— Breed of the Month —

The Corgi

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an adorable, agreeable small dog whose size conceals generations of herding instincts and traits associated with much larger breeds. The American Kennel Club ranks the Corgi as the smallest dog in its herding group and the 13th-most popular breed in the United States – an unsurprising ranking for an intelligent, tenacious, family-friendly dog that is equally loving and dependable.

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Breed Traits and Characteristics

According to the American Kennel Club, here are some breed characteristic you can find in Corgis. 

 

  • Height

    10-12 inches

  • Weight

    Up to 20 pounds (male), up to 28 pounds (female)

  • Life Expectancy

    12-13 years

  • Coat Type/Length

    Double/Short

  • 100 Affectionate with Family
  • 60 Good with Young Children
  • 80 Good with Other Dogs
  • 80 Trainability Level
  • 80 Energy Level
  • 80 Barking Level
  • 80 Shedding Level
  • 20 Drooling Level

History

Some find it hard to believe that a dog the size of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was bred for herding cattle, but its deeply entrenched instincts that back centuries: it is believed that the cattle dogs that were brought to Wales by the Vikings in the 9th and 10th centuries are the true ancestors of the Corgi as we know it today. (It is also possible that they may have descended from a line of dogs that were brought to Wales in the 12th century by Flemish weavers.)

Corgis possess all the vital traits to be extremely efficient cattle dogs: tenacity, determination, and high intelligence. Both the Pembroke and its close cousin, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, descend from the line of northern spitz-type dogs. Initially recognized as one breed, the Kennel Club of the UK decided in 1934 to recognize the Pembroke and Cardigan separately. The American Kennel Club followed suit in the same year and in 1936, the Pembroke was first shown in the USA. The official AKC breed standard is maintained by the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is perhaps best known for being Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s preferred breed of dog. Queen Elizabeth II of England was given her first Corgi by her father, King George, in 1933, and the breed has been a fixture in her life ever since.

Corgi Personality & Temperament 

Pembroke Corgis are highly intelligent, outgoing, and friendly dogs. Strong and athletic, Corgis are happiest with moderate daily exercise – they especially love herding and chasing, the same activities they engage in as working dogs. Their pleasant disposition makes Corgis a great fit for families, and their protectiveness if they sense a threat to their family or social group makes the breed great watchdogs. Their determination can sometimes turn into a stubborn streak, however, making early, consistent training beneficial to avoid future behavioral issues.

Corgis have become more and more popular in the USA, and for good reason: they are great family dogs, with keen intelligence that means they take to training well. This same intelligence can be a challenge for their owners, however, as Corgis do not relinquish leadership easily – after all, the same determination, tenacity, and independence that serve them well as herding dogs can also make them a challenge to handle.

If you are thinking of purchasing a Corgi, it is especially important to source from an ethical, responsible breeder who is breeding for not only looks, but health and temperament as well. Rescues are also great options for prospective Corgi owners. Contact your local Bark Busters trainer today to learn about great breeders and rescue organizations near you!

Corgi Physical Characteristics

Muscular, long, and low-set, Pembroke Corgis differ from their cousin, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, in several respects: Pembrokes typically have docked tails compared to long tails for Cardigans (though some countries have banned the practice, making the difference more difficult to spot); additionally, the Cardigan has a slightly larger head and comes in different colors than its Pembroke counterpart.

Class & Color

Class

  • Herding Class

Color:

  • Red
  • Fawn
  • Sable
  • Brack and Tan
  • (All colors may be with or without white markings)

Size

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are small but powerful dogs with surprising agility given their size and short legs.

  • Small
  • Height: Height: 10-12 inches
  • Weight: up to 30 pounds (male); up to 28 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

Pembroke Corgis maintain good genetic health, especially when purchased from responsible breeders, though some can suffer from inherited conditions like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and other rare conditions.

  • Pembroke Welsh Corgis typically live between 12 and 13 years.

Corgi Common Behavioral Issues

The common issues with Corgis are normally barking, chasing, leash-pulling and sibling rivalry. They can be bossy with other dogs, with a desire to rule the roost. Early training makes a real difference when it comes to managing the strong herding instincts possessed by Corgis, which may transfer to everything they do. Good management is especially important around young children, who may be nipped during overexuberant play. The Corgi is not malicious, but it can get itself into trouble if left on its own to run the show.

