Grassroots Corgisports - anyone have/had a Corgi for a pet?

My wife has stopped dropping hints and now she is just stating that she wants a dog for Mother's Day. You would think with three kids the last thing she'd want is another animal in the house. The type she has chosen is a Corgi. I worked with an animal rescue group for several years, so I'm insisting it be a rescue.

We've had three Labrador Retriever mixes, so having a dog is nothing new to us. My wife claims Corgis are "herding dogs", which means they will keep close to the kids and have tons of energy to keep up with said kids. I have a fully fenced yard, so that is no problem. I am a bit worried about the stairs in the house, as a Corgi looks like a jumbo wiener dog to me, and I know those have bad backs.

Any wise words or advice? I was kind of hoping for another large dog (something to scare the local ghetto rats) but at least she doesn't want a yappy ankle biter.

And just to beat people to it, yes, here is a picture of a Corgi toy car:

I've met Corgis but never owned one. I'm sure finding a rescue would be no problem. Just to throw it out there- maybe foster one to start with until you get to know them?

They are indeed herding dogs, and IIRC they control animals by nipping at their heels. Could be a problem with kids.

That being said Corgis are one of my all time favorite armchair dogs.

Cute little dogs but they shed too much for my liking. They are like mini German Shepards.

We're thinking about adopting a Boston Terrier if anyone has any advice about those little monkeys it would be appreciated as well.

Corgis are basically indestructible as long as there is no hip issues in the breedline. For gods sake they were breed to be kicked in the head by sheep.

Having said that they are extremely loyal, will do well with kids and with a furminator brushing every 5-6 days you can keep the fluffy to a minimum. Coloration between the two breeds can be a thing for some people. They come in ultra fluffy which is not to breed standard. They do have some herding instinct even if they never see a pen and are serious moochers. Less likely to get along with cats unless raides with them as a puppy. If you can find a rescue that is about 3 years old they will have there personality set already more so then other dogs. If its bouncing off the walls at three years old that is what you will have for the rest of its life, its not going to suddenly calm down.

I have had two Cardigan Corgis (like the ones pictured) and they are outstanding dogs. Intelligent, adorable, and just fun to have around. There are two different variations the before mentioned Cardigans, and Pembrokes. The Cardigans are larger, have tails, and come in a wider variety of colors. The thing I like about them in particular is that they are stay at home dogs, not prone to breaking out of the yard. They are busy but not annoyingly so. They can be a bit barky but that is good if you want to be alerted to things that are happening around the house. The do shed, and prefer cooler weather.

When I was a kid, I used to call Corgis "Butt Dogs" because their entire back legs basically IS their butt.

That said, I like them. They are ridiculous. If I ever got one, and I totally would, I'd have to name it Ein, because of Cowboy Bebop.

There was one that came to the border collie's flyball group 2 summers ago, it would just bull rush all the jumps, charging through them snorting until it got to the ball box and ran back unincumbered by obstacles.

My grandfather had a bunch of them on his farm. Yes they're herders and yes, they nip. However, they are fantastic ratters.

Nothing to add but the fact that SWMBO and I find Corgi mixes to be some of the most hilarious-looking dogs we've ever seen. Especially Corgi/Doberman mixes (which we dubbed, correctly or not, a 'Dorgi').

There is one catch, and that is we have two cats (two years old). They are both little nutters that chase each other around the house. Our previous dog/cat combos worked great. Our last dog was actually raised by one of our cats. Whatever dog we get MUST get along with the cats. Honestly, I'd find it hilarious if the dog herds the cats. Hell, they may all chase each other. Since we have all wood floors (zero carpet) it may make for some great entertainment. SKRIT SKRIT SKRIT!!!!!!

I just came here to say thanks for introducing the term Grassroots Corgisports to the world. It is a good day.

Keith Tanner wrote: I just came here to say thanks for introducing the term Grassroots Corgisports to the world. It is a good day.

I agree- I've been having kind of a glum day and this topic (and my quick Google Image search when making my post) brightened it up a fair bit.

Corgis are top of the list for when DW and I retire and wouldn't have to leave a dog home alone all day. Sounds like we need a pup, though, because we have (and always will have) cats.

We have a mix that is half corgi , half dachshund.

She's a fine little mutt that hates other dogs, licks constantly and barks all to frequently.

Also, only good for warming one foot at a time

SWMBO has Jack the Corgi--I like him a lot...fun little dog

My sister has a pair of them. They tend to put their mouths on each other's face when play fighting, which can disturb other breeds and get gross. They want food. They'll take your food, the cat's food, and that treat you're holding.

They also seem to be fairly chill dogs, who think you're the best. Well, except when someone else has food.

No experience with Corgis specifically, but I can comment in general on some of the differences between the lab and herding personality. The last dog my family got when I was still living at home was a purebred lab (Ozzie, still kicking it at almost 10 years old) and I've now got a 15 month old lab/aussie shepherd mix (Bear).

The mouthy/nippy-ness is definitely for real. That's one of the big things we're still working on in his training. He nips and tugs at guests to demand attention and when he's wound up and playful he tends to lose self control over his mouth.

Bear is also fairly territorial, though less so than say a terrier. If he has any inclination that someone or something may be coming down the driveway he'll sound the alarm, even if its a car or person he knows, like my room mate. He's a bit of a daddy's boy and is very wary of unfamiliar people, although after 5 minutes he's usually nipping and tugging at them and won't leave them alone. The positive side to this trait, however, is that he tends not to stray off of 'his turf.' Bear is the only dog I've ever had that I can pretty much completely trust off leash around the yard.

He is also the most visually oriented dog I've had. He'll tend to track critters around the yard by sight more so than smell. I found it to be extremely important in his training to incorporate visual cues with every command, as he often responds better to those than verbal commands.

This is Simon:

Simon is our 5 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He's pretty much the E36 M3.

Sometimes he likes the open road in a diesel:

Other times he prefers the wind in his hairs:

Sometimes he goes on vacation with us:

Other times he's satisfied to ride around in 'his' Suburban with his head out:

Or hanging out by the pool at my parents' house:

Or playing with their Shih Tzu, aka his best friend, Pepe:

Regardless of what he's doing or where he is, all you need to know is that Simon is pretty much the E36 M3. The world is his.

More generally related to Corgis:

-- He sheds. A lot. Furminator helps, but you won't stop it.

-- He herds. He doesn't do it to us very often any more, but its funny to watch him move the Shih Tzu around.

-- He does NOT like most other dogs. He'll tolerate most of them, and even cats, but there is no guarantee. He was introduced to a lot throughout his life and has been this way forever. This is likely a Simon issue and not necessarily a breed trait.

-- I love him more than almost anything or anyone I've ever known. I don't think I'll ever be without a Corgi again.

Any more questions? Ask.

They handle rather well.

In reply to Tactical Penguin:

Needs more negative camber.

This is now saved on my desktop.

Awesome!

Tactical Penguin wrote: They handle rather well.

A friend has a pair of Corgis. They do bark and like to herd people around the house. They also love being under feet at the dinner table so accidentally kicking them in the head seems unavoidable. But as mentioned, they were bred for that and seem to like it.

Soundsl ike if you have cats you'll need to get a puppy which may rule out rescues.

Our two monsters are half-Corgi, half-Min Pin. OMG, do they shed.

But ours are good dogs. Loyal, loving and oh so cute.

One herds but the other doesn't. Sometimes she'll herd me, too.

Ours are from the same litter, and they're now 13. One hurt her back the other day. I guess that's a problem with them. She has been to the vet and it looks like rest and meds are helping. Even at 13, they're still full of puppy energy.

They're a bit barky, too.

And they shed.