Are You Sure You Want a Corgi?

“I want one.”

Nearly every time I walk Clementine and Cowboy in town, someone says to me “I want a corgi.”

Do you really? I know they are so stinking cute–those big ears, little legs, and constant smile. They appear in TV commercials from State Farm to Mercedes and Discover. There are corgi sweatshirts, corgi Christmas lawn decor, corgi coffee mugs, corgi slippers…. they are truly everywhere.

If you think you want a corgi, here are a few facts you should know first:

Corgis are high maintenance

They have a double coat that sheds continuously. Not just in the spring and fall, but year round. Your corgi sits on your lap and deposits another corgi worth of fur when it gets up. You will have to brush your corgi regularly and take it to be groomed.

Also, being that corgis are low to the ground, their belly fur collects dirt and grime when walking in sloppy weather. You will have to keep towels by the back door to wipe their undercarriage clean and dry.

Corgis are high maintenance

They bark at squirrels, plastic bags, birds, the neighbor’s kids, the neighbor’s dogs, people walking down the street, tree branches swaying in the wind… This is because they are herding dogs with high sensitivity to movement. You will have to control this (good luck with that) or apologize, often, to your neighbors.

Corgis are high maintenance

As mentioned above, corgis are herding dogs, aka working dogs. This means they need to be kept busy with physical and mental stimulation, or they can be destructive (because they are bored). They need stimulating walks, and games, like “find the treat,” or obstacle courses. Plan to play tug-of-war with your corgi while you try to watch television in the evening. Either that or you will be letting your corgi in and out the back door every ten minutes while telling it to stop barking.

Corgis are high maintenance

They nip at children or anything else they think they should herd or keep under control. This is not aggression, it’s a herding dog trait. Your job is to teach the corgi that you are the alpha and your children are not to be herded. (Likewise, children also need to be taught how to play constructively with a dog.)

Corgis are high maintenance

They are smart, as most herders are. They know when they are being conned. You can’t trick a corgi into doing something it doesn’t want to. Corgis are known for forming their own set of rules, and can be stubborn if they aren’t given proper attention, firm but kind discipline, and training. Even so, they aren’t the most subservient of dogs.

Corgis are high maintenance

They require training. You will have to take puppy classes, and it’s a good idea to continue taking classes in dog obedience, or you could be in trouble. A good trainer will teach you how to best handle your corgi and help solve any behavioral issues you might have. It’s a good investment. Happy corgi = happy household. A good article on the idiosyncrasies of training corgis can be found at How to Train a Herding Dog.

The good news about corgis

They are fun to train. Highly motivated by food, they quickly learn how to heel, down, sit, and stay. Other tricks are a blast, too. You can set up a fun obstacle course for them outside or even inside. My pup thinks it’s a challenge to figure out the easiest way to get a ball that I’ve tossed under the dining room table because it’s a mini-maze of chair and table rungs. I also hide a toy and ask him to find it. I’m hoping he’ll learn the names of his toys.

Because they aren’t big, you can practice heel, sit and stay, etc. while walking through the house. A corgi will enjoy the stimulation. They respond well to training and correction. They like obedience class because it’s a job with yummy rewards.

They are devoted, attentive and protective, but not aggressive. Like any dog, they give back unconditional love. They are friendly to strangers and other dogs when properly socialized (which is another reason obedience class is good for them).

You get back what you put in

Any dog is an investment. They require time and money (food, treats, toys, vet bills, vaccinations, neutering or spaying, training, new carpeting since the puppy chewed and/or peed on the old ones…). An older dog may require specialized care or medication. Some dog breeds require more investment than others.

So be sure a corgi is what you want before you get that adorable bundle of fur.

Please look for a reputable breeder who can vouch for your puppy’s lineage and tests for breed-common conditions, such as degenerative myelopathy.

Our corgis

Clementine is a rescue dog of sorts. We adopted her when she was one, and we had to do a bit of retraining. It took a few months for her to trust us. She’s a little standoffish at times, sweet but not a cuddly lap dog. She’s intelligent, and once she trusted us, was easy to train. She’s a natural herder. Put her in a room with a few other dogs and she’ll keep them all under control through body posture and her domineering look. She is quite effective at herding Cowboy into a corner. At nearly 11 years, she has new health issues we have to navigate, but that’s okay. We love her.

Cowboy is our one-year-old. He’s now in his teenage stage, dog-wise, which means he’s quite a handful. I don’t have as much writing time these days! He’s super affectionate and loves sitting in my lap, even though he’s too long to fit. He’s bouncy and playful, and enjoys training classes at Canine Resolution. We look forward to seeing him grow and mature. As far as herding traits, he is definitely a barker.

---

Thank you for visiting Linda’s blog.

Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security