I've been wanting to write this for awhile and just found the time.  I hope people find it helpful.  I've gathered my information from personal experience, the stories of people on this site, and some reputable breed resources.  

We regularly get people asking if a Corgi is the right dog for them, so I'm hoping this can help people see what it's like to live with Corgis. I have focused on the issues that might be problematic for some people or situations, with the most focus on those issues about which new Corgi owners (and some experienced ones) frequently ask advice.  Feel free to add comments with anything I might have missed (and I'm sure I missed plenty!)   Thanks!

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So you think you want a Corgi.

 

Who can resist a Corgi?  With that foxy face, stubby legs, and bunny butt they are cute as can be.  Pick up a book on dog breeds, or visit a breed-selector web site, and you will find that Corgis are smart, easy-to-train, and have an easy-care, dirt-repelling coat.  They are loyal to their people, can live peacefully with other animals, are good watch dogs and don’t require acres of running room. Toss in a convenient size and the fact that they can be happy in most climates, and they sound like the perfect dog.

 

But no dog is right for everyone.  The question is, is the Corgi the right dog for you?   

 

Corgis have several breed traits that can cause problems for many homes, and here on MyCorgi we have seen more than a few cases of people needing to rehome their pets because of typical breed behavior that the owner had trouble handling. Here are some of the Corgi traits that all future owners should be aware of:

 

Barking:

 

Almost all dogs bark.  Corgis bark a lot.  If you have never lived with dogs that bark a lot, you may want to spend some time in the home of someone with a barking breed to see if you can live with it.

 

It’s true that many Corgis make excellent watchdogs.  As herding and farm dogs, one of their historic jobs was to notice anything “different” and alert the owners.  This means your Corgi is likely to bark if someone walks up your sidewalk or if a stray cat starts digging up your flowerbeds. 

 

Your Corgi may also alert you if your neighbor left a gate open, if a car is parked on the opposite side of the street from its usual spot, or if the wind is rattling your gutter.   He may bark to warn you that someone is entering your neighbor’s house--- and oh yes, it IS your neighbor.  He might be best friends with the Labrador up the street, but that won’t stop him from barking to warn you that the Labrador is walking past your house. 

 

He may also bark to let you know you left a light on, there’s a dirty dish on a counter, it’s ten minutes past bedtime, or that you forgot to give him his after-dinner treat. 

 

While you may be able to train your Corgi to stop barking on command, you may never stop him from giving the initial warning.  His job is to let you know something is different, and your job is to see if the thing that’s different is threatening.  He may not stop barking until you acknowledge what he saw or heard, which might be fine at lunchtime but is not as fun at 3AM.

 

Corgis also tend to bark when playing.  As cattle- and geese-drovers, they moved their stock by nipping at their legs and barking.  Because of this history, many Corgis bark when things move, or to get things to move.  So they may bark at a thrown tennis ball, bark to get you to throw the Frisbee, or bark whenever other dogs run.  This type of motion-activated barking can be difficult to control and almost impossible to eliminate.

 

Finally, many Corgis are “talkers” who use a wide range of vocalizations to express any number of opinions or to get your attention.  Corgi vocalizations may include low woofs, whines, grumbles, short howls, and a series of whining grunts that many Corgi owners refer to affectionately as “Wookie” or “Chewbacca” noises. 

 

 

The bottom line is, if you don’t like barking dogs, don’t get a Corgi.

 

 

Nipping:

 

Nipping falls into two categories.  The first is nipping at legs.  This comes from the herding background of a Corgi.  The behavior is easy to stop in puppies (if you want to participate in herding with your Corgi, please consult a herding trainer before training this out of your Corgi pup, since you can eliminate the herding tendency completely if you handle this the wrong way.)  If a Corgi has reached adulthood with the nipping behavior still present, it can be harder to stop, but it can be done.  Before you get a Corgi puppy, you should be prepared to deal with this behavior appropriately. 

 

The other type of nipping is puppy play-biting.  Just about all puppies must be taught that it’s not ok to bite people in play; dogs bite each other in play and this behavior is normal.  The difference is that compared to most gun dogs and some other soft-mouthed breeds, many Corgi puppies bite hard.  This type of biting is easy enough to stop if you are diligent and consistent, but in some puppies the behavior can take weeks or more to eliminate.  If you have frail people in your home, people who are afraid of dogs, or small children who you won’t be able to keep away from the puppy during the training process, a Corgi puppy may not be for you.  An adult or older puppy may be a better choice.

 

Corgi Coats:

 

That weather-resistant double coat comes with a price.  Corgis shed a lot.  I mean a lot.   Most dogs shed, but double coated breeds blow coat once or twice a year, and the Corgi undercoat is very dense.  You may see a tiny eighth-inch clump of dead hair sticking out of your Corgi and give it a tug only to find yourself holding a two-inch chunk in your hand as the loosed undercoat expands.  When your Corgi is shedding, you will find wafting balls of hair in corners and under furniture.   And on your clothes.  And in your food.  No amount of brushing will prevent this because the hair just keeps coming until your dog has no undercoat left.  You will wonder how a dog can lose so much hair and still have a full coat on his body.  In addition, light shedding can be expected year-round.

