Corgis are small and fluffy dogs that are loved by many people. Even Queen Elizabeth II had her own Corgis. But many people wonder, are Corgis aggressive?
Corgis have a natural instinct to be bossy and aggressive, due to them being bred for herding purposes. That said, they are more likely to be friendly and affectionate than aggressive toward their owners. But some reasons can make Corgis more aggressive.
- The Corgi Temperament
- Why Are Corgis Aggressive?
- Signs Of Aggression In Corgis
- How To Stop Aggression In Corgis?
- Are Corgis Biters?
The Corgi Temperament
Corgis are playful and energetic pets that love being around their family. They are loyal and loving with their owners making them great family dogs.
Because they were bred as herding dogs, Corgis are also hard-working, and intelligent, but also bossy at times. They have the natural instinct to herd, so they might nip at the heels as a sign of their alpha complex. The good thing is that these dogs are also easy to train, so you won’t have a problem training them on how to act properly.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi vs Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Both Corgis have a lot of similarities between themselves. They are small, fluffy, intelligent, and bossy dogs, all traits that they are known for. But they have a few physical and temperamental differences. When it comes to Corgi aggression, one may be more aggressive than the other.
Pembroke Welsh Corgis are more energetic and playful than the other ones. They are known to be more social with people and other animals. They are also quite stubborn and confident, which may lead to more aggressive behavior. They are also harder to control and train.
Cardigan Welsh Corgis are calmer and more even-tempered. They are loyal and protective, and rarely display violent behavior like barking. But they can also be less affectionate than the other ones.
Male vs Female Corgi
Usually, people consider male canines to be more aggressive than female ones. Well, you might be surprised to find out that female Corgis are known to be more aggressive compared to male Corgis.
Female Corgis tend to be drawn to the alpha’s role more than the males. Female Corgis are territorial and assertive. This results in having a shorter temper and acting out aggressively. This aggression will only worsen once female Corgis go into heat. These dogs are also quite stubborn so you will have less control over their behavior. Despite that, female Corgis are also more affectionate with their owners compared to male Corgis.
Male Corgis are laid-back and have less energy to spend. This is good because you won’t have to deal with their outbursts. But these dogs are also more mellow, and you won’t get as much affection compared to female Corgis.
Why Are Corgis Aggressive?
Even though you will rarely see your Corgi become aggressive, there are a few things that may cause it to act out aggressively.
Herding Instincts
Corgis were originally bred as herding dogs. They used to herd bigger animals than them, like cattle. To make the farm animals listen to them, they developed bossy and assertive behavior. Being a herding dog means being ruthless and controlling. When the cattle animals didn’t listen, they would nip their heels to get them in line.
Dominance
Corgis are mean because they want to be the dominant one in the household. If you bring a new pet into your home, your Corgi might react aggressively. This is because they want to assert their dominance over the new member of the house and show who is in charge.
Idleness
Corgis are high-energy dogs and need a lot of physical and mental stimulation throughout the day. Corgis need around 1 hour of exercise daily. If they don’t get that, you can expect to see some frustration and aggressive behavior. Be sure to spend enough time exercising your Corgi so it doesn’t get aggressive.
Territorial Behavior
Corgis are known to be very possessive and territorial of their home. Because of that, they tend to act aggressively whenever someone approaches their territory as an intruder. They will also be protective of their owners and act aggressively if they assume there is danger present.
Fear
You might come across an aggressive Corgi whenever it feels afraid of something. This is usually seen in Corgis that come from shelters that have had a major trauma in their past. If you accidentally raise your hand, it may come off as scary, and the Corgi will become agitated and defensive. Your Corgi will sleep on its back if it trusts you. When afraid, it is rare to see it sleep in this position.
Frustration
Everyone gets frustrated at times. Corgis get frustrated when they don’t get what they want. People describe this as “redirected aggression”. This is because the Corgi is redirecting its frustration into aggression. Because Corgis are intelligent and independent, you must be restrained when controlling and training them.
Health Issues
If your Corgi starts acting very aggressively all of a sudden, it may be suffering from some medical condition. Pain is a big reason for aggressiveness. It can be caused by things like thyroid diseases and arthritis. It can also be caused by a tumor, especially a brain tumor. If you suspect a health problem, get your dog to the vet.
