Top 3 Things Corgi Loves To Do

Those ears. Those stubby legs. That sassy ‘tude! There is a lot about a Corgi to love and let’s face it, we love them to the moon and back. Anything we can do to make them happier about life in general, we will do. While Corgis are pretty happy about anything that comes along, they definitely have some favorites. Here are three things your Corgi love more than anything.

1. Chasing

They are a herding breed after all! For some, this may be actually herding cattle or sheep. Others may like to chase your cat or kids. Or maybe a ball is enough for them. What they are chasing is not as important to them as the act of the chase.

2. Food

Corgis love food. For a small dog with a tiny stomach, they act as if they are always hungry. This does make training easier – if you want to give your Corgi something he loves, just give him his dinner or a tasty snack.

3. Unexpected Bursts of Excitement

Some Corgi owners call this “frapping” or “zoomies” – but basically it’s when your Corgi just can’t seem to hold himself together any longer and goes flying through your house as if being chased by the Fairy Folk! They often slide across floors, run into walls and under or over anything in their path. These bursts don’t last long, stopping as mysteriously as they began. (Maybe it is the Fairy Folk taking a ride on your Corgi after all!)

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3 Great Ways To Strengthen Your Bond With Your Corgi

As herding dogs, Corgis can sometimes be more interested in everything else around them rather than you. Maybe they would rather bark at everything they see than sit calmly on the couch. Or maybe they try to chase everything that moves while on walks, instead of peacefully walking next you with their attention on you. Strengthening your bond with your Corgi can really help them want to listen to you more, which will make it easier to solve these behavior problems. Not sure how to do that? The following are three ways to strengthen your bond with your Corgi.

1. Learn Your Corgi’s Language

What better way to improve your relationship and deepen your bond than to understand your Corgi better? In order to do that, you need to learn how they communicate through body language. Dr. Sophia Yin’s website has a host of free body language posters that can help you learn to speak “dog,” which your Corgi will greatly appreciate.

2, Training

Not only does it make them a better housemate, training will strengthen your bond with your Corgi. When you and your dog train together, you are learning to communicate with each other and that goes a long way to great a lasting bond. As long as you keep training fun and engaging, it will help you strengthen your bond.

3. Play

Play is an easy and fun way to bond with your Corgi. Any game she enjoys is fine, just as long as you’re doing it together! Agility trainers encourage play with their students because they have found it creates dogs that listen better and work harder for their owners.

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5 Tips To Prevent Your Corgi From Pulling on Leash

Although Corgis are small, their low center of gravity gives them an edge and they can be quite good at pulling you wherever they feel on leash. This makes for very unpleasant walks, especially if you own a Corgi that wants to herd (chase) everything that moves along the way. Thankfully, there is a way to reverse this behavior and get your Corgi walking nicely by your side. The following are five tips to prevent your Corgi from pulling on leash.

1. Start Young

Dogs start learning the moment they are born – what do you want yours to learn? Do not wait until your puppy is an adolescent – start teaching good leash manners as soon as you bring yours home.

2. Teach Self-Control

Corgis are intelligent and have a strong will. At first, you may find that upping your rewards helps – often more intelligent dogs need more of a reason to do what you ask. In addition, teaching self-control so your Corgi can make the right choice – for example staying by your side instead of chasing that bunny – is very helpful. Stay, Go To Bed (mat-stay behavior), sitting for a toy/food/petting, etc., are all good ways to work on self-control.

3. Practice Attention

Corgis definitely like to chase small animals and greet other dogs. On leash, this can lead to you being pulled in whatever direction your Corgi feels like – not fun! A key to stopping these behaviors is to keep him focused on you during a walk. Working on looking at you when you say his name, offering eye contact without a cue, Leave It and Drop are important to leash training.

4. Reward Correct Position

Whenever your Corgi is calmly walking in heel position – by your side with a loose leash – be sure you reward him. You can even turn this into a game by trying to move away from your Corgi and seeing if he stays with you off-leash in your house or in your backyard. Start off easy and then increase difficulty (quicker pace, tighter turns) as he learns the game. Rewards can be anything he likes, including treats, praise, toys, etc. As long as your Corgi likes it, it’s a reward. Dogs repeat behaviors that are reinforced, so the more you reinforce him for being in that spot, the more he will do it. It’s as simple as that!

5. Don’t Let Pulling Be Reinforced

As mentioned, dogs do what gets reinforced, so make sure your Corgi is not being rewarded for pulling. If she pulls on the leash and gets what she wants (to chase a bunny or greet a dog) then she will continue to do it and it will get worse. So, if you feel your Corgi start to pull you in one direction, plant your feet and don’t move, waiting until he returns to you. If you own a Corgi who is stronger than you, you can also turn and walk the opposite direction. Once she is walking next to you nicely, you can turn back and go the way she wanted to in the first place. This teaches your Corgi that if she wants to go somewhere, she has to keep that leash loose. I find this method to work really well because dogs get the rules very quickly.

Credit: iHeartDogs

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