 

The other issue is that the Corgi coat is truly amazing at repelling dirt.  We get regular compliments on how well groomed our dogs are, yet the fact is that except when they are blowing coat I only brush them once a week for perhaps three minutes each.  Their colored bits gleam and their white parts are spotless.  They can run through the mud and within ten minutes there is hardly a spot on them, and what is left can easily be brushed off.  They only need a bath if they roll in something that smells. 

 

What is the downside to this?  The downside is the Corgi coat picks up dirt in one place (outside) and deposits it somewhere else (on your floor).  You will bring your Corgi in from a walk, and she will lie on the floor, and ten minutes later when she gets up there will be a fine sifting of grit on the ground that came off her belly.

 

Corgis’ short legs are a problem here too.  Corgi bellies always get wet.  In the summer they get wet from dew.  In the spring and fall it’s from rain, and in the winter from snow. 

 

If having a towel hanging near the door all year is something that doesn’t appeal to you, don’t get a Corgi.  If a clean house is important to you, then another breed might suit you better. 

 

Energy Level:

 

Energy level varies widely between individual Corgis.  All will need regular walks and some playtime and training to be happy.  Many Corgis need much more than that.  Some are almost impossible to tire out, and young Corgis (under 2) may never stop moving.  One of mine can go for a two-hour off-leash hike, take a thirty-minute power nap, and start dropping tennis balls at my feet to play.  Corgis like this need to learn some sort of “settle” or “enough” command or you won’t have any peace, and quite a few Corgis need a job (agility, herding, competition-level obedience) to be happy.  Their bossiness (see below) and tendency to bark (see above) can make a Corgi with unspent energy very difficult to live with.

 

My own experience is with Pembrokes and my understanding is that Cardigans can be a little bit more laid-back in energy level.

 

Need to be with you:

 

Corgis in general are not prone to separation anxiety when you are out of the home (any dog can develop this, but some breeds are more prone than others).  However, when you are home your Corgi will want to be with you.  Most Corgis don’t like being left in a yard alone.  They will follow you around the house, helping you cook, do laundry, and even take a shower if you let them.

 

They also don’t like if their people are scattered through the house.  Most Corgis want everyone to be in one place at one time and may act anxious or unhappy if someone is upstairs and someone else is downstairs.  This behavior is common to many herding breeds and its intensity varies from individual to individual.  If your family likes to spend evenings scattered in different rooms, you may want to consider a different breed. 

 

Intelligence:

 

Many people who say they like smart dogs have never owned one!  Having a Corgi means making sure you always stay one step ahead of her.  Most Corgis learn new behaviors easily, which means it won’t be hard to teach her to sit, stay, and come when called.  It also means she’ll learn that you can’t catch her if she’s not on a leash and runs the other way.  She’ll remember that you stashed her favorite tug toy in the laundry room.  She won’t forget that the last time you made chicken you gave her a piece and she’ll start drooling every time you make chicken.  She may make associations you do not want her to make and learn in which situations you make her listen and in which ones you don’t follow through. 

 

Bossiness:

 

Bossiness is not the same thing as dominance.  Cows and geese are stubborn and can be aggressive, and a Corgi that backed down when confronted was a dog that could not do its job.  Even submissive, people-pleasing Corgis can sometimes be bossy.  Corgis may talk back, exhibit “selective hearing,” bark to demand treats or play, or shove you with a nose or paw to get you to move in a certain direction or pet them on command.  Corgis do not tolerate manhandling, but they do require owners who are consistent and don’t give in to all their demands.  Even a submissive Corgi can become a pushy, domineering brat if you don’t show him that you are a calm, effective leader who does not let the dog make all the decisions.  Those of us who love Corgis find them endearing and the bossiness amusing, but some common Corgi bossy behaviors include planting feet on walks and refusing to move if you choose a different direction than the Corgi wanted to travel; barking incessantly to demand play-time; and pawing/nudging for belly rubs.  If it is important to you that your dog be obedient and deferential most of the time, don’t get a Corgi. 

 

 

Remember that hard-wired breed behaviors are difficult or impossible to eliminate and physical attributes can’t be changed, so if you get a Corgi you should be comfortable living with these things for the life of the dog.  Corgis were bred to be independent problem-solvers who could work for hours.  It is unfair to own a Corgi and not provide her a healthy outlet for that type of energy. 

 

If you read this and thought “How funny!  That’s just what I’m looking for!” then welcome to the large club of Corgi-lovers.  If not, then admire them from afar and continue your search until you find the breed that’s perfect for you. 

