When you’re bringing in a new member into a family, there are a few questions that you need to ask. Whether it’s a dog, cat, heck, or mouse comes with a lot of responsibility. But let’s stick to dogs for now. And not just any dog; we’re sticking the glorious Corgi. The point of our article is to inform families that may be considering bringing this beautiful creature into their lives.
Now, any requires some of your time. Some less some more, but when we’re talking about families, that in itself raises some other concerns. Parents are sometimes worried about bringing in a large-breed dog around their kids. We are wholeheartedly against that fear, but that’s a whole different story. But we get the concern, are Corgis good with kids? Are they good in a large group of people? Are they friendly dogs to begin with?
You need to know whether or not the dog is high maintenance. Some people just don’t have the time! But the main question here that pops up from the crowd is this: are Corgis good family dogs? There are many factors that go into the family-dog equation but don’t worry, we plan on covering all of them!
So without further ado, let’s check if your family’s getting a Corgi addition!
Are Corgis Good With Kids?
The first question that needs to be answered is whether Corgis are good with little kids.
Anyone who’s ever owned a dog knows that they’re great companions to little children, and when they start bonding, your kids will have a protector and a friend at all times! But you still have the right to worry. Having any sort of animal around a small child can seem risky, and not everybody wants to take risks!
Well, while Corgis are great with children, they are not recommended for families with small kids or toddlers. Don’t get us wrong, our favorite breed is a friendly and lovable pet, and with proper obedience training, they are great in a family setting. But they are herding dogs, which means that they have trouble controlling their urges to, well, herd. There’s a possibility that a Corgi will get stubborn with little kids or toddlers or try to nip at their heels if they’re not listening to them. To avoid this, we suggest that you wait a couple of years before bringing a Corgi to the mix.
But what’s this obedience training that we’re talking about?
Well, here’s the thing. Just because we don’t recommend Corgis around small kids doesn’t mean that it’s an impossible combination. Corgis are quite smart, and with proper training, they can learn just about anything! On that note, let’s say that you decided to get the little rascal anyway; what do you need to do?
Read Also: Are Corgis Good House Dogs?
Training, Socializing, And Maintenance
There are a lot of good things that come with owning a dog and having it around the house. But at the same time, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Owning a pet requires you to take responsibility for its life. We don’t mean to sound dramatic here, but that’s the truth!
When people hear the word maintenance, they might think of a couple of things. Showers, grooming, some would think of a good exercise. But it’s more than that! Pet maintenance means that you’ll give your dog the attention that it needs. It means that you will give it the opportunity to get the physical and mental exercise it needs to be a healthy dog. Well, the grooming and showering are on the list, too (but it just doesn’t sound as dramatic, darn it!).
So here are a few things that you need to consider if you want an appropriately trained and happy Corgi around your family:
How Much Exercise Do Corgis Need?
Like any dog, a Corgi needs its exercise. Sure, it might seem as if it’s enough for it to run around the house or yard. And that will do the trick in a pinch, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Dogs don’t just exercise for the sake of their physical ability. They’re not preparing for the Olympics. The point of your dog exercising is that it stays healthy and in shape. Those treats that you see people giving their dogs have to burn off somehow!
Corgi are not big dogs; let’s get that straight. They have tiny little legs that get tired quicker than other dogs. But it doesn’t mean that you can take a little walk to the end of the street and back and call it a day!
An exercise is a group of activities. Running, jumping around, or chasing a ball does fall into the category. But we like to split it into two main branches – mental and physical. And these two are incredibly connected, and they depend on each other! Let us explain:
Mental Exercise
While our dogs may look like they’re sometimes just winging it through life, they actually have a lot of complex thoughts and emotions going through their heads. If you leave your dog alone for too long while it’s young, it could develop separation anxiety. But on the other hand, if you never leave your dog’s sight, it could get overly attached and become what’s known as a velcro dog.
But these things are just the tip of the iceberg. Your dog is always doing its best to try and keep up with what you’re doing. Sure, it can’t always keep up, but it’s actually very healthy for them to try.
