UPDATE: What are things you wish you had known about Corgis before you got one?
I am wanting to start a blog about responsible dog ownership. I talk a lot about responsible dog ownership on Reddit and I find myself writing the same things over and over. It will be easier and more thorough for me to write a blog that I can reference!
For one of my posts, I want to write an overview on owning Corgis for those thinking about adopting. Our midget pals are growing more popular with the Royal Wedding and all that, and as you know, Corgis really aren't for everyone. If I can prepare future owners for the task they face, I can go to sleep a happy owner.
So, what are things you wish you knew about Corgis before bringing one home? Anything. Temperament issues, health issues... whatever!
UPDATE: Since this thread was resurrected, thought I would put a link to the finished product: Own Responsibly: The Comprehensive Corgi Guide- A Resource for New ...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vee Luther on
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I think new owners should be reminded --forcefully--that exercise equals a calm dog. A short walk just doesn't do it and the time committment and skills for correctly walking/exercising a corgi is substantial. But the difference in living with a balanced dog is equally substantial.
I want my 3 corgis to act just like me: quiet and calm when I'm sitting and reading or excited and energetic when I'm hiking.
visitors to our house are always complimentary aobut how well behaved our boys are but it's really dependent on their consistent, organized exercise.
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Yes, definitely! I can always tell when Waffle hasn't been getting the attention he needs, and he is a calm dog by nature, anyhow. :x
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Permalink Reply by carolyn matassa on
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Well said :)
I take our corgi to obedience training twice a week and agility once a week, walks at lunch, and he's good on the "off days". Overall, he is a GREAT family pet. He runs in the yard, plays in the house, but is calm when we sit down for the evening. I also take him in the car whenever I have to "drop" a kid off somewhere....he loves car rides.
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Permalink Reply by LaRissa L. Head on
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We did a lot of research when looking for a dog. We knew a lot about the breed and ask a lot of questions to corgi owners before we adopted Roslyn.
One thing I wasn't prepared for was bring home a dog that had so many aggression issues. The Rescue said they never had a problem with her, but as soon as we brought her home trouble began.
She marked everywhere, growled and bite if you touched her toys or food or water. Chased the cats. Barked and snarled at every dog she would meet, and would start fights with any dog she decided was not to her liking.
The first 3 months I had to convince myself NOT to bring her back to the rescue. I learned quickly how to be master of my household, and how to train with a calm patience, yet firm attitude. I still have a few issues (like extreme distraction recall) that I have to work on, but all in all Roslyn is a different dog, and I am a different dog owner.
In hindsight I feel like I know how to be a better dog owner because of Roslyn, and I have started fostering dogs because of her. But, I wish I had researched what questions to ask before adopting a pet. I'm glad it ended well, but I have a feeling that if rescues had more funding and could spend more time with dogs, they would be able to evaluate each one better and lower the incidents of animals returning multiple times.
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Permalink Reply by Theresa + Caitlyn on
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Training really does need to be positve-reinforcement. I had difficulties getting Caitlyn to pay attention to me until we went to Control Unleashed classes. Of course, the class was more for me than her! We finally understand each other, communication-wise. So, definitely any positive-reinforcement, convince the corgis it's their idea, kind of training.
I also found that Caitlyn does better with hand signals. Maybe it's the herding/guarding instincts, that she depends on her vision more than her hearing (but if the neighbor lets her dogs out in the middle of the night, Caitlyn will levitate from a dead sleep!)
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Permalink Reply by Beth Walker on
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People should also be aware of their very strong herding instinct. So some Corgi's are not always the best breed to have if you have small children, as the Corgi may tend to herd or nip at them. This is not a problem for me since they are my only children but I know a few of my Corgi's will sometimes try to herd me when they become excited and I would not leave them unattended with young children for this reason even though the Corgi's love everyone and would never hurt anyone on purpose, they just tend to get carried away with their play.
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Permalink Reply by Priscilla, CARLY, and Frankie on
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DITO ! DITO!! on watching little children around them, i have 3 young grandkids and they are all live here in my city and are at my house every week,. although these dogs love them so much and are crazy to see them, i never leave the room when the baby esp. whos 23months, is in the rm with either dog by her self. The jumping up that the pup does will knock her down, and if the two dogs, start playing to hard and get in a scabble i dont want a child to be in their reach in case of a mishap.
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Permalink Reply by Em, M, and Win on
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They are noisy! Between the variety of barks, whines, and general "singing" when he's playing, all the (male) Corgis I know are very vocal!
I think it can't be stressed enough that Corgis are NOT small dogs. They are big dogs on short legs--personality, temperament, etc. This isn't a cutesy lap dog (although they are the cutest things EVER). They need a lot of exercise, mental stimulation, and a good pack leader in order to not become aggressive and/or unmanageable.
Good idea for a blog! Good luck!
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this statement is so true! And your so right about the makes being vocal.. my frankie does all the above noises and i had no idea since my female was not this vocal...
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Permalink Reply by Micaela on
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That they shed like crazy. I'd researched the breed really thoroughly so I knew pretty much everything else about them... but everything I read always said "heavy seasonal shedding." Little did I know that the Corgi shedding season described lasted the whole year...
Maybe it's just because I live in Florida. :/
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Permalink Reply by Emily Trupiano on
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They must be socialized a LOT with children and other dogs as early as possible. I knew what I was in for with the shedding, but some people are really surprised with the amount that they shed.
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And yes, they like to have a job. They need lots of exercise. These dogs aren't/shouldn't be couch potatoes!
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