervene, stay clam and do not let your emotion take over, give firm command and put them on time out.

Post the question in the main forum and i'm sure other pros will be able to chime in.

Hi! What Sam mentions below is how we are proceeding. To be honest, we need to walk them all more often than we do. And I'm a bit scared of walking them alone in our neighborhood. That doesn't help. But...walking in a pack and getting the energy out of them is the point.

We're in the OC area with lots of dogs in our neighborhood. It's always great to see more Corgis around!

That's so funny your corgis bark when you sneeze! Dogs can get so giddy over the smallest things.

Hi EJ, I saw your post about your Corgis not getting along. I'm curious about the details. Are they fixed? Two males?

Generally - and this is in no way meant to be a judgement - but generally the tension has something to do with the pack leader's behavior, and the pack leader is you! :-)

There's no way to know what the exact cause is in your house without observing it. Have you ever seen the show "The Dog Whisperer"? Check it out to get an idea of how to observe problem behavior in dogs and humans so you can analyze and discover the cause.

Dogs fight for only a few reasons: 1) To dominate and be the pack leader, 2) To control food and possessions, 3) To control territory. An unlikely but possible #4 would be any physical or mental health issues one of the dogs might be suffering from, and finally, all of the above can be exacerbated by a lack of exercise, which Corgis need a lot of. The best kind of Corgi is a dead tired Corgi! :-)

#1 is solved by you being a strong pack leader, firmly discouraging and intervening in any sign of aggression, never letting them win a contest with you, and always being attuned to the signs of any oncoming aggressive behavior so you can stop it before it starts.

Helpful training methods:

Nothing In Life is Free
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm

Clicker Training
http://www.clickertraining.com/

#2 is solved by you controlling the food and toys. Don't "free feed" them, ie, leave food out for them to eat all day. Feed them 2 or 3 times a day in separate physical locations, give them 5-10 minutes to eat (assuming they don't gulp it down in 15 seconds), then take the bowls away. Don't give them bones or chews or other treats that might lie around for them to fight over later. Supervise them closely while those treats are consumed in separate areas for each dog, and pick up the leftovers when they lose interest. Don't leave toys around for Corgis to fight over. If a dog shows *any* aggression over a possession, tell him to "bring it here" and "drop it". If he complies, reward him with affection, but keep the toy. It's yours, not his. If he doesn't comply, take it away immediately without a word. In general, don't leave toys around unless you are playing with them with the dogs. Never let a dog get away with any amount of possessiveness or aggression, however subtle. If a dog guards a toy or a bone, and gives subtle warning growls or silent steely-eyed stares to other dogs in the house, he is sending out dominance and aggression signals that are loud and clear to every other four legged creature in the room, and a battle of wills has already begun. Interrupt that behavior immediately by demanding the possession and removing it. Bring it here! Drop it! Good boy! :-)

#3) This is also solved by the NILF (Nothing In Life is Free) training method, as well as consistent control and direction of who is allowed where. Put their beds/blankets/crates in separate locations, and train them to "Go to bed" in their designated locations (clicker training, a little patience, and rewards for correct behavior make this easy and fun!) Feed each dog in their own designated physical location, ie, a different corner of the kitchen for each dog, or in their crates if you have a crate for each dog. Be very consistent in *where* you feed each of them. This really helps. It establishes territorial "zones" that you are in control of, which establishes your authority as a pack leader over all of the food, and all of the territory, and who is allowed to do what and where. Dogs need that leadership. Teach them to go somewhere and wait patiently while you prepare food for them. For example, I tell my guys one word - "crate" (I can literally just whisper the word), and they happily and hilariously dive in to their crates to wait while I prepare their food. Their crates or beds are never associated with a punishment. Only good things (like food!) make me say that word, so they are always happy to comply. Lastly, separate them with gates or closed doors if you are away, as I'm sure you are already doing.

#4) Get your dogs fixed and take them to the vet to rule out any health issues.

Exercise! Think of Corgis like little nuclear reactors, and exercise is the water that keeps the reactor from melting down and exploding. If they don't get enough exercise, the pressure builds, and it can turn to frustration and boredom and aggression if there is no other outlet. Walk them, run them, one at a time if necessary, play fetch with them in your yard.

Lastly, you really need to socialize your dogs. Don't avoid it. If you don't feel comfortable doing it on your own, see a dog trainer who can help you socialize them in a controlled environment. Avoid off leash dog parks until you've got a handle on all of this.

Summary: Be a strong pack leader, Nothing In Life is Free, positive reinforcement, clicker training, lots of exercise, and visit a vet and a dog trainer to asses the situation and help you socialize them.

Hope this helps! :-)

Argggh! Mitchell got me up at 3am today doing a little playful bark. All he wanted to do was play. All I wanted to do was sleep. I work too much.

Thank you. I love your corgis too. I want a tri..

Yeah! I was supposed to pick him up on 8/8 but I will be out of state for a wedding so I have to wait till I get back sometime after 8/10. I've got everything already for the little guy.

Your boys are really cute! Are they getting along any better yet?

Morgan and Molly do look a lot alike! I love the white stripe going up his head.

Sorry to hear about their current fighting! I hope it get taken care of soon.

Things are good in TX! It has been a while since I logged onto here. Hope you & the corgis are doing great. I can't wait to see what you dress them up as for Halloween!

Dave showed pics of your dogs in the hot dog costume - so cute!!
Talking about cute, I saw a little red wagon of tri-colored corgi puppies at the vet yesterday. If I didn't have my wallet, I would've totally gotten one since the lady said she was still trying to sell the puppies.

yeah, jon mentioned it to us! so random, yet cool. he asked us if all corgis come in red and black pairs. hahaha...

Happy Happy Birthday!