If you are struggling with your Corgi’s behavioral issues, contact your local Bark Busters trainer. Our trainers are available both in person and through live interactive virtual sessions to help establish a pattern of consistency, resolve any and all issues, and help you nurture a relationship with your Corgi built on mutual understanding, trust, respect, and love.

Corgis have never been known to walk away from a fight, but the generally won't start one. It is important to socialize them properly from an early age to avoid behavioral issues.

Aggression is not normally an issue with Corgis, though they can become leash-reactive if allowed to lead on walks. Training can help curb their potential to nip at heels if they get excited – call your local Bark Busters trainer to learn more.

Prevention is far more preferable to a cure – early basic obedience training is absolutely vital to ensuring your Corgi understands and follows your rules.

All dogs need a special place to call their own. By selecting a place for yours to eat and sleep away from high traffic areas of your home, you can set good habits early in its life.

We are standing by to help you develop a consistent, compassionate approach to good behavior for your Corgi. Learn more about our services and schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with one of our trainers today!

Connect with Us!

Need help training your Corgi? Call 1-877-500-BARK (2275)or enter your zip code.

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Corgi Health

Health

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are generally healthy, though some may inherit hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, or Von Willebrand Disease.

Corgis need daily exercise to stay healthy and happy. Consider walks or jogs, but be mindful of their short legs, which can hinder their ability to keep up at faster speeds.

Corgis are very intelligent and need mental stimulation. Consider a puzzle or chew toy that stimulates a dog’s natural desire to chew.

Corgis benefit from structure and direction, including proper socialization from a young age with people and low-energy dogs.

Grooming

Corgis possess a weatherproof short undercoat with a longer, coarser outer coat of varying length. Pembrokes do benefit from a once-daily brushing with a comb and slicker brush to minimize their tendency to shed, which increases in spring and early summer. The American Kennel Club also recommends occasional baths to loosen dead hairs (though Corgis should be completely dry before brushing), regular nail trimmings, and routine ear checks.

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Hear from Bark Busters Clients Who Have a Corgi

