Are Corgis Good Family Dogs? What You Need to Know

Being the favorite dog breed of the royal family, you may be wondering if Corgis are good family dogs. Although Corgis are an excellent breed for most families, they are not recommended if you have children younger than 5 in your household. More so, they are not recommended if you don’t anticipate being home often. Other than that, they make a great family dog.

To find out more about Corgis and how they fit into families, read on. This article fully examines whether or not Corgis are good family dogs, as well as how to take care of your pet Corgi. Let’s get the scoop about this cute dog breed.

Are Corgis Good for Families?

Before buying any dog, it’s important to do thorough research about the breed and individual dog you select. The absolute last thing you want is to select an aggressive dog or one that doesn’t fit into your household well. Corgis are a popular breed because of their small size and intelligent nature.

As a whole, Corgis are considered good dogs because they are loyal, intelligent, and not very aggressive. They will fit into most households, including households with other pets and older children. Still, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before adding a Corgi to your home.

Are Corgis Good With Children?

If you have children, you’re probably looking for a gentle and non-aggressive breed, even around rambunctious young children. Corgis are not very aggressive, but they were bred as herding dogs. This means that they want to herd other animals and young children by nature. They may even nip at children’s heels to try to get them where they want to go.

With this in mind, Corgis are not recommended for households with children under the age of five. Even though the Corgis are not trying to be outright aggressive, you don’t want a herding dog to hurt or scare your young child accidentally.

Once your child is over the age of five, Corgis are a great breed. This dog is loyal and very playful, making them a great breed for children and adults alike. If your child is still young, make sure to supervise any playtime to ensure that the dog isn’t trying to herd the child.

Are Corgis Good With Other Pets?

Corgis are generally good with other pets. Because they were bred to be herding dogs, they can be a bit territorial and standoffish to other dogs and cats they don’t know. With that being said, Corgis still tend to love other animal playmates, such as cats and dogs.

If you have livestock, Corgis will especially get along well with them. Because of their herding nature, they won’t try to harm any sheep, horses, cows, or other livestock.

Barking

Barking is something that many people don’t like. Corgis aren’t necessarily yappy, but they bark more than other breeds. They will especially bark to alert you whenever another animal or stranger comes on your property. This makes them great watchdogs that are perfect for families.

Additionally, they can bark whenever they become anxious, which is a bit more troublesome. You can train your Corgi from a young age to respond better to being alone and nervous, but we will talk about this more in the next section.

Taking Care of Your Corgi

In addition to looking at how Corgis get along with other people and animals, you need to look at the care requirements before selecting a breed. Certain breeds require more attention and care than others. It’s essential to select a dog that you can provide adequate attention and love to.

In comparison to other breeds, Corgis need moderate exercise but a lot of mental stimulation. This breed can also be hard-headed or stubborn, meaning you need to properly train them as soon as you welcome one into your home.

Exercise

In terms of exercise, Corgis don’t need any additional workouts or playtime. This breed loves having things to do, but they don’t need to be exercised as much as other breeds. Simply ensuring that your Corgi gets regular and moderate exercise will do the trick.

Luckily, it’s not very hard to get them to exercise. This breed is very fast, despite their small body frame. This means that they love chasing items and running around in the yard.

Mental Stimulation

Whereas Corgis do not need a lot of physical exercise, they need much more mental stimulation than other breeds. This dog will get bored very quickly, causing them to partake in destructive behaviors. It’s a great idea to find interactive toys for your dog to keep them stimulated, even when you aren’t around.

Training

Something you need to do early on with your Corgi is to train them extensively. Corgis can be hard-headed, and training them often requires a lot of patience. It’s important to approach training with consistency and positive reinforcement.

After you get the hang of training your Corgi, they will start responding to new tricks and directions pretty quickly. Just make sure to use positive reinforcement, not negative reinforcement.

Family Time

Certain breeds like having more attention than others. The Corgi falls into this category. They do not like being left by themselves without their owners or other dog friends for long periods. If you were to leave your Corgi for too long, they are known to become anxious, causing them to partake in destructive behaviors and excessive barking.

In fact, Corgis are so drawn to family time that they sometimes get anxious when individual family members are in different rooms of the home. This goes back to their herding nature, where they like having all of their family in one place with them.

It’s important to discourage this sort of behavior early on in the Corgi’s training process. This will acclimate the Corgi to being alone in the home. It will also help prevent them from nipping or barking whenever individual family members aren’t all in the same place.

You should not select a Corgi if you do not plan on being home a lot. Even though you can discourage negative behavior associated with this tendency, you cannot completely eradicate it. If you cannot be home with your Corgi a lot, it’s best to select a breed that is more comfortable being alone.

Are Corgis Good Dogs for Families? Final Verdict

Corgis are good family dogs if you have children over the age of five and are willing to put in the time, effort, and possibly money to train them and give them the attention they need. If you follow these rules of thumb, you will have a really great experience with a Corgi.

On the other hand, you should opt for a different breed if you have children under the age of five or you don’t want to train them. More so, select a different breed if you don’t intend on being home very often. Other than that, a Corgi will make a great addition to just about any household.

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Featured Image Credit: BONDART PHOTOGRAPHY, Shutterstock