corgi experience?

[ReneeA]

We haven't had a dog in over 10 years, and I really miss having one. I'm home by myself 2-3 days a week while kids are in school, and I get lonely. My DH tells me to pick up extra days at work, but I'd rather get some company instead

I've had my eye on a getting a Corgi. I like that they seem to have a big dog personality in a compact body. Does anyone here have one? Pros/cons? I have 2 cats - one is a frail old lady cat with not too much longer in this world, the other is a happy, fat, laid back ginger boy who loves everyone. I'm not too worried about them adjusting because my sister stays with me a few times a year and brings her lab/beagle mix and the cats do fine. My kids are 10 & 11, and would be helpful and very happy to get a dog.

 

[Muushka]

Well, I don't have official Corgi experience. This is more of a bump...

I had a mix that seemed to be mostly Corgi. I loved that dog!

They are the cutest, happiest pups and I would love to have one, but allergies prohibit it.

Good luck and I hope you get lots of answers!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Corgis are adorable. I've never had one, but I heard that they have a lot of stinky gas because of their long bodies (like a daschund).

 

[DawnM]

We had a Pembroke Corgi who died of cancer a few years back. He was the BEST dog.

We now have lab mixes and I regret going against my instinct of getting another corgi. One of the labs is sweet as can be and shaped like a Corgi and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she had a bit of Corgi in her. The other lab is just not very friendly.

Dawn

 

[ReneeA]

Thanks for the replies. Everything I've read...people LOVE their corgis.

I would love to adopt from a rescue, but they won't consider me because I don't take my cats to the vet unless it's an emergency. They are both housecats, and it's so traumatic for them to go. Last time I took them, my old lady pulled out some of her hair when we got home, and my ginger hid under my bed and howled for 2 days (then peed on my couch when he came out). Apparently they are healthy, but neurotic. I decided then that it was better for them to keep them home and inside than traumatize them unless necessary.

So now, shelters and rescues blackball me. Sad, because we were good dog owners before and my Charlie had regular vet visits.

 

[ckay87]

They had been my favorite dog, but when I looked into them I just kept reading that the hair and the shedding was out of hand. I'd like to think I could handle it, but I couldn't.

 

[DipsyDoodles]

They had been my favorite dog, but when I looked into them I just kept reading that the hair and the shedding was out of hand. I'd like to think I could handle it, but I couldn't.

This is true. They are wonderful dogs but she alot. My husband had one growing up and I absolutely loved him. He was a great dog, very smart. You have to brush them every day to remove the loose hair because they have so much hair and undercoat. I remember my father in law brushing him on the porch with a paper bag just full of hair. I imagine if you have them groomed regularly this may take care of it though.

 

[cindymindy]

Corgis are the best dogs I have ever had! We have had three, all pembroke. They are full of life and energy and extremely loveable and protective of their owner. The one downside is they shed...a lot. I didn't know such a small creature could have so much hair! Just budget in regular grooming trips or home grooming! You CANNOT go wrong with a corgi!

 

[cameyer85]

We haven't had a dog in over 10 years, and I really miss having one. I'm home by myself 2-3 days a week while kids are in school, and I get lonely. My DH tells me to pick up extra days at work, but I'd rather get some company instead

I've had my eye on a getting a Corgi. I like that they seem to have a big dog personality in a compact body. Does anyone here have one? Pros/cons? I have 2 cats - one is a frail old lady cat with not too much longer in this world, the other is a happy, fat, laid back ginger boy who loves everyone. I'm not too worried about them adjusting because my sister stays with me a few times a year and brings her lab/beagle mix and the cats do fine. My kids are 10 & 11, and would be helpful and very happy to get a dog.

I adopted a Corgi/Dachshound mix almost exactly a year ago. He is the most silly dog I have ever owned. He just loves to have fun. His idea of fun is to 1) nip at the feet of my mixed pit/boxer (luckly she doesn't take it to seriously) 2) fun is also chasing our five cats enough that they hiss at him and 3) he loves to take my outdoor beat up sneakers and bury them. I keep saying his "inner corgi" comes out when he does some of this favorite things but he is a great dog and he loves to be loved and loves life!

 

[SandrA9810]

I've never met a corgi owner who didn't just love the breed. Finding purebreds in a shelter is nearly impossible. I've never really come across a mix in the shelters/humane society either. I know there's rescue group, but you don't want that route.

The dogs are very smart, and can have an easy time if you train them from the get go. Even if it is a bit more to go through a breeder. I've also heard the ones with a longer coat are not able to be registered or compete, so you might be able to find one cheaper that way. I don't know how common it is.

 

[StitchFanZ]

We have a cardigan corgi (they are the ones with the tail) and she is the best dog. She loves everyone and we are able to take her just about anywhere as she just gets along well with everyone. Her best buddies are German Shepherds - she really is a small dog with a big dog personality. You won't see many of them in the shelters - we used to volunteer in one - certain breeds go thru the shelter a lot and I take it as a positive sign if you rarely see a certain breed show up at the shelter. I do own some rescues but with this dog we wanted one that didn't have any issues to work thru for my DD.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who is three years old. He is very cute and sweet, but is dumb as a box of rocks. He has a lot of accidents, particularly if we do not keep him confined to a crate at night. It's like he doesn't care where he poops/pees. My advice is if you are looking at adopting a pure bred puppy look hard and long at the bloodlines. I think our pup's overlapped a few too many times.