 

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This is beyond PERFECT! I couldn't have described them better myself.

as a new corgi puppy owner im lmao ,they picked a corgi 99 percent on the bread selecter ,they sure did not tell me all this ,but i love my corgi ,she does have all the traits you mentioned tho ,but she is the perfect dog for us regardless .thanks for shairing 

Ha ha! What a GREAT post!

There are some reverse sides to a few of these traits. "Barks" can work in your favor: that's how I got Cassie the Corgi. Her humans gave, as their excuse for dumping her at the dog pound, that she barks. Yeah...she IS a dog, after all. Their loss, my gain! :-)

IMHO she doesn't bark excessively -- nothing like a chihuahua or a poodle, for example.

I would say these dogs are very sensitive to unusual sounds. This morning Ruby the Corgi Pup awoke, quite disturbed, around 3 a.m.  Since she's still suffering from her UTI, it was straight to the backyard. She flew into a barking frenzy at the kitchen door -- checked the backyard before unlocking; I couldn't see anyone or anything. Let her out -- she shot out like a tiny rocket, clearly searching for something she thought she could hear. And yes, she did bark. She searched all over the yard. Not finding anything, she allowed herself to be called back to bed. It was very quiet outside; I couldn't hear anything, but it's possible someone could've been in the alley. Or maybe she had a doggy nightmare, since Cassie was unperturbed.

And folks who think Corgis shed a lot have never lived with a German shepherd, a beast that drops DUNES of dog hair.

heh heh heh...i've given up trying to stay one step ahead of Cassie. She's smarter than me...i've resigned myself to that fact.

After almost three years since first reading this, it is worthy to read again now. Thank you so much for the great work Beth.

I have shared this with many people considering a Corgi. Some were just acquaintances on Facebook so I'm not sure how many of them actually ended up bringing a Corgi into their family, but I really hope a lot of them were dissuaded from getting one.  I have read that 25% of the dogs in shelters are purebred dogs and I would imagine a lot of them are Corgis and it breaks my heart.   I'm sick and tired of people collecting dogs and then surrendering the ones they don't like at shelters. In my opinion, Corgis are definitely not for a lot of people, of course generally a lot of people shouldn't even have dogs at all, because they're horrible pet owners, and I really wish they would do more research before they decide on one.  

Buddha didn't start "talking" until recently (within he last year) since I moved in with my fiancé who let's him get his corgi way. It's funny, but when I tell him no he knows I mean it( the dog, not the man) LoL.
I wouldn't have any other breed as my first choice.

I don't know if this is a common Cardi trait, but Betty has four stages of warning when confronted with something or someone she doesn't like. 

!. What I call "huffing". Actually she sounds like a pot bellied pig.

2. Growling with or without a lip curl.

3. Warning bark. Sharp and insistent ... STAY AWAY!. 

4. Advance and snap at the offending object or person... to late ... you are bit.

She exhibits these warnings whenever my wife or I are walking her on lead. She will challenge another dog or strange person. It's like " this is my human. Stay away unless invited." Our Cardi is VERY protective.

Thank you! This was perfect :) I'm looking forward to bringing my new little one home in 3 weeks!

This was such a great post! Was when it came out and still is.

And so true.

Then there's the "something's different about this" trait...I guess that's related to the "neighbor's gate is open" trait. Ruby the Corgi Pup, in particular, is an artist at noticing that something is out of place, moved, new, different, or weird. And of course, any such discovery must be (ARF!) brought to the human's attention. :-D

Brilliant! I wish this would be a reading requirement for all those who are about to get their first Corgi

Huh.  My Corgi very rarely barks, and is usually muffled.  In fact, I had to train him to bark, and even with a reward in view it often takes three tries to get a real bark.  

Well I've read through this and I have to say I'm about zero for ten in attributes. We do scatter throughout the house, he doesn't mind. It is true though that he seems happiest when we are all on the couch streaming a TV show or movie and he lies on his back and blisses out. He never has been one to bark much though he will give muffled woofs when something unusual is happening outside. Actually he does have a bark fest immediately upon getting in the car, but gets quiet when I tell him to get into his spot (on the floor behind the passenger seat). He's got the basic commands down and the most recent one is to bark on command, which was actually one of the hardest tricks (because he hardly barks at all). Teaching him to bring the newspaper in was much easier.

He does have a way of indicating his needs. He bangs my girlfriend's i-pad on the table next to the bed when he wants her to take him out, and sometimes flings her slippers into the air. On my side of the bed he bangs the telephone. About half an hour before dinner he puts his paws up on my lap, which is also what he does when he wants to go out for a bathroom break.

He doesn't pull on the leash and goes where I go. I have to keep him leashed on the walkway we use along the Mohawk river because the cyclists come through very fast and there could be a problem there. (It's also the law.) The other issue is that there are a lot of people with dogs with little to no training and encountering them is worse than the cyclists, at least in terms of frequency. A lot of people are straining to control the animal and then when it sees another dog it lunges at him.

Anyhow he's a great dog and I would say he's in the upper 15 or 20% in terms of training.

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