Former lifetime Lab girl
but we just lost our beloved Corgi, Miles, in February. We had 12, wonderful, fun filled years with him. Wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Easiest dog I’ve ever trained, he simply never put a foot wrong, never chewed, never had an accident in the house, loved the company of his humans, happy enough to be by himself and nap. He announced every night at exactly 10pm, by sitting directly in front of the television and sort of blowing air through his cheeks, that it was time for my husband and I to go to bed to he didn’t have to “keep watch” and he could go to sleep. My husband was his best friend, I was his ticket outside for adventures, his herding instinct was perfect, he had a down stay that would last forever. It was like having a little furry imp in our lives and the hole his absence left is deep and wide.
Simply the smartest dog ever, with much more “presence” than any other dog I, or my friends have known. Born with manners and good sense.
He was a stunning sable and white male, a real head turner.
He only shed twice a year. For six months at a time. When I brushed him when his coat was blowing, it looked like I’d weed whacked a Collie.
Topped out at a robust 42 pounds, barked only when necessary, “chortled” when happy or when trying to talk you into an extra cookie. Had a large vocabulary, you could tell by how he “spoke” which cat was coming up fro the barn.
He insisted that we go outside, feed the cats, turn the horses in/out, ride in the golf cart, hang out on the porch at the same time, each day. There was no sleeping in, you got an extra 15 minutes if, and only if, he was picked up to be on the bed with me. He ran the farm with military precision, make no mistake, this place was his, he shared it with those he loved. He was a confirmed “only” dog, other dogs could visit, but they must be gone by dark or he made his displeasure quite clear.
He was that rare mix of fearlessly loyal and quite independent. Not a snuggle bug, he’d jump up on the couch, get an ear rub, then go to the other end of the sofa, push all the decorative pillows off with his nose, then stretch out for a nap on “his side”. Every night. Loved his barn cats, and knew when there was one less or an intruder to be chased to the edge of the property. Moused like a terrier. When he did bark he sounded like he weighed a hundred pounds.
He was one of a kind, and except for some timid rescue Corgis I’ve met (and timid is considered a fault) I’ve never met one I didn’t like.
If you want to come home at night to a dog who smiles and is glad to see you, and you don’t mind the Corgi fuzz, which will be everywhere in spite of your best efforts, I’d get a Corgi. Once you’ve had one, it simply spoils you for any other breed.
And if you get the right one, it will spoil you for any other dog.
