Alice White
In everyday life, the corgi is a simple and comfortable breed. Not long hair, to which dirt does not stick, small size. A walk with a corgi can be entrusted to both a child and an elderly person. The corgi will not take up much space in the apartment, and the dog’s food is not burdensome for the family.
The Pembroke is an ideal city dog for a large and friendly family where there are children, perhaps other animals, where it is always warm and fun, and everyone is ready to give love and affection to a small dog, receiving in return so much that is enough for everyone.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Personality
Each dog is designed for a specific job. Man bred 800 dog breeds because they had different functions to perform. There are no bad or dumb breeds. For example, if a Russian hunting greyhound begins to reason about how it is best for her to catch up with a hare, she will never catch up with him. The greyhound was bred specifically for hunting, and it fulfills its task. Therefore, when characterizing a breed, you need to take into account its specifics.
Breeder Observations: The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a shepherd dog that was bred for close contact with humans. Their hunting instinct is not expressed at all, they do not chase birds, seals, or cyclists. They are quite indifferent to strangers’ dogs or strangers. We can say that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is completely owner-oriented and loves to be in the company of people.
But you need to take into account the specifics of the growing up of the dog. If a puppy up to 4 months old has practically no contact with a person but communicated only with his own kind, it is 90% likely that he will never be able to fully contact a person. Therefore, in good nurseries, a lot of attention is paid to human contact.
With proper socialization, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi easily and quickly adapts to any situation. My dogs often travel with me, including to other countries, and have never interfered with anyone, neither in the hotel, nor in the campsite, nor anywhere else.
By temperament, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is sanguine, but inside the breed, there are individuals who are more active and more phlegmatic. As for cowardice, unfortunately, it can manifest itself, but this is the cost of breeding. The fear of loud noises or anything new is not characteristic of the breed, but of individual dogs, if the breeder was not very strict in the choice of parents.
I can’t imagine an aggressive corgi. Aggression towards people is a trait that is absolutely not characteristic of this breed.
Observations of the breeder: However, Pembroke Welsh Corgi can show aggression towards relatives. They consider themselves to be big dogs in a small body, and if they meet with disrespect from another dog, they will stand up for themselves. Moreover, the size of the enemy does not bother them at all. Owners of males should be especially careful, as their pets tend to guard the walking area against other dogs.
As for communicating with children, I am convinced that any dog poses some kind of danger to a child. Therefore, all the games of a dog and a child under 10 years old must be supervised by an adult, so that, firstly, the child does not accidentally offend the dog, and, secondly, so that the dog does not accidentally offend the child.
I have two 3-month-old puppies and they can bite quite hard in the game. Not because they are evil, they just do not know how to communicate in another way. But in general, corgis are very fond of playing, and if you teach your dog to play properly with children, they can become great friends.
Corgis are not barking dogs, otherwise, it would be impossible to keep them in a city apartment. But if a stranger approaches, the dog will definitely let you know about it, and it suits me. The dog will not bark and howl for hours, it will bark a couple of times – that’s all.
Raising and Training a Welsh Corgi Pembroke
Since the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed was bred to work in close contact with humans, to teach it to live in the city, walk on a leash, in a muzzle, sit in a cage, stay alone, ride in a car, etc. very, very simple.
Corgis are easily motivated, either for food or for a toy. By their nature, corgis are aporteurs. There is no problem getting their attention.
Observations of the breeder: They are ready to sell their souls for a delicacy! It seems to me that this is the only drawback of the breed.
You can teach a corgi, by and large, anything.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Care
Dogs of the Welsh Corgi Pembroke breed require active long-term walking. This is not the kind of dog that you can put at home on four walls and forced to write on a diaper. If you don’t walk with the corgi, they will look for something to do on their own.
Breeder’s recommendation: If you cannot devote at least 1 hour a day to active (exactly active!) Walks, and not standing in the company of other dog breeders for a walk, it is better to choose another breed.
Getting the corgi to be clean is easy enough. I walk my dogs 3 times a day, and yet my 6-month-old puppy stopped doing his homework at 4 months old. If the dog can’t stand it, then you need to look for a health problem. Although a puppy up to nine months old needs to be walked more often – 4 – 5 times a day.
As for the street, corgi love water and mud. They will not bypass the puddles.
Corgis are gluttons, and this should be taken into account. If there are dogs that eat their norm and stop, then you can put a bucket of food in front of the corgi and they will eat everything. Then they will feel bad, of course, but they cannot restrain themselves.
It is my deep conviction: a dog’s stomach should be adapted to everything. I feed my corgi dry food, but at the same time, I give rusks from bread, on walks – cheese as a delicacy, etc. The dog should not eat exclusively dry food.
Breeder’s recommendation: When choosing a feed, I focus on the price-quality balance. All premium and super-premium food are good, but you need to select food for a specific dog. And I recommend changing feed about once a year, if possible.
Any dog is dirt in the house, and there is no getting away from it. Corgi is a shepherd dog, they have guard hair and undercoat. On the one hand, if the corgi is not combed out, then the wool will fly throughout the apartment. On the other hand, the corgi does not need daily brushing. I take the dog to the pet salon, where it is washed, completely combed out, the dead undercoat is knocked out with a compressor, and then you can forget about grooming for 3 months. But advocates of sterile cleanliness are better off with a plush toy.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi tolerates both cold and heats well. Some owners wear them so that the dogs do not stain the abdomen, that is, solely for the sake of cleanliness. I don’t – they don’t need clothes. And my friend’s Welsh Corgi Pembroke and Welsh Corgi Cardigan live great in the aviary and feel good.
Welsh Corgi Pembroke Health
The Corgi is a relatively healthy breed. I am skeptical about attempts to diagnose genetic diseases because even hip dysplasia has recently been spoken of as not a completely hereditary disease, but an acquired one. As for the diseases of dogs of the Welsh Corgi Pembroke breed, they most often stem from gluttony. If a dog weighs 18 instead of 12-13 kg, what healthy joints can we talk about? Obesity is also a burden on the heart, liver, pancreas … So almost all corgi diseases stem from an improper lifestyle.
How to Choose a Welsh Corgi Pembroke Puppy?
When potential puppy owners come to me and say that they need a dog for exhibitions, I always ask if this is really what they need. As a rule, the owner does not care how long the dog’s muzzle or croup is. But they care about the character or health of the dog.
Breeder’s recommendation: You still need to decide what you need a dog for. According to my observations, a dog for myself, a dog for exhibitions, a dog for sports, and a working dog are 4 different dogs. You need to choose one thing, give yourself up to the chosen business completely and achieve this from the dog.
What is acceptable for a show dog is not always acceptable for a pet. What is required of a working dog is not at all what is needed from a show participant.
First, decide what exactly you want – and then look for a puppy.
What Kind of Owner Does a Corgi Need?
Corgi, first of all, is a dog for a person who has a certain physical strength. Sometimes children are looking for a cute dog for older parents, but older people will find it difficult to live with a corgi. After all, this is an active dog, which on a leash both pulls and can pull.
A person should have the opportunity and time for walking the dog – at least 1.5 hours a day.
The future owner should be ready for the fact that the dog needs to be combed out, that there may be wool in the apartment, and when it is wet and dirty outside, there will be sand in the apartment.
But, in general, the corgi is a dog that will suit many. It is a great companion for a moderately active person who is not too passionate about cleanliness, and also loves dogs.
