You must have seen therapy dogs helping their owners. This is a heart-warming experience, but can your corgi play the role of a therapy dog? We’re gonna find out!
Loving your pet and cuddling with them is something that every owner looks forward to at the end of the day. However, some people desperately need this unconditional love. In that case, our pets become therapy dogs. The question is, can corgis be therapy dogs?
They most certainly can, and it’s all thanks to their character traits. If you are interested in the topic of corgis as therapy dogs, keep scrolling and read more about what makes this breed an outstanding therapy dog, and what are the benefits of this.
Corgis As Therapy Support Animals
If you are someone in need of a therapy support animal, and you seem to like corgis, consider the deal closed. Don’t bother yourself too much with the question: do corgis make good therapy dogs?
Corgis make excellent therapy dogs, and they’ve checked all of the requirements a support animal should have.
Now, don’t worry about the details too much, because you will have the opportunity to go through the essential characteristics of a therapy dog.
And in case you’ve been questioning which breed (Cardigan or Pembroke) is better, the answer is both. Both of these breeds make incredible therapy dogs if they are trained for it.
Interesting fact: The corgi breed is ranked 11th among the most intelligent dog breeds out there. This gives them a huge advantage when it comes to adapting to the different needs of people and understanding them.
Key Characteristics
As I said, it’s time to list the characteristics that a therapy dog MUST have. We will also comment on corgi’s part in each of them.
The Ability To Ignore Surrounding Stimuli:
The role of therapy dogs can involve constant travelling from one place to another, as is the case with people traveling by plane with pets. Also, visiting different places involves all kinds of different environments.
Corgis adapt relatively quickly to new environments, but as therapy dogs, they need maximum concentration in order to do this successfully.
As a therapy dog, things like strangers, noise, and even squirrels should not distract your corgi. It has to be focused on you all the time.
The Ability To Get Along With Others (If Needed):
Being focused on your owner does not have to mean total isolation. Corgis are social dogs by nature, and this feature can come in handy.
Your corgi must be loyal to you, but it must also respect the people around you, and not rely on aggressive outbursts in any way. This can very easily upset and hurt people near you.
If properly trained, corgis can get along with basically anyone.
The Ability To Maintain A Balance Between Playing And Helping:
One fundamental characteristic that every therapy dog must possess is balance, but not just any kind. It is very important that your dog knows when it is time to play and when only help is needed.
Being playful is great, but it’s not the only way in which your corgi can help.
The Ability To Stay Calm In Stressful Situations:
The ability to stay calm goes right after balance, and this can be crucial in many situations.
As therapy dogs, there will certainly be difficult situations in which your corgi must be calm and steady. This is difficult for most dogs because these are very impulsive animals.
People who suffer from depression or anxiety are in desperate need of a calm therapy dog that will take care of them when that moment comes.
The Ability And Need To Please:
A dog that is just playful does not make it a therapy dog. Therapy dogs have to go through a certain training during which they will learn how to help someone in need.
So, after the training is finished, your corgi becomes a therapy dog, and now it is officially ready and able to help. It is important to note that training depends on the problem you are having.
Also, some training methods last longer than others, and there is no time limit. The only thing that matters is that your corgi fulfills all the criteria and shows that it knows how to help.
A Couple More Things You Should Know
In addition to the key features we just flipped through, you should know a couple more things, and they are related to your corgi.
Corgis are not fearsome animals. Don’t let their size fool you. These are small animals, but they make fearless dogs. Plus, they have a rich history and merits that confirm this.
Corgis are natural herding dogs, and they used to look after cattle, travel from one village to another, transport goods, and even scare off predators that have threatened their property.
Yes, there is a fine line between this and aggression, but it is important to know that there is rarely anything that can scare your corgi.
We all love those fluffy corgi ears, but they are more than just cute and soft. Hearing is one of corgis superpowers.
This is especially good if they are training to be therapy dogs. These dogs can hear basically anything, no matter how far away. If they are properly trained, they can make a distinction between the following sounds:
- Intruders
- Boiling water
- Clocks
- Fire alarms
- Doorbells
- Knocking on the door
- Telephone ringing
These dogs are very gentle, and this can be useful in certain situations. For example, some people need to touch their dogs and pet them in order to stay calm and relieve anxiety.
Believe me, corgis love to be touched, and they would spend a whole day cuddling with their owner if they could.
Why am I mentioning this? Because there are many breeds out there that don’t like to be petted. This attitude often results in barking and repulsion.
If, by chance, you weren’t sure and are still asking yourself “are corgis good therapy dogs”, I hope this convinced you.
Health Issues That Require A Therapy Dog
Now is the time to focus on the more serious part of this topic: people and diseases that require a therapy dog. While most people would think that therapy dogs are just for people with mental disorders, this is just one group.
Anxiety & Depression
Mental health problems have become more common lately, and they should by no means be ignored. About 10 million people in America alone are fighting this invisible enemy. Therapy dogs can help a lot of people struggling with anxiety and depression.
Here are the symptoms that indicate this:
| Excessive worrying | People who are prone to anxiety or depression will always find something to worry about, and these issues are even more intense in their minds. This is the first sign that something is not okay. |
| Fatigue | People who suffer from depression or anxiety struggle with constant fatigue, even if they do nothing physically demanding. This can be a problem, and that’s where therapy dogs can jump in. |
| Reckless behavior | While some are quiet, other people struggling with mental illness may have sudden mood swings and behave recklessly. This is where your therapy dog’s calmness comes in handy. |
| Anger issues | Anger issues are a prevalent result of poor coping with mental disorders. These people need some positivity, and who better to help with this than your corgi therapy dog. |
| Suicidal ideation | One of the more severe forms of depression or anxiety leads to suicidal thoughts. Therapy dogs are recommended to people like this because a dog’s influence has proven to help. |
Dementia
Surely you know at least one elderly person in your area, perhaps even a family member, who is suffering from dementia. This is a severe disease that affects the thinking, memory, and social abilities of an individual.
Many people who have dementia are recommended therapy dogs to help them fulfill their daily activities. Let’s take a quick look at the problems that dementia can cause and why therapy dogs are a good choice.
| Psychological changes | Cognitive changes |
| Personality changes | Memory loss |
| Depression | Difficulty communicating |
| Paranoia | Difficulty completing daily tasks |
| Agitation | Difficulty planning and organizing |
| Hallucinations | Disorientation |
As you have seen, dementia can have enormous consequences. A therapy dog can help by constantly being by your side and:
- Helping you walk in the right direction
- Bringing you items you forgot
- Notifying the third party if you need additional assistance
- Helping lower your anxiety and depression
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder is very common with ex-soldiers and veterans. After spending some time in war or peace missions, upon their return, everyone deals differently with the consequences.
Individuals who have had a bad experience and are diagnosed with PTSD are often recommended to get a therapy dog.
Therapy dogs, in this case, can help a lot by basically taking in their stress and providing a safe energy flow in return. Also, PTSD patients tend to isolate themselves, and that’s where the therapy dog’s playfulness comes in handy.
The Benefits Of Therapy Dogs
In order to successfully conclude the topic, it is time to briefly list the benefits of having a therapy dog (a corgi in this case). So, therapy dogs can help in:
- Eliminating boredom
- Helping out with daily activities
- Reducing anxiety and stress
- Offering companionship
- Improving the good mood
- Offering guidance
- Increasing physical activity
- Improving cognitive abilities
Read Also: Why Do Corgis Make Good Pets? How Good Are Corgis As Pets?