Pembroke Welsh Corgi exercising

How Much Exercise Does A Corgi Need? [+ How To Exercise It]

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Corgis are a dog breed that has a herding history. Because of this, many people wonder how much exercise does a Corgi need?

Even though Corgis are small dogs, they are filled with energy. You should exercise your Corgi for around 1 hour per day. If it does not get its exercise needs met, it will become frustrated and bored. There are many ways to exercise your Corgi.

Do Corgis Need A Lot Of Exercise?

When speaking about the Corgi exercise requirements, we first need to know what Corgi breed it is and how old it is. As an average for all Corgis, 1 hour of exercise is required. But this will vary.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi vs Cardigan Welsh Corgi

There isn’t much difference between the two Corgi breeds. Both are relatively small dogs, with the Cardigans being a little larger. Pembrokes are known to have more energy than Cardigans which is why they will need more exercise. Cardigans are known to be laid back, therefore they need less exercise. 

All in all, Pembrokes need around 1 hour of exercise, while Cardigans need around 45 minutes of exercise every day.

Puppy Corgi vs Adult Corgi vs Senior Corgi

The Corgi energy level will be different with age. Corgi puppies are very small and their bones, muscles, and joints are underdeveloped. Because of that, you shouldn’t push for strenuous long activities. High-impact activities are not recommended before the age of 1 year. A good way to start your exercise is to give 5 minutes for every month your puppy ages. So a 4-month-old puppy will need around 20 minutes of exercise. An even better thing to do is to mentally exercise your pup. Mental stimulation and training are important from an early age and will spend all that pent-up energy.

An adult Corgi needs at least 1 hour of exercise every day. You can include high-intensity exercises to really burn that energy. Of course, there should also be time for mental stimulation.

Older Corgis become less active with time and have lower energy levels. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid exercising it. You need to keep their joints and muscles active to increase mobility and decrease pain. Reduce the amount of exercise and stop whenever your dog gets too tired.

Benefits Of Exercising Your Corgi

Corgis are energetic dogs and due to their herding history, they have a lot of energy to spend. Therefore, there are many benefits to exercising this dog.

Better Mood

There is a saying that a tired dog is a happy dog. And this is true. After a productive and hardworking day, you feel happy and ready for a good night’s sleep. You will often find your Corgi sleeping on its back passed out after a good workout.

Because these dogs have a past of running around for the whole day herding cattle and sheep, they are happiest when they are active. Besides, training the Corgi helps it spend its energy, so you can cuddle up at the end of the day and rest together.

Improved Health And Weight

Exercising helps your dog to stay fit and toned. The more you do exercises, the more it will get stronger and have more stamina. Exercising also prevents obesity and all the problems that come with it. Besides the outside look, exercising helps improve the health of the heart and lungs. It also improves the mobility and strength of the joints and muscles decreasing pain in the future. It will also provide a healthier digestive system and help with digestion.

Spending Quality Time

When you take your Corgi walking, you spend quality time together. When you take time off your busy day to spend it with your pup, it will strengthen the bond between you. Besides walking, spending time playing and training your pup will also help build a healthier connection.

Besides that, a healthy amount of exercise will calm your Corgi. Corgis calm down at 1-2 years of age and will need a lot of exercise during those years to keep calm.

What If You Don’t Exercise Your Corgi?

Because Corgis have a lot of energy to spend, if you don’t give it enough exercise, you might cause some problems.

Hyperactivity

If the Corgi doesn’t get enough exercise, it will start acting more and more hyperactive. It will be filled with energy and need to release somewhere. You will notice it getting more impulsive and running around the house. It won’t be able to pay too much attention to training and will start barking a lot.

Anxiety And Depression

If the Corgi exercise needs aren’t met, your Corgi will get more anxious. With intense anxiety comes depression. You will notice your Corgi getting depressed by its symptoms. It will start eating less and sleeping more. It will start getting more clingy with you, demand more attention, and start doing weird vocalizations.

Restlessness And Irritability

Your Corgi will start getting more restless and irritable with time. It will start asking for walks but you deny it. This will cause your Corgi to get frustrated. In the end, you will have to deal with an aggressive Corgi. You will notice its face getting mad and it will start snarling and nipping at you.

Destructive Behavior

In the end, the Corgi will get destructive. It will start scratching the door and destroying the furniture. You will notice your shoes getting chewed up and your table and chairs with bite marks. The Corgi will start barking excessively and cause a lot of noise. It will start peeing and pooping all over the house.

Best Exercises For A Corgi

The Corgi workout routine should consist of different types of exercise so it stays fun and demanding. Here are a few we think are great.

Walking

Walking is the most basic, yet very beneficial part of exercising. It helps your dog discover new senses by smelling new smells and seeing new people. It helps with mental stimulation when you are changing the routes for the daily walks.

It is also a great way to warm up the dog. Warming up means getting better blood flow to the muscles and improving flexibility. This decreases the chance of injury. It also increases the heart rate and increases its health.