Dan is a lifesaver! Zoe is a 5 year old strong willed Corgi who constantly was barking, pulling, jumping and overall not listening. After the first lesson with Dan, my boyfriend and I saw a major improvement with how she was walking and she was starting to understand that she was no longer in charge. After our second lesson with Dan, my boyfriend and I saw a new well - behaved Corgi. She understands how to walk with us, she grasps that certain areas of the house are not her space but my boyfriend's and mine, and she is understanding the commands when we tell her not to bark. I did not think it was possible to see her improve and the fact that she did and turned the corner so quickly was very impressive! This is all thanks to Dan!
I had purchased a new Corgi puppy last year and had some big issues with her that I could not deal with on my own. My vet recommended Bark Busters and I could not be more grateful for how much their training helped me to be able to keep my dog. Their training is kind and helpful...I would highly recommend this company! - (Google Review)
Steve is great! He is wise, professional, honest, and great at what he does. It's only been a few days since our first session and have seen a huge improvement with our 2.5-year-old corgi, Herbie. His biggest problem behaviors (barking non-stop when we have guests and jumping up to steal food) have subsided and we're looking forward to seeing more improvements as we continue with training.
Deb from Bark Busters totally changed my relationship with my dogs. I have two dogs, one is 4 years old hound mix and the other is 7 months old corgi mix. There has been some sibling rivalry, some aggressive behavior around feeding time (coming from the corgi towards the hound), and the typical barking, jumping, etc. I took a dog training course with the hound but when I tried training the corgi he wouldn't listen, just wanted the treat. Deb came to our home and totally flipped the script on how to handle my dogs. It's only been one week and we still have some work to do in certain areas but I noticed my dogs are a lot more relaxed and when your dog sitter texts you saying "Holy *beep*! What did you guys do? They didn't jump on me when I came into the house!" I find that a great success and the steps to the right direction! Thank you, Deb!
Justine was so helpful,and informative from the moment she arrived. She provided us the tools needed to help our 2 yr shelter dog with multiple issues-separation anxiety, fearfulness, growling, and posturing to defend himself. Our second lesson was focused on walking with her special leash, and other items for training. Our new family member has been a challenge, but Justine is teaching us the tools to work with Mookie on so many levels. Though behavior training materials and in person visits to our home by Justine, Mookie improves every week. I interviewed multiple facilites and trainers via telephone calls and in-person. They all recommended doogie boot camp in thier facility for up to 1 month. Justine came to our home to provide training in his own environment. I highly recommend her to everyone I meet.
John was very confident in training us on how to train Zeebo. When something wasn't quite working, he was able to offer several options to find what did work. We're excited to see the results.
John was very patient teaching how to better interact with Austin.
I am very happy! John was very helpful and professional. I am very grateful.
I loved it!
We were so close to rehoming Samson because of possession aggression. I thought Moses was the “normal” one of the two..Maxine determined right away that Moses had issues of his own. Moses is coming along, but the amazing transformation has been Samson. I am so glad that I found Bark Busters and especially Maxine, who came faithfully to help us with our furry family. I am happy to say Samson will not need to be rehomed and it would not have turned out that way without Maxine and the Bark Buster training. I know I was probably a bigger challenge for her than the pugs, but she is a
treasure for sure.
We were referred to Jared by a friend who had amazing results with their dog. I swear, from his first visit, my dogs were trained! They were both very responsive to the communication techniques Jared taught us to use with them. He's very friendly, prompt and responsive to any questions we have regarding behavioral issues in between meetings. We would definitely recommend Jared/Bark Busters!
This business is very responsive with communication. Jared, like all the reviews have mentioned, is amazing. After our first meeting we saw improvement. If you work at doing everything he says you will see big improvements. Jared is friendly and knowledgeable. We always look forward to working with him. I would definitely recommend him if you are also committed to changing your dog's behavior.
Nicole has done a great job working with our family and our puppy Teddy! We have gone from dog novices to confident dog owners and love having our well-trained Teddy as part of our pack!
Joshua is wonderful. He's so knowledgeable and patient. I'm very excited to be working with him.
Josh worked through our training material and provided us with demonstrations on how to begin our trainings and worked on a schedule.
Amber was great
Good points and ideas
Nicole has been a very important part of my new puppy experience. I contacted Nicole prior to my puppy pickup day and she has been a wonderful part of my training. Her in home visits have been instrumental and she is so responsive in between visits to provide guidance and support. My puppy loves her and is so excited every time he sees her. If you live in the area she supports I highly recommend her training experience.
We love our Malshi pup Benji, but he has suffered a pretty bad case of separation anxiety. He would howl and whine when we would leave our place and at times caught him digging and being destructive. He also has trouble focusing and social anxiety issues. Kevin has been great in providing the necessary tools and advice on how to go about easing Benji's separation anxiety and overall behavior, and we have seen improvement since our first session! He's taught us how to properly communicate to our pup and has been responsive whenever we have any questions or concerns. It's nice and relieving to know that Kevin will be by our side during Benji's growth and development!
Kevin has worked with my wife and I since day 1 of bringing our Samoyed puppy home a little over a year ago. He's been a vital resource and helped us navigate the most challenging months of raising our dog with effective lessons and strategies to address various adolescent behaviors. Bark Busters' program focuses on forming communication habits with your dog in a language they understand. These tools have been especially effective with addressing impulse control and separation anxiety. We started to see results even after the first session. Our puppy is a notoriously stubborn breed and still has some growing up to do. However, we believe we have laid a very solid foundation with our training with Kevin and that he is really well behaved for his age. Thank you Kevin and Bark Busters for all of your help!
Kevin is amazing. I have a shelter dog that I have had for 2 years. She is very reactive to men and other dogs and could not stay alone for any amount of time. I came home multiple times to my carpet being completely torn up so I knew I had to call someone to help train her. I didn't want her to be so anxious to be alone even for a short period of time.

