The expectations of owning a Corgi

[QUOTE=mountainhorse;8591489]
Then, like others have suggested, find another dog/breed that is more of a “by your side, yes master” dog.[/QUOTE]

Such as? The things she has described are pretty normal dog stuff. What breeds are born knowing they aren’t allowed into the garbage, in horse paddocks or that will stay by your side without training?

Sounds like a bad match, and that you have visions of Lassie running in your head. Why in the world did you choose a Corgi if you wanted super obedient, and submissive? I get they have adorable bat ears, but easily trained and inherently well mannered they are not.

I have a JRT that I adore. He has never learned to leave cat food alone (he gets told “no cat food” multiple times a day, 10 min later he’s scheming how to get to it again), the litter box is only moderately safe, and he will never ever be allowed off leash because omg squirrel. Otherwise he is a moderately well behaved (when you have his attention) dog, who is an awesome cuddle buddy and loves to go hiking with SO and I. He sounds a lot like your Corgi, and while my JRT might be a punk sometimes, he is my punk.

Honestly I’d be half tempted to ask where you are located in case you decide to rehome. I kind of like dogs with a little bit of a 'tude.

P.S. I understand the late dog setting a high bar for all subsequent pups. My Dal was my heart dog and was awesome, but I also know she had her moments (again cat box presents, not to mention she was a tad food agressive to other dogs, and could pull like a draft horse on walks). I miss her every day, but I will not hold it against another dog simply because it is not her.

S1- I am not talking about specific behaviors, I am referring to breed traits.

I’ve had Corgis for nearly 60 years. As I have mentioned numerous times on this forum, they are NOT for everyone.

At this point in your relationship, the dog is smarter than you. He’s sneaky because you give him the opportunity. Corgis are extremely easy to train…but you have to be sharper and more persistent than they are.

I try very hard to never let my two out on their own. That’s just asking for trouble. However, mine don’t wander…we live on a small ranch, so they really don’t have any reason to leave the property. But if I let them loose in the morning unsupervised, they do head off to the barn and get in all sorts of mischief.

[QUOTE=mountainhorse;8591961]
S1- I am not talking about specific behaviors, I am referring to breed traits.[/QUOTE]

Again - like which breeds? Which breeds are born more willing to listen to their masters? That’s a statement I would probably never make; because most dogs need training and consistency. Maybe a Golden would be more of a “pleaser” but I wouldn’t assume that they would necessarily be more obedient about things like garbage cans.

I have a deaf corgi that we got from a rescue last summer. We absolutely adore him, but he’s very different from our other two dogs (a GSD mix and a JRT mix)… I can definitely see how corgis are not for everyone. Whoever said you need a healthy sense of humor to own a corgi - nailed it! :wink:

[QUOTE=S1969;8592061]
Again - like which breeds? Which breeds are born more willing to listen to their masters? That’s a statement I would probably never make; because most dogs need training and consistency. Maybe a Golden would be more of a “pleaser” but I wouldn’t assume that they would necessarily be more obedient about things like garbage cans.[/QUOTE]

My Staffy mix is a velcro dog who acts like her world has ended if she gets scolded. And once she gets scolded the first time, it’s very, very rare that she re-offends. That said, I just started on “out” (of the ring, of the pasture, etc) because I’m not really sure how to train that one and we’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from classes. But I have no doubt that she’ll pick it up easily.

[QUOTE=MsRidiculous;8592099]
I have a deaf corgi that we got from a rescue last summer. We absolutely adore him, but he’s very different from our other two dogs (a GSD mix and a JRT mix)… I can definitely see how corgis are not for everyone. Whoever said you need a healthy sense of humor to own a corgi - nailed it! ;)[/QUOTE]

I did say that, with good reason.

A friend had a son that was showing Pembroke corgis.
He gave my friend a wonderful, wonderful puppy, that he adored.
At that time we were very active with our performance dog club and showing in obedience, that was before agility came to be.

Of course he wanted to come to classes with his puppy and did a wonderful job training him thru the basics.

The funny part was, when he, very short, older, very heavyset man was walking away heeling so proudly with his little, fat, wobbly, cute short legged, with a very fluffy behind puppy, they were a sight the rest of us had a hard time not giggling.
He of course was aware of it, even asked me once to take such a picture and hung it in his house! Hilarious!

You do need a sense of humor with corgis, for several reasons, the way they walk going away from you certainly one more.

Corgis are a dog that I dare anyone to look at them and not smile, even in pictures and when being naughty, which makes harder to be serious about training them, why so many get away with murder.
When you get after one, they cock their head sideways and ask you, “did you really mean little old me?”, when another dog may wilt at your displeasure, or leave in a huff.
Of course, being the sensible canines they are, their murder is not the really dangerous kind, but also very sensible, if not always welcome, like raiding litter boxes when they can.