Jogging

Jogging is a simple but great way for you to exercise with your dog. Corgis make great running partners and will help you get in shape along with them. When you first start jogging, you shouldn’t go too fast or intense. Start slowly and pick up the pace as you go. This will reduce the chance of injury to the joints. 

Getting a hands-free leash will help make the experience better. If it’s too cold outside for jogging, consider getting a treadmill for your dog.

Hiking

Corgis can hike in order to spend all their energy. The rough terrain of the mountains makes the exercise unnoticeable. You will go through inclines, declines, and loose rocks trying to balance yourself but doing more than you actually think. 

Your Corgi will also love the smell of fresh air and all the other sense stimulations that nature can offer. Make sure to take some time to enjoy and bond with your pup while enjoying nature. Just make sure you have all the gear needed for a hike.

Swimming

Even though Corgis have short legs, they do enjoy swimming. Swimming is one of the best activities to do for exercise. It helps with exercising all the muscle groups of the body. It also is considered a low-impact exercise that doesn’t affect the joints. In fact, it is a recommended exercise to decrease joint pain from hip dysplasia. It also helps your dog get in shape after surgery.

Just be careful with the fact that not all dogs are good at swimming. Before you take your dog to a big pool, try practicing in a home dog pool first.

Fetch

The Corgi energy level is high, so playing some fun games can help make spending that energy fun. Fetch is a simple but fun game for your dog. You get a ball or something else and throw it further away from you. The Corgi then chases after that ball and fetches it back to you.

This means that it’s the perfect game if you don’t feel like exercising. Sometimes, the Corgi will not fetch you the ball but chase it or bite it. So you will have to teach it to get it back with positive reinforcement.

Tug Of War

Tug of war is another easy game for the owner and a fun game for the dog. It is also an exercise that can be done indoors. You will get a toy in your hands and let your Corgi bite it. Then you will compete with each other by pulling the toy toward yourselves. That way the dog will use all its muscles and strength trying to get the toy. 

To prevent injury to your dog’s neck and back, make sure to use smoother motions and never yank the toy out of its mouth.

Herding Ball

The Corgi activity level is high because of its herding past. So if you try to take it back to its herding instincts will do magic. Herding balls are big, heavy, indestructible balls that won’t get destroyed when your pup is playing with them. It won’t be able to pick it up with its teeth and tear it up. That will cause your Corgi to push the ball around and then chase it, essentially doing all herding motions. You will also notice the dog barking at the ball around which comes from its herding genes.

Flirt Poll

A flirt pole is a simple tool that can help a lot with exercising your Corgi. It’s a long stick or pole with a long rope attached at the end. That rope usually has a toy on it which you drag on the ground and your dog chases after it. It’s great for exercising because it implements features from both tug-of-war and fetch. Your dog will run after the toy and then tug on it. It is a high-intensity exercise that implements agility and strength.

Mental Stimulation

To meet the Corgi exercise needs, you need physical as well as mental stimulation. Mental stimulation includes training the puppy from an early age. You should teach your pup to sit, stay, and drop as early as you can. Early socialization is also a part of mental stimulation. Training and socializing with your dog will make your relationships stronger.

Getting a puzzle toy for mental stimulation is also great. The Kong toy is a great option for dogs as it also helps with their diet.

How Long Should Corgis Exercise?

Corgis should exercise for at least 1 hour every day. If they get less exercise, they will become hyperactive, irritable, and destructive. If they get too much exercise, they will start suffering from overexercising. There are a few symptoms of overexercising you will notice.

  • Bruised paw pads
  • Muscle soreness
  • Heatstroke and excessive panting
  • Extreme thirst
  • Joint pain and limping
  • Confusion and Incoordination
  • Excercise-induced collapse
  • Lethargy
  • Drooling
  • Behavioral changes

If you seem to notice these symptoms in your Corgi, make sure to give it a rest from exercising. If the symptoms keep progressing, make sure to ask your vet for help.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi running through the forest

How Much Exercise Does A Corgi Need? – A Summary

Corgis are a popular small dog breed that has a rich herding history. Because of that, it will require a lot of exercise. On average, Corgis need around 1 hour of exercise daily. This number is different by the type of Corgi, as Cardigans need less time than the Pembrokes. Also, younger and older Corgis need less exercise than adult ones.

There are many benefits of exercising your pup. Improved health and weight, as well as improved mood, is great. Exercising will also strengthen the bond between you and the dog. If you don’t exercise the Corgi it will get hyperactive, anxious, irritable, and destructive.

To exercise your dog you can go walking, jogging, hiking, swimming, or playing games. Just make sure you don’t overexercise your pup.

FAQ

How fast can Corgis run?

A healthy, adult Corgi can run at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour. They have developed a strong upper body that helps them run faster. This is due to their rich herding history.

Are Corgis OK to be left alone?

If you have an adult Corgi that has been properly crate trained, you can leave it alone for around 8-10 hours. That said, you would need to give it enough exercise before that so it stays calm.

Is a Corgi a good indoor dog?

A Corgi is small enough to be a great indoor dog. If the owner knows how much exercise does a Corgi need and gives it that exercise it won’t be a problem.

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