Customer service was amazing from when I called. They explained everything to me, answered all my questions, and listened to all my concerns. They paired me with Kevin. I was nervous at first that I was paired with a male trainer as my dog does not like men but they said that's exactly why they are doing it. My dog can be skiddish but Kevin gives her space and time while guiding me on what to do. Within 5 mins she comes up to him and is good to go. I see Kevin once a month - sometimes more depending on whether I would like one. He is very communicative on text and we stay in contact throughout the time inbetween sessions so that he can tell me anything I need to change or update.

It has only been 4 months and Kevin has checked off so many things on my list. Here are some...
- my dog does not bark at the door when someone walks by, rings the bell, or comes in
- my dog can stay alone for a couple hours calmly and fall asleep
- my dog is crate trained and can be in her crate that's in the room by herself
- my dog does not pull and walks beside me
- my dog is not reactive to other dogs when on walks
- my dog goes in and out of doors only when I say ""ok""
- my dog listens to her commands - sit, stay, inside, drop it, wait, leave it, etc
- my dog is constantly looking at me to listen

I am also moving from LA to Australia and he is helping me train my dog to be comfortable in her crate for a 16hr flight. She's already doing so well in her crate. She used to escape from her old crate because of how panicked she was and now she goes in there on her own to sleep.

My dog and I have become a lot closer because of this training. My main reason for the training was that I didn't want her to be anxious all the time and Kevin has definitely helped her to feel comfortable and secure.

Thank you so much Kevin! You have made a huge difference in our lives! I truly appreciate it.
We are first-time dog owners. We got our puppy at eight weeks and were over our heads. Ever since Kevin came, we have seen improvements with our puppy Jazz immediately. He always assesses the situation to figure out where Jazz is and gives us great building blocks and pointers on handling each situation within each phase we head into with her each time we see him. He is an awesome trainer. He makes himself available and is always responsive when we text him to guide us on addressing what we are dealing with. We highly recommend this training. You will see improvements if you stay consistent with their guidance.
I was at my wits' end with my rescue dog Luckie. I got him during Covid, and he was my first dog. Over the three years that I've had him, his behavior had gotten increasingly worse. He barked non-stop, didn't like anyone getting near me, and was no fun to walk as he peed every second. I wasn't sure I could keep him, as he was really impacting my life, and this broke my heart.

My first meeting with Kevin literally changed my life. All his teachings were about me using my voice and showing I'm in control. I could not believe the changes in my dog I saw from one visit! Kevin checks in with me and is available through text. He has come a few more times to check on us and further our education.

I cannot recommend this company more. I had seen other trainers, and no one has had such a long-lasting impact as Kevin and Bark Busters. Honestly, the best money ever spent.
Orlando helped us with establishing leadership with both our dogs and claiming areas and personal space. Looking forward to our next lesson in order to address additional issues.
Orlando was very attentive to our issues at hand. He was patient, informative and knowledgeable about creating the security and safety we needed to establish for Oreo. We recommend him for anyone looking to see great improvements with your dog.
Really great information. Got fully on the problem.
My dog Grace is a mini Australian Shepherd, she was very sick when she was a puppy and barely survived but couldn't get the proper socialization and became aggressive towards other dogs and people, mostly when walking outside, she would bark and have separation anxiety when I wasn't close by was desperate and frustrated I needed help. I contacted Bark Busters and I has been a wonderful experience, I been working with Kevin for the past 3 months and he has been knowledgeable, patient he has thought me a lot, Grace still has work to do but she is doing much better, I'm very happy with the service I have received and the passion this people have for helping both dog and owner. If you are concerned about price let me tell you that is completely worth it. Thank you Kevin.
Very thorough and comprehensive. Excellent instruction and detail. We hope to fix our issue. Amazing trainer, we appreciate him!
Mariah has been extremely helpful with our scared/shy pup! Our girl is so scared of men and has begun barking/growling at my husband. Mariah gave us a variety of strategies and practice exercises that have already made a huge difference in our lives. Our puppy already shows a noticeable difference and appears much happier!

Need Dog Training Assistance with your Corgi? Find Your Local Trainer Now!

CALL TODAY 1-877-500-BARK (2275)

Please begin by confirming your zip code.