Made popular by their status as the Queen of Britain’s official household pet, the Welsh Corgi are some of the most fun pets to have in the small dog category. They are very energetic and affectionate while retaining the herding traits from their original breed.
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is known as a sensitive and intelligent breed, loving companionship and being very good fun to be around. They are also quite cute and make for a lovely assorted group of dogs if you’re able to keep a few.
Here are the pros and cons of owning a Corgi for yourself.
Pros of a Corgi
1. Corgis are sociable and friendly dogs
As pets, Corgis are a joy to play with and they make friends easily. They’ll fit right into your household without too much training, and they are always up for doing things together, an awesome pro of Corgis. At the same time, Corgis love spending time with their humans, so expect a mutual sociability – you’ll need to engage and entertain them in return!
As Corgis are originally herding dogs, this means they’re great for going on a walk with as they’ll be constantly rounding up the group. But it also means they have high energy levels and you’ll often find them chasing around the home. This is why it’s great to have more than one Corgi: they enjoy each other’s company and they’ll have someone to chase all the time!
However, be careful about having other smaller animals as pets, alongside your Corgi. Because of their herding instinct, they’ll be rounding up your rodents and potentially harm them. They do, however, seem to get on really well with cats, especially if they have grown up together.
2. They are a very clever breed
Corgis are well-known for being a clever dog, starting with the herding instincts that characterize the breed. They know how to get around and coordinate a group, and are receptive to learning lots of skills and tricks at a young age.
Moreover, Corgis are often referred to as miniature German Shepherds due to the similarity in personalities between these two breeds. They are receptive, attentive to their humans’ needs, and pick up new tricks quickly.
While Corgis learn quickly, they love treats in return for their training, and they are predisposed to becoming overweight if they don’t get enough exercise to make up for how much they eat. This can become a real problem, as explained below.
3. Corgis live a long life
Another pro of Corgis is that they are long lived, even as long as 15 years. The average lifespan for the Pembroke or Cardigan Welsh Corgi is around 12-14 years, so they’ll be with you for a long time.
Moreover, Corgis are very independent and have a mind of their own, growing in wisdom as they get older. They are a little stubborn, however, so you’ll need to be careful that they don’t develop this too much as they grow older, or they will be tough to handle as adults.
4. They are easy to care for
The Corgi coat is easy to brush and care for, which makes them not very demanding pets from a styling perspective. You just need to brush them once a week to make sure they house isn’t covered in hairs, and this should be enough to keep shedding under control.
Of course, as these are very active and energetic dogs, if they spend a lot of time outdoors, you’ll need to be ready to adapt their grooming to reflect this!
Although your Corgi can be really easy to groom and care for, the downside is that they are also always alert and can become really loud if left alone in an apartment or not getting enough attention. They pick up noises that they’re not familiar with and will bark back, and they can become a nuisance to your neighbors quite easily because of that.
Cons of Owning a Corgi
1. They can be loud barkers
With the high energy and friendliness levels of Corgis also comes a loud bark, a con of owning a Corgi. This can become a problem depending on your or your neighbors’ preferences for loud noises!
Corgis are always seeking attention and affection, so if you are not prepared to spend time with them and entertain them enough, you can expect them to bark to draw your attention.
In order to stay happy, you need to tire them out and ensure they have no reason to draw you out of the house.
When at home, Corgis are very alert and they’ll pick up strange noises or other dogs’ barks and bark back, so that is another aspect to be aware of. They also bark loudly when meeting other dogs, and are never shy to express themselves. So, they may appear as great watchdogs for their bark, but that can also be a downside depending on your neighborhood and your own tolerance of noises.
2. Corgis’ energy can be a downside
The high energy levels of Corgis can turn into a downside if you are busy or simply don’t get around to walking and playing with your pet as much as they want. They actually run the risk of becoming destructive if you allow them to get bored, so leaving them alone at home is a hazard unless they’re really well trained and well walked beforehand.
Another way to tackle the hyper-activity of Corgis can be by providing them with lots of toys and distractions so they’re constantly finding new things to do at home. If they don’t have something of their own to chew on, you run the risk of them finding their way into your closet, especially if they’ve been left alone and are getting frustrated. Having more than one Corgi in the house can then become a liability, even!
Finally, they require a lot of exercise to be truly happy, so if you can’t take them out every day for enough time, you’ll need to find other ways to get their walking in. Funnily enough, they can learn to walk on a treadmill if you have one!
3. Corgis can easily put on weight
Unlike what you may expect from such a hyperactive animal, Corgis can actually become overweight very easily and, in turn, this can affect their health significantly. Because of their longer frame, they’re at risk of hip and back dysplasia if they get too heavy, so that’s an additional risk.
A con of Corgis is that they can become overweight easily. If they indulge in treats but don’t get good amount of exercise, Corgis will most likely become overweight. And, to add to the difficulty, they are very responsive to treats, for example while training. This means that, if you’ve got your Corgi accustomed to getting lots of treats when you’re first training them, you’ll need to restrict this significantly if they’re not getting as much exercise as you’ve used them to.
You can also control their tendency to gain weight with a strict diet plan. One option is to mix in mashed vegetables with their dog food, so they are eating less calorific meals without realizing it and turning their noses at their meal. They are clever dogs, but they can still fall for this sort of trick!
I hope that this article on pros and cons of Corgis was helpful! If you are interested, visit the Dog Category!