By the way, I am very allergic to them, after my friend got his corgi, I could not go to his house any more, not without getting so stuffed up, sneezing and my eyes swelling and that is with him keeping it all very clean, his dog regularly bathed.

There are breeds that, by nature, are more independent and less of a “by your side” dog than others. I am generalizing. I never said anything about certain breeds being more obedient than others. There is a difference between the willingness to please between certain breeds, and that can make a difference, however.

[QUOTE=S1969;8592061]
Again - like which breeds? Which breeds are born more willing to listen to their masters? That’s a statement I would probably never make; because most dogs need training and consistency. Maybe a Golden would be more of a “pleaser” but I wouldn’t assume that they would necessarily be more obedient about things like garbage cans.[/QUOTE]

I’ve never had those kind of problems (beyond the cat-poop eating and the answer there was ‘gate the cat room.’) Things I REALLY don’t want destroyed and which I know tempt the Corgis are on higher shelves. They don’t go out off-lead as I don’t have a fenced yard, but then neither did Puff (and he was the worst–Maggie and Tucker are just easily distracted by people or squirrels, Puff would wander off and raid the neighbor’s garbage pile or find any dead animals in a half-mile radius). Tucker was never as much of a chewer as Maggie but both like destroying toys, so they’re given a lot of toys. As far as house breaking, Tucker must have had some before I got her, Maggie took a while, but not noticeably worse than any other puppy, except when she had a bladder infection that took two rounds of antibiotics to clear and she sometimes couldn’t make it.

Truthfully, a lot of corgis are kind of jerks. So yes, I think your expectations are unreasonable. The phrase “bull headed” obviously originated with cows, and the dogs (corgis, ACDs) that are bred to herd them needed to be just as bull headed.

To phrase it differently: the same stubborn, hardheaded qualities that make a corgi great for staring down an angry 1200lb cow also can make it a maddening pet for the wrong owner.

I joke that corgis are a special kind of bad. A husky might run off and ignore you when you call his name, but in my experience a naughty corgi will turn, acknowledge you have said something to him, and make a clear decision to continue running. For whatever reason, this is 10000x more infuriating to me than if the dog were to ignore me completely (although… still hilarious when it happens to someone else :lol: ).

Corgis do well with the kind of people who can laugh at this sort of thing and make a mental note to work on it. Someone who wants a very biddable dog might find the same behavior infuriating.

I’m in the latter camp. Although I love playing my friends’ corgis (and squee! those stubby little legs and corgi butts!!)… personally I could not own one. I prefer a dog who is my shadow, and who will tolerate sometimes being told to do something rather than always preferring it to be a “discussion.” This is why I have two velcro dog breeds from strong obedience lines (a sheltie and a Briard).

So… to me it sounds like maybe you’re in the same camp as me, and picked the wrong breed this go-round. Your options from here are to (1) suck it up and amp up your training and management efforts through his adolescence and hope he mellows with age, or (2) rehome him to someone who can have a good belly laugh when he acts like a corgi, and get a new dog more suitable to your preferences and living situation.

Honestly, it sounds like #2 might be your best option. It doesn’t sound like you’ve been a bad owner–nor has he had a bad life–but living with an animal that creates so much resentment is very difficult and stressful for humans and the dog.

Different breeds of dogs aren’t just all blank slate puppies ready to be molded into the temperament of your choice with different furry coats for different breeds. There are personality traits that characterize many breeds that can be tremendous to try and overcome… beagles follow their noses, huskies climb/jump fences, greyhounds chase small animals, and corgis are little punks. It doesn’t make any of these dogs BAD, it just means people need to carefully consider their deal-breakers before bringing a new breed home.

Your corgi will never have the temperament of a golden, he may always need a secure boundary fence, and you may never be able to laugh at some of his ridiculous displays of corgi-ness. There is no shame in admitting a personality mismatch, provided you put in your due diligence to return him to his breeder or find a more suitable home.

I would recommend another golden, or golden mix, ideally a 2-4 year old adult who is starting to mellow a little bit. Many breeders have retired show dogs around that age that they are looking to place, or know of others who have something that fits the bill.

(Either way, you’re probably going to have to gate off the cat box. Eating dirty litter seems to be fairly standard dog behavior, regardless of how well they’re otherwise behaved. :lol: )

[QUOTE=chestnutmarebeware;8589574]
The late, great devil dogs, Snaffles and Andy![/QUOTE]

They look completely innocent.