Dogs need to try and figure out small tasks throughout the day, and the more they do, the more mental stability they’ll have. If you tie your dog to a short leash and leave it alone like that all the time, it will have a severe negative impact on its psyche. The dog can adapt, but it then gets overly attached to its owner and has a lot of pent-up energy inside. This is why this kind of situation usually results in the dog attacking someone that it might think is a threat.
You need to give your dog freedom and let it explore the world. That’s what exercise is about. If you take your dog for a walk, it’s using its scent to explore its surroundings. It’s interacting with new people and meeting new friends.
Now, to bring all this back to the breed at hand: how much mental stimulation do Corgis need?
Well, quite a bit. Corgis are intelligent dogs. For thousands of years, they have been the choice of many farmers and shepherds to be their working dogs around the home. This means that they’re used to making decisions on their own and that they’ll never get tired of doing a task that you’ve given them.
This means that they can get a bit stubborn too, but more on that a bit later. All in all, if you plan on just leaving your Corgi in the apartment while you and the family go out and have fun around the city or traveling – then the Corgi is not your choice. But we have to mention that no dog actually enjoys being alone. They need to socialize and hang out with the family and friends just like you do!
So how much socializing and mental exercise do they need? A lot, so definitely have that on your mind when making a decision. So what about pure physical exercise?
Physical Exercise
You might think that if Corgis are these well-known working dogs, that they might need to run a whole marathon daily just to get their needed exercise. Well, fortunately, that’s not the case. They need it, don’t get us wrong, but those little legs won’t last a whole lot of time running around.
See, while Corgis are known to be hard workers, they mostly were shepherds that stayed on the hills protecting cattle and keeping the group in line. Their work mostly relied on them solving problems in the most efficient way possible.
A good walk a couple of times per day should do the trick, but we do suggest going for a run or having your Corgi socialize and spend time with other dogs.
Read Also: Are Corgis Inside Or Outside Dogs?
Possible Difficulties
So we’ve already mentioned that we don’t recommend getting a Corgi if you have a toddler or small children. But that doesn’t automatically mean that you should grab the first Corgi you see if your kids are a bit older. So, what are the things that could pose a problem while having a Corgi as a part of the family?
Stubbornness
Corgis are independent dogs. We know that it sounds a bit weird considering that they’ve been the shepherd of choice for so many people for so long. But that’s the thing; they have been doing the same thing for thousands of years. The Corgi is now considered a proper house pet, but that doesn’t undo all the instinct that it’s been making along the way. This is thousands of years we’re talking about here!
What this all means is that the Corgi can be stubborn here and there. They are loyal pets that will listen to your every command with proper training. But the problem is that you’re not asking it to work.
There are no animals that it can herd, and you’re getting angry anytime that it tries to warn you that there are possible intruders present. Sure, the intruders are your neighbor in the apartment next door, but how can they know that?
They are loud dogs that won’t take no for an answer because you’re asking them to do the wrong thing as far as they’re concerned! This brings us to the next possible problem:
Corgis Are Loud!
There’s no way around it. Corgis bark and they bark a lot! If you leave your Corgi alone at night, its instinct will tell it to guard the home. But they may not realize that some noise they heard is not a threat but just random noise in the building.
Dogs generally have an easier time adjusting to a house than an apartment. This is because they can explore every inch of the house and the yard. It’s easier for them to understand that their territory ends where the house ends. But apartments are generally a bit problematic because they’re confusing for puppies!
Don’t worry, though; Corgis are pretty darn smart. They can learn which noises are a regular occurrence and which are not. But it doesn’t happen overnight, especially if you got a baby Corgi, because it’s learning everything from scratch.
A loud dog can get pretty annoying if you have a baby in the house, but we’ve already advised against that combination. Still, it’s not fun waking up to barking in the middle of the night, no matter how old your family members are.