We also have cats (and a 14 y/o lab mix) and he likes to chase/herd them but will back off when they warn him to quit. Be forewarned that Corgi's have a lot of hair and shed terribly. They also need a lot of exercise and attention. My Corgi does best when I take him for long walks daily, but if he gets bored he will eat anything he can get his teeth on (furniture, moldings, couch cushions, dog beds, etc). My sunroom looks like a beaver got loose in it.

Our family loves our dog, but we all agree that we don't want another Corgi after he is gone.

 

[yoopermom]

My cousin has always had corgis, and the one thing I would tell you, since you don't vet your cats, is that you will have to vet your corgi. They have known back/hip/knee problems due to their long, low build. It's not like a lab where you could say, "Oh, my dog's limping, I'll just wait a few days and see if it gets better". She has always gotten pet insurance for all of her corgis because if they end up needing any orthopedic work done it's big $$$. They have big dog attitudes, and her current one tends to go flying off the deck without using the stairs if the neighbor dog looks at her funny, which has led to a few vet visits. She says to tell you that you *must* try to train them not to jump on (and especially off) furniture and beds until the dog is fully grown, also.

They are fun, wonderful, very smart, loyal dogs, but you need to be realistic about the need for grooming, tendency to herd small children, and the possible health issues.

Fun, fun dogs!

Terri

 

[ReneeA]

My cousin has always had corgis, and the one thing I would tell you, since you don't vet your cats, is that you will have to vet your corgi. They have known back/hip/knee problems due to their long, low build. It's not like a lab where you could say, "Oh, my dog's limping, I'll just wait a few days and see if it gets better". She has always gotten pet insurance for all of her corgis because if they end up needing any orthopedic work done it's big $$$. They have big dog attitudes, and her current one tends to go flying off the deck without using the stairs if the neighbor dog looks at her funny, which has led to a few vet visits. She says to tell you that you *must* try to train them not to jump on (and especially off) furniture and beds until the dog is fully grown, also.

They are fun, wonderful, very smart, loyal dogs, but you need to be realistic about the need for grooming, tendency to herd small children, and the possible health issues.

Fun, fun dogs!

Terri

I'm okay with taking the dog to the vet...they go outside, are exposed to more thinsg, etc. I plan to socialize them as well, so they won't have the issues at the vet my cats do.

Good advice about pet insurance. I hadn't thought about that.

 

[Anne34]

We currently have two corgis. One is almost 13 and has slowed down considerably with arthritis. We also have one that is 1 1/2 years old. She would play ball with you all day long. She looks for her tennis ball all the time.

Yes, they do shed. Our older one has longer hair than the puppy, but they both shed. I brush them every few days. Great personalities for both. Would definitely get again.

 

[marcyinPA]

We have an 8 year old male Corgi. We've had him since he was a puppy. He is super smart, super loyal, but super food driven. He can be a handful sometimes, even though we've trained him. We had to take him to a behavior specialist because he was becoming a little "nippy"- and had some issues when we tried to take away things (mostly food) that he picked up off the ground, but that he couldn't have.

He has a tendency to be overweight, which a lot of Corgi's do, and he sheds- A LOT. A TON. I have to vacuum every day.

He is very protective and barks a lot- at every passerby and every noise. But, he is also crate-trained and never barks when he is in his crate.

He loves to play ball- catch, soccer, etc. He will play, and play, and play, and play- he seems to never tire out! If someone lays down on the living room floor (to watch tv or play a video game), he is right there with a toy.

He is very funny and has a cute personality. He makes "friends" on our walks- he LOVES people.

I know all dogs are different, even within a breed- but I do think Corgi's require a lot of attention- they are people dogs.

Good luck deciding!!

 

[almburr]

We love our Sir Ducky Wellington! We got him from a breeder. He was a year old. He was kept in a pen all the time. So he has a weird quirk of making only right turns (from being penned so long) He will only run in a right hand circle. He loves the kids our cat and our Bulldog. He does shed a lot. But we try to keep him brushed and I will vacuum him monthly. They are a great breed. Lot of the local cattle men have corgis.

 

[bballmom56]

My DD wanted a Corgi of her own. She scoured all the rescue sites, but there were no purebreds in our area (or it seemed any other area). Well, we found a corgi/lab mix on the site of the rescue we used for our previous dog. He has the body, eyes, coat of the corgi, the ears (floppy) and head of the lab, and the personality of both. He is 10 yo, but was surrendered by his previous adopters. He is just awesome! He gets along with the cats and has fit in beautifully with the household.

Just a note to the OP about the vet requirement - we don't take our cats to the vet regularly either. But if there is a problem, the vet knows we will be in. We needed a vet reference for the previous adoption and our vet knows we provide an excellent home. That seemed to satisfy the rescue. They were so satisfied after our first adoption from them, that when my DD contacted them about this dog, the manager who received the initial contact told the foster family to "run, don't walk to this family." So maybe talk to your vet to see if they will provide a positive reference even though the cats are not seen regularly.