Signs Of Aggression In Corgis
If you want to keep yourself and your Corgi safe and happy, you need to recognize the signs of Corgi aggression. These include:
- Rigid and dominant body posture
- Head pointed upward with a mean pointed stare
- Curling lips and showing teeth
- Growling, snarling and barking
- Lunging
- Nipping and biting
Whenever you notice any of these signs, you need to try and lower the tension of the situation.
How To Stop Aggression In Corgis?
You have to accept that your Corgi has an aggressive nature. But there are a few things you can do to stop your Corgi when it is acting aggressively.
Find The Root Cause
If you want to do the right decision when calming down your pup, you first need to find out what exactly is causing its behavioral problems. As we mentioned before, there may be a lot of reasons that your Corgi might get aggressive.
Your job as the owner is to monitor it carefully and find the other signs that point to the cause. The best thing you can do is to recognize these signs early on and deal with them to prevent the whole aggressive action. If you are having difficulties recognizing the signs, you can always ask for help.
Train Properly
To prevent Corgi aggressive behavior, you need to start training your Corgi from an early age. You can start this at an age of 6-14 weeks and continue throughout its life. One important thing is obedience training.
For this, you need to establish yourself as the dominant one in the household. Teaching a command like “Stop” will make it easier for you to stop your Corgi when it starts acting aggressively. A command like “Quiet” will help you stop your Corgi whenever it gets too loud. Of course, implementing techniques like positive reinforcement will also be rewarding in the long term.
Socialize Early
If you want your Corgi to be good with other people and animals, you need to socialize it early on in its life. If socialized properly, Corgis get along with other dogs even if they don’t know them.
To socialize, you can take your Corgi to the dog park. There it can meet other people and dogs and observe how they act with each other. This will give it cues about how to act with them as well. You can also take your Corgi with you to the cafes, malls, and other activities that allow dogs.
Hire A Vet Or Professional Trainer
An aggressive Corgi puppy needs to be disciplined. If you can not be the one to do that, you need to ask for help. Visiting your vet is a great first step. They will examine your Corgi and see if there is any health problem that is causing them to behave aggressively.
Another professional that can help you with your dog is a behavioral dog specialist. They are trained to deal with aggressive and difficult dogs by practicing special techniques. You can even hire this specialist when your pup is small so they can teach you how to train it for yourself.
Are Corgis Biters?
Because Corgis are natural herding dogs, they have the instinct to bite and nip the heels of animals that do not follow its orders. Corgi puppies are known to bite more than adult Corgis. But sometimes even adult Corgis can bite a lot.
Corgi puppies tend to bite because they feel like it is a playful behavior. Biting is fun when the puppy is small but it will quickly get annoying when it grows up. You need to address this Corgi biting early on because it will continue during its adult life. Corgis have a bite force of 100-200 PSI. This is lower than, for example, what the Belgian Malinois bite force is, but it can still cause a lot of damage.
Never punish your pup for biting, but instead give it positive reinforcement whenever it avoids that behavior.
Final Thoughts – Are Corgis Aggressive?
Corgis are small fluffy dogs that are known to get aggressive at times because of their cattle herding history. When compared the Pembrokes are more aggressive than the Cardigans. Also, female Corgis are more aggressive than male Corgis.
Even though Corgis are mostly friendly and affectionate, there are some reasons that will cause them to get aggressive. Boredom, territorial aggression, fear, frustration, and some health issues are all possible reasons.
Your job as the owner is to know the signs of aggression and prevent it early on. You need to find out what the cause is so you can react. You also need to train and socialize your Corgi from an early age. In the end, if you are not able to deal with it, you should ask for help from your vet or a professional trainer.
FAQ
Are Corgis dangerous?
Corgis are not dangerous dogs. They are small, friendly, and loving, so you shouldn’t be scared of this dog. However, if you don’t train it properly, or provoke it, it will get aggressive and dangerous.
Are Corgis aggressive chewers?
Even though most Corgis prefer biting, some can be aggressive chewers. They will do this if they don’t get enough exercise to spend their energy. Getting a good chew toy and exercising will help a lot.
Are Corgis good with cats?
Yes, Corgis get along with cats and live peacefully with them. To achieve this, you need to socialize and train your Corgi from an early age. The first encounter will be awkward, but they will get used to it with time.
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