Corgis

[stafinois]

Let's discuss Corgis. It's one of my future "maybe" breeds. Actually, before I got into Pit Bulls, what I REALLY wanted is a Cardi for my first "out on my own" dog. There weren't any litters soon in my area, and I considered Pems. I even went and looked at a litter of Pems when they were a few weeks old. After all the BSL heartbreak, I often think that I made the wrong decision all those years ago.

So fast forward 15 years (OMG, am I that old???) and I am thinking about Corgis again. I ended up married to a guy that's not a big dog person. My two dogs are the first that he's ever really lived with. You can imagine how he and Harry get along. I keep telling him to look on the bright side, his first house dog is a working bred Malinois. Anything else that I bring home in the future will be a cakewalk :rofl1:

We went and visited some of his relatives last month, and his cousin has a delightful little Pem. She had the patience of a saint with the Toddler Terror. They played for hours. Pardon the poor quality video. And, FYI, the crazy man riling her up is not my husband, but rather the dog's owner.

YouTube - Toddler vs Corgi

At first my husband decided that he doesn't like the short legs on Corgis, but when faced with the idea that I might want another Malinois, or an even larger GSD, he says, "How about Corgis?"

My hesitation is all of the back injuries that I've seen. But then again, most of the Corgis that I've had experience were poorly bred, overweight, or both. Is it REALLY all that common? People blame it on them being long, but they don't really look all that long in the body to me. They just have short legs.

What else should I know?

 

[corgi_love]

Are you wanting info on Cardigans too?

 

[Kat09Tails]

If possible get a dog whose parents are tested for DM. It's a new test but I've seen so many pems with it, it's heartbreaking.

 

[corgipower]

Back injuries aren't uncommon in pemmies, but it's not as common as it is in some doxies.

DM is becoming the hot topic in the breed, eye problems (mainly PRA and juvenile cataracts) and hip dysplasia is also a concern. They also should be tested for Von Willebrand's.

One thing to keep in mind though...From talking to other people with corgis, it seems that pemmies don't always do well with Belgian breeds (malis, tervs and bouvs).

I keep telling him to look on the bright side, his first house dog is a working bred Malinois. Anything else that I bring home in the future will be a cakewalk

:rofl1::hail:

 

[stafinois]

Are you wanting info on Cardigans too?

Of course! They are what I was leaning towards originally. Are they as prone to back injuries?

I know that they aren't as common, but when I lived in Portland, I worked at a clinic where we saw easily twice as many Cardis as Pemmies. It would have made sense if we saw a breeder that referred puppy owners, but we didn't see any breeders. Most of them were current clients that added Cardis to the family. They seemed really hardy in comparison, but I know that most of the Cardis were well bred dogs, whereas I suspect that most of the Pemmies that I've had experience with were BYB dogs.

How much exercise do Corgis require? Actually, I should probably ask how much they can handle? We aren't really joggers, but we like to take really long walks. I don't want to have to carry a dog home.

As far as getting along with other dogs in the house, I'm not too worried. Before Harry joined the family, I've always had Pit Bulls. Honestly, Harry and Grant aren't exactly pals, and are separated when not directly supervised.

It's doubtful that there would be a lot of overlap. Eventually we will go down to one dog, with a bit of overlap perhaps by adding a pup when another dog is getting up there in years. It's so much easier to let a pup learn a good deal of house manners from the example of a resident adult dog.

 

[corgipower]

They seemed really hardy in comparison, but I know that most of the Cardis were well bred dogs, whereas I suspect that most of the Pemmies that I've had experience with were BYB dogs.

Yea, being more common there are a lot more badly bred pemmies out there.

How much exercise do Corgis require? Actually, I should probably ask how much they can handle? We aren't really joggers, but we like to take really long walks. I don't want to have to carry a dog home.

Mine could handle quite a bit. Now, at nine and ten and having some minor pain issues and having been out of work for a while they get worn out faster. Keep in mind they are bred to drive cattle and many corgis do competitive obedience, agility and tracking. Long walks should be fine, but you'll want to build them up to it, and it might depend on what kind of terrain you're walking on. They're more athletic than they look and have quite a bit of stamina.

 

[stafinois]

We are in Iowa. Not much for terrain here!

 

[corgipower]

Lmao.

 

[xpaeanx]

The corgis that I know of (personaly) that have had back problems were all from actual accidents(ie, falling out of a moving vehicle, having a person fall on them).

DM is another concern, so make sure that the breeder you are getting from tests for it and of course, ask how about the health of the grandparents, great-grandparents, etc..

In terms of energy. From all the ones that I have met personally, I'd say they're medium energy. They're much faster than they'd have you think and they also seem to have a lot of stamina. I've taken Muffin out for 4+ hour bike rides and he keeps up very nicely. That being said, they do have a that double coat... so they are very affected by heat. If it's too hot(and we get bad humidity here too), I end up with a giant red slug. He'll keep going, but he most certianly lets you know he is not enjoying it! Also, if you're having a rough week and the best you can manage is some time in the back yard throwing a ball, they seem to be fine with that as well.