We’re only mentioning the night-time barking right now, but that’s not the only time in which you’ll hear it. Corgis bark all the time; they’re just expressive dogs, simple as that. This can be handled with proper training, but it might be a bit harder than it would be with other breeds.
Learn More: How To Train A Corgi To Stop Barking? Tips And Tricks
Are Corgis Good Family Dogs?
So let’s add up all the pros and cons and see what we end up with.
There’s no way that we can tell anybody not to get a Corgi. It would go against everything we stand for! But we suppose that we have to face the truth one way or the other.
The Best Family-Corgi Combination
If we were to make an equation for a Corgi-ready family, it would be this:
If you have children over the age of five and are used to having more than one pet in the house – a Corgi is an excellent choice for you. The reason for the multiple-pet factor is that Corgis are much more well-behaved if you let them socialize. Corgis are intelligent dogs, and they need tasks and activities during the day to keep them busy.
The best way to do this is to have multiple pets! Some people just aren’t used to that type of thing, and we get that! But trust us, it will make life a whole lot easier. Mind you; there is one thing that we must mention. Corgis don’t do that well with unknown pets in their house. They have been guarding their homes and kicking unwanted animals out for a long time.
With that said, they just need a little time so they can get used to new pets. But once they do, you’ll have nothing to worry about. It usually doesn’t matter whether you pair them up with males, females, or any type of other animals. They will have trouble living with their own kind, though. Well, in a sense, male Corgis don’t get along with other males Corgis. We have no explanation; they just don’t!
The same goes for female Corgis not getting along with female Corgis. But mix them together, and they’ll be just fine!
The Worst Family-Corgi Combination
Now that we have the best combination out of the way let’s take a look at the worst.
We mentioned it once, and we’ll do it again. If you have small children or toddlers, don’t get a Corgi. To be safe, it’s best to set a sort of limit. Corgis and children under the age of five should not mix. The reason for this is that they just don’t get long. Corgis will be annoyed by the children since there is a chance that they will play in a way that doesn’t suit the puppy.
In response, the Corgi will try to control the situation the best way they know how – by herding. You Corgi will get loud, they nip the heels of the kids in order to control them, and it will just be a big mess!
Sure, if you’re a professional dog trainer, this could be a walk in the park for you. But even then, kids are already a huge responsibility. Adding an annoyed dog to the mix just seems like a bad call.
The next thing that we’ll mention as a bad call is getting a Corgi if you’re a family that lives in a small apartment. This may seem like a no-brainer, but we feel it must be mentioned. While there’s a good chance that a dog will be the last thing on the mind of families that live in small spaces, Corgis sometimes get brought into the conversation.
It’s not a surprise; they are small, bright, and loyal dogs. But they’ll also be a real pain in a small apartment, especially if you have kids running around as well. Corgis are loud, kids are loud, and small spaces aren’t famous for sound isolation.
See Also: Are Corgis Good With Other Dogs? Do Corgis Like Other Dogs?
Final Words
So, what’s the verdict? Well, that’s up to you! We have tried to give you as much information as we can find to help. But in the end, it’s a decision that you and your family need to make. All we can do is guide you as much as we can.
We love Corgis; there’s really no question about it. But we know them, and there are just some situations in which they’ll be more of an annoyance than anything else. They’re happy little dogs that can bring you a lot of love and joy. But sometimes, you just have to face the facts.
We think that they’re more than worth the trouble. But waiting a couple of years until you bring them into the family is without a doubt the best possible option. That way, they will have time to get used to the surroundings. When your kids get a little more mature, they will know better than to say, pull on a dog’s tail for fun.
As long as you remember these rules, you’ll be fine:
- Don’t get Corgis if you have kids that are under the age of five.
- Don’t get a Corgi if you don’t have the time to train them and keep them active and appropriately socialized. Having kids is not easy, but having a high-maintenance dog is no piece of cake either. So why mix the two?
- Once you get yourself and your family into a position in which a Corgi will be more joy than trouble, go for it. They are, without a doubt, one of the most loveable breeds on the planet, and we can’t imagine a life without one of them!
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