Should i get a corgi

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. Corgi bellies always get wet. In the summer they get wet from dew. If a clean house is important to you, then another breed might suit you better.

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.

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.

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. They will follow you around the house, helping you cook, do laundry, and even take a shower if you let them. 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. 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. 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 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. Remember when we said that this is a breed that is a good watchdog? Even though it has a coat that is easy to groom, this is a dog that does shed a lot. The corgi is a breed that will leave a lot of hair in a lot of places, but brushing the dog regularly will help to minimize the amount of shedding you will deal with.

My kids love to whine, so I love to wine. My loves include nap time, bed time, date night, travel and evenings and weekends when my husband is home because he handles all diaper changes. You must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Dog Breeds. Prev Article Next Article. No matter how hard you try, you will eventually find your corgi running up and down your stairs and jumping on or off furniture, inevitably leading to some form of hip, back, or joint injury.

This means that if you are eating your dinner, they will stare at you endlessly and even bump your legs or bark to try and get some food. If they want your attention, they will force their way onto your lap and roll around, demanding that you pet them or give them the attention that they desire.

If given the opportunity, they will use their cuteness to their benefit and take advantage of you. The internet has gone absolutely crazy for corgis, but they have not been represented accurately. What appears to be an easy-going couch-potato is actually an energy-filled herding-machine with one heck of an attitude. Along with their underlying health problems, corgis are also extreme shedders that catch most first-time corgi owners off guard.

If you are seriously considering purchasing a corgi, make sure that you know what you are getting into. These are expensive dogs that can have expensive problems if not properly fed, trained, exercised, and health tested. I highly agree!!! And they are all you have pointed out and more. I love the breed but try to counsel first time owners on what to expect.

I tell them that these dogs can and will outsmart you! And definitely Not a kids dog especially for younger children due to the nipping. So thank you for your great article. Tawnya Horton. I agree as a former Pembroke owner. I agree with all you addressed! I loved her and was devoted to her throughout her 13 years, but she was definitely a challenge. I never knew next how she would attempt to outsmart me. I still miss her so much! I had a corgi back in the days before this phenomenal popularity.

She was definitely a handful and needed a lot of time and obedience classes. It was not easy but I have no regrets. She was loving, loyal, and a great companion. I had her for 16 years and her back went out so I chose to put her down but she was a fighter to the end. So my advise is if you are willing to work hard to socialize and obedience training required, you will have wonderful dog. I have 3 adorable fluffies and all are under 5 years old.

They never know a stranger! Everyone is their friend and they would prefer to jump on and lick anyone than be protective. With that being said they will bark at any minuscule sound which is the extent of their watch dog abilities. My family rescued 2 corgis. One from a breeder who had a pet quality aggressive bossy lass, and one run away. The run away required at least mile walk a day to take the edge off his energy pay, and multiple ball games.

The aggressive one calmed down mostly after a year or two. But she was nicknamed Devil Dog. The high energy ball of fun misses the boss so much. This blog is completely accurate. But I do love my corgis! Thank you for this frank honesty! Corgis are one of the breeds I was considering because of all the rave articles on them. I found your site while searching out what fluffy Corgis were and started reading your articles.

I am so glad I did because they were high on my list that I was starting to research! They are adorable and intelligent looking but at 60 I want a breed with medium to lower energy levels.

Thanks again for the honesty about this lovely breed. I love your site name! I agree with your info on the genetics of the fluffies and limiting the gene pool. It is a problem with boxers with not letting whites be bred or shown though there is no real genetic problems with them, probably less than their coloured litter mates. Gene pool is getting smaller and smaller and health problems building up! Good luck! For Bonnie Wood. You might want to research American Eskimos.

I have Corgis as well as an American Eskimo mix. We just got a Corgi pup. So far shes doing great. I know what i signed up for…and so far…shes great with the kids and our cats. First time dog owner- and shes a cirgi mix. I just bought a corgi myself and I am excited to learn about my corgi pup when she arrives to my home. I have owned two previously when I was little so this will be my third dog. Our boy is awesome. I am retired and have lots of time to go outside and walk and play. Yes, LOTS of activity, games, agility course, on and on.

LOTS of energy! LOTS of work! Be sure you want to live a busy life with a wonderful, short, loving, smiling, ball of fire….

Yes, that is very true. They do take up a lot of time, but that is shat having a relationship is. I have a Corgi and she keeps me active and less sedantary. I live their enthusiasm and mischievous look. But having a Corgi is like having a toddler, one needs to train and be consistent. I do love my Corgi, but I work on our relationship.

You hit exactly every point I try to express to potential corgi owners. I knew these folks had no idea what they were getting themselves into. I could only hope that if they actually pursued getting a corgi, the reputable breeders I referred them to would also convince them a corgi was not the dog for them. The one good thing is the people knew they were in over their heads and they gave him up before he was completely ruined. This is so on point.

My first went everywhere with me and w was a my four legged child. Yes the more expensive ones from great breeders I do believe you get what you paid for. On the ankle biting yes they still do that after awhile you get use to it.

Barking is another you get use to but like I said these ball of wiggle butts are like door bells and living in a apartment or even town with close neighbors may not be the type of dog for you.

Mine all have been great with the kids but…. Mine I have noticed if you are the main caretaker then they will do anything for you. Another good point they love anything that smells bad and will eat anything.

My old one loves the horse stalls if you know what I mean. My corgi cross was honestly an angel. I lost her in June and would love another cross. I do shelter dogs or rescues though and I think it is better to go and save a dog anyway. Yes, it is good to know the pitfalls of a breed before buying a puppy, though every dog is likely to have some issues and all owners should be willing to take care of their pet as needed by going to a vet, groomer etc.

My girl did have the skin issues, energy, strong herding, and ultimately back problems after 16 years. But she was not bossy or beggy.

To do this, they typically nip at the heels of the animals to push them in a direction. This can become especially dangerous when there are small kids around.

They can mistake a small child for a sheep and in turn, try to herd the children by chasing them and nipping at their heels. However, this type of behavior is much more common in Corgi puppies.

When I say this, I think I can safely speak on behalf of the whole Corgi community. In fact, the best way to get your Corgi to do something is by bribing them with their favorite treats. As a pup, my Corgi was a lot more responsive to obedience training. She learned a whole arsenal of tricks and would happily do it for the sake of working. Corgis love to work, after all. But as she grew older, the excitement to perform tricks for friends and family tapered.

The good is that food-driven dogs are way easier to train. This is another thing I wish I knew about Corgis. They are highly active dogs that need their run to release all that pent up energy. But if you can, limit the jumping. Too much jumping can actually put a lot of stress on the spine and hips of the Corgi, leading to much problems as they get older.

And according to Pet MD , Corgis are prone to some serious back and hip related health problems, such as disc disease and canine hip dysplasia. But why are they susceptible to these conditions? Instead of letting them freely jump as they please, try to get them a dog ramp for the couch and bed. As a Corgi lover and owner for so many years, my answer is always yes.

They are not ideal for first time dog owners because of all these problems you may face.