And just something I've noticed... corgis seem to love the water... as well as other corgis. So, don't be surprised if you end up living on a lake with 30 corgis.

 

[corgipower]

So, don't be surprised if you end up living on a lake with 30 corgis.

Oh...that gives me really naughty ideas.

 

[xpaeanx]

ooops... that was supposed to be lake... I fixed it now...


But yes, you live on a lake don't you cp? so um.... 28 corgis to go and and counting?

 

[corgi_love]

Adding to what's already been mentioned:

Regis is great because he is so flexible. If I wanted to go take him to the park, he will run around and play for well over an hour at a time. Usually he will take a break and be ready to go running again. Or, if I am unable to get out that day, he has no issue hanging around the house with me all day.

I've had several different breed of dogs in my life span, and I've never had such an intelligent dog before. A lot of people who meet Regis and spend time with him, and pay attention to his behaviors will often comment on his general intelligence as well. Not only is it just his ability to learn quickly, it's his eagerness to learn, to listen. A lot of the time when I start speaking, he just sits and watches me, waiting for me to say something he recognizes.

I just can't say Ive ever had a better dog. And usually the people who meet and spend time with him end up saying the same.

He's also fun because.. well.. he's kind of funny looking to most He is definitely a good conversation starter. I used to take him to our outdoor mall for socialization and I would be stopped with questions/wanting to pet him pretty much consistently. I even had a car, honestly, drive past in the parking lot, stop, back up, roll down her window and ask me what kind of dog he was!

(Oh and Regis is *not* a fan of water. lol)
Good luck with your search!

 

[corgipower]

But yes, you live on a lake don't you cp? so um.... 28 corgis to go and and counting?

Well...a pond. A rather nasty stagnant pond with possible a snapping turtle. But yes. 28 to go. :lol-sign: Think the landlord would notice?

 

[xpaeanx]

Well...a pond. A rather nasty stagnant pond with possible a snapping turtle. But yes. 28 to go. :lol-sign: Think the landlord would notice?

not if you only let 2 out at a time while the land lord is around. :rofl1:

 

[SizzleDog]

I'll base most of this on Revy, since in my mind she's what to expect when getting a Pembroke from a responsible dual-purpose breeder... which I assume would be what you'd be looking for.

Revy is NAUGHTY - calculating, mischievous, wily. This is the dog that intentionally knocks over soda cans, intentionally waits for a new roll of toilet paper to be put in the bathroom so she can dash in and unravel it, the dog who could scale a 36" expen at 4 months and let herself out of a latched wire crate at 7 months. And does it ALL with a maniacal corgi grin on her face.

Revy is SMART - freakishly smart. She picks things up quickly, she switches gears quickly, she figures things out on her own at an alarming rate.

Revy is MOUTHY - she's talkative, no sense in hiding it. Bark bark, yip yip, barooooo.... she'll even talk to herself in a language of grunts and warbles. Her vocabulary is vast. She's also mouthy in a physical way - carries things around in her mouth, gets the other dogs' attention by putting her mouth around their legs/necks/ears/sides - she doesn't do it in a malicious way, but it's her preferred method of attention-seeking.

Revy is ACTIVE - unless she's crated, she'll rarely settle for more than a minute or so. She's either frapping around the house, shaving time off her couch-race antics, rolling around on the ground with Ronin or Kaylee, pestering Ada, exploring the house, racing around with a toy or bone, or jumping into the bathtub to play with the drain.

Revy is ASSERTIVE - Kinda goes hand in hand with Fearless - Revy likes to be noticed by other dogs and people. She's not afraid to play with the big dogs, though the big dogs are sometimes unsure of how to handle her enthusiasm.

Revy is SILLY - corgis are the court jesters of the dog world, their appearance and their antics are guaranteed to make you smile and laugh. Corgis have a huge sense of humor, life is a party and they're the breed hanging from the chandeliers with a beer in each hand, singing Paradise City.


If you're ever in the Des Moines area, you're welcome to meet the Revvster. You can meet Ada too, but I wouldn't say she's typical of the kind of corgi you'd be getting if you went with a good performance breeder.

Come onnnn... you KNOW you want one...

 

[Barb04]

OK, you've now convinced me that I'd love a Revy in my life!

 

[noludoru]

OK, you've now convinced me that I'd love a Revy in my life!

See, I was going to say that Sizzle has just furthered my conviction of never wanting a Corgi. :rofl1:

Stafinois - my personal experiences with Corgis haven't been all that great. I've only met two that I liked and wouldn't be likely to murder in their sleep. :yikes: The ones I have liked, though, have been the soft-tempered BYB varieties. From what I have read about well-bred corgis, they seem great (if not the dog for me), but I've never me one in person.