Thinking about getting a Corgi? It’s easy to know why. They’re cute, fluffy, and have perky personalities. They also stand out. You’ll definitely get a lot of attention walking down the street or at the dog park with one of these pups by your side.
Corgis have been dependable human companions for centuries, and people love having them in their families.
Corgis are terrific dogs, but how do they do in families with other dogs? Will they get along?
Early socialization between your Corgi and the new dog is very important to their long-term happiness. Done wrong, they can show some signs of aggression and become quite territorial.
Whether you have a dog already, or you own a Corgi and are thinking about adding another puppy into the mix, there are things that you can do to make the transition a smooth one. Here are some tips on what you should do to help everyone to get along.
Introducing Corgi Puppies to Other Dogs
Every dog has a personality when they arrive. You can’t do much to change who your dog is, much like you can’t change how a person feels and acts, for the most part.
There are, though, things you can do to affect your Corgi’s behavior within a small bandwidth to avoid fighting or behavior that negatively affects people and other animals in your home.
An early introduction will lay the foundation for a friendly, supportive relationship between your dogs. Each puppy will need to learn its place in the pack, and that needs to happen as early as possible. It will also impact your dog’s personality.
Puppies that spend time around other dogs at an early age interact better and understand boundaries.
Not socializing your Corgi early can have significant consequences. They’ll likely not know how to handle being up close and personal with other dogs, and their bad behavior may spill over into how they interact with human strangers.
We’ve all been over to someone’s house and had their dog react with a mix of fear and aggression. Early socialization does a lot of work to eliminate this type of reaction to dogs and humans.
Corgis Are Generally Friendly Dogs
Corgis are typically very friendly dogs. They have easy-going personalities and they love to be around people and in the mix whenever something’s going on. They’ll love going to the park and being around other dogs.
Just remember, though, that Corgis can have very strong herding instincts, so it’s easy for them to get worked up sometimes. They also do well around dogs of all sizes, something that gives people worried about them being around bigger dogs a bit of peace of mind.
They aren’t usually aggressive. The only times most Corgis become aggressive is when they are afraid or feel like they are in danger.
Corgis Are High Energy Dogs
One thing to note is that Corgis are known to be a dog breed with a lot of energy. Don’t let those rounded bodies and short legs fool you. These dogs love to play and run around. It’s something every prospective Corgi owner should know.
Whether they’re alone in your house or out in a field, they need to get some energy out, so you should make sure you do what’s needed to keep them well exercised every day.
This comes into play with how Corgis interact with other dogs. This knife cuts both ways. If you have another dog with a lot of energy, the two of them can easily play off of each other’s energy and you end up in a whirlwind of dog emotion and excitement. They’ll get along superbly, but it may not be the best for your furniture and a clean house.
On the other hand, if you have a dog breed or an older dog at home already that is very low energy, the mix could be some trouble. Older dogs that are past their days of fetch and playtime sometimes have a hard time adjusting to Corgi puppies with high energy levels.
In this case, the problem isn’t so much your Corgi puppy, but how the other dog reacts to their attempts to get them to play and interact. At the same time, Corgis occasionally push things too far trying to get other dogs to play or wrestle, and sometimes it erupts in fights.
Sometimes Dogs Fight
If you’ve ever lived with someone, then you likely know that people fight. That doesn’t mean that they don’t love each other or that the pairing is a mistake. It simply means that everyone is not going to agree all of the time. The same goes for dogs.
Your Corgi will probably get in some fights with your other dog or dogs, but that’s completely normal. The problem arises when fights become frequent or a dog’s safety is in question. You don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of breaking your dogs up all of the time, but just because your dogs fight, it isn’t something to get too worked up over.
Make sure you set the rules and stick to them. Running a tight ship and keeping your pups disciplined will help avoid a lot of fighting that can happen if your dogs don’t understand what is expected of them. Make rules that are easy for them to understand so they know how to keep you happy. That’s usually the best medicine for dogs that fight.
Final Thoughts
If you’re thinking about adopting or buying a Corgi, early socialization is key. The more dogs you introduce your Corgi puppy to early in life, the better they’ll act around other animals later on.
Go slowly, and correct your dog when they make mistakes, and encourage them when they do well.
Corgis like other dogs, and it is on us as owners to ensure a positive, safe environment where they can explore relationships with other animals.
At the end of the day, Corgis love to play and will enjoy being around other dogs.