:lol: :lol:

OP, I went through a bit of this after my ‘perfect’ dog died and I got a half sister in an effort to replace her with another just like her. Puppy was/is just about as far from perfect as it gets!

The thing is, I’d gotten spoiled by having my older, settled, well behaved dogs for so many years. I’d nearly forgotten about the endless energy and rebellion of youth! It all came back to me though!

I guess my point is, that it’s unfair to compare an impetuous pup to a mature dog that plays by the rules. Pups take a lot of patience. They need a lot of supervision, boundaries, and reinforcement for the first couple of years (and some a lot longer than that)!

Does anyone actually have dogs who have access to a cat litterbox, but who are actually trained not to get into it?

Just curious!

I suspect the answer is yes (I marvel), but just want to hear it confirmed.

Breed? Training technique?

Does anyone actually have dogs who have access to a cat litterbox, but who are actually trained not to get into it?

Just curious!

I suspect the answer is yes (I marvel), but just want to hear it confirmed.

Breed? Training technique?

[QUOTE=Houndhill;8594256]
Does anyone actually have dogs who have access to a cat litterbox, but who are actually trained not to get into it?

Just curious!

I suspect the answer is yes (I marvel), but just want to hear it confirmed.

Breed? Training technique?[/QUOTE]

My lab cross had no interest in the cat litter box or the bowl of dry food left on the kitchen floor…however if cat food was spilled on the floor from the bowl on a shelf in the barn it was considered a huge score…and yes it was the exact same food :slight_smile: Before him there were several other dogs in the household (2 corgi’s, a sheppard Heinz 57 variety, and a lab/Bernese mix) and none ever had an interest in the litter box even though they had full access to it.

[QUOTE=Go Fish;8591972]
I’ve had Corgis for nearly 60 years. As I have mentioned numerous times on this forum, they are NOT for everyone.

At this point in your relationship, the dog is smarter than you. He’s sneaky because you give him the opportunity. Corgis are extremely easy to train…but you have to be sharper and more persistent than they are.
[/QUOTE]Again, fairly easy breed to train, as long as you put the effort in. I just took a pack of seven for an off leash walk on the property. Everyone checks in with me as soon as I whistle. The baby is five months old. But they’re not retrievers.

Eldest corgi, Poppy, is uninterested in the cat box. She was just born not really knowing how to do anything wrong. The other ones think it’s great, I just don’t allow access.

[QUOTE=Lazy Palomino Hunter;8594219]
Truthfully, a lot of corgis are kind of jerks. [/QUOTE]

I’m going to beg to differ. I know more MACH corgis than I can count. The only ones I know who are “jerks” are the ones whose owners didn’t bother to train them.

:lol:

OP, your post made me laugh hysterically. I know that wasn’t what you intended, but it was really funny.

I just imagine this idiot dog crapping, eating it, running rogue on the roads and through the paddocks.

Honestly, it sounds like a waste of time to try and “fix” this dog as you don’t seem to really like the thing. There’s nothing wrong with not liking the dog, sometimes you just don’t click. I for one do not like Corgis at all. Too much yip/nip and not enough intelligence.

You have two options:

  1. Give it away to someone who likes corgis. Maybe your farrier would be interested? Or a Corgi re-homing group?

  2. Get a shock collar and see what happens. If he knows the boundaries, you should be able to enforce the “NO” with a little zap.

Good luck with the little crap head.

He sounds like my Schipperke! I’d love to have a corgi or another schip but I know they are not for everyone. I mean there is a reason you don’t see Schips (or Corgis) dominating the obedience rings… And no, he probably won’t grow out of those habits either. I would also recommend rehoming this guy to someone who either has experience with the breed or can give him a job on a farm or something. Then get an older (like 2 years old or so) Golden, Lab, maybe a Sheltie if you don’t mind hair, that is already trained. Many showdogs don’t make it in the ring and are rehomed later, many breeding stock dogs are retired and spayed/neutered and rehomed, if you live near a guide dog school or service dog school, they also have dogs that “wash out” but are still well trained, socialized pets.

I raised Corgi’s for 30 years and have owned them for 38.
My experiences have been they are loyal, smart, and adorable.
My corgi’s never leave my side and even watch my every move in case I might get out of their sight and have some fun without them. As far as the litter box, I solved that problem by putting the litter in a Tupperware storage container the corgi’s couldn’t reach over but cats could easily jump in. I did this as soon as we got house cats and never gave the corgi’s a chance to go litter diving.
i invested a lot of time in raising them in the house and socializing them so never had any problems.
I have also owned Labradors and hands down the corgi’s are the most loyal and easiest to train in my opinion.