The Welsh Corgi is a short dog with a long history as a cattle herder and farm guard. Welsh Corgis often prove to be loving and loyal dogs that are very protective. They are very active and require daily exercise to keep behavior problems at bay.
Given their intelligence and innate desire to please, Welsh Corgis can be trained with a firm but gentle approach. They have a tendency to have a small dog complex, so the owner’s authority must be firmly established early on in the relationship. Due to their prowess in herding livestock, Welsh Corgis also need to be trained not to nibble or herd their human family.
So here are some tips to keep in mind when starting the training process.
The main thing any successful trainer must do is earn the safety and respect of the animal to be trained. These qualities are very important when training a dog. As collective pack animals, they have an innate need to follow a strong leader.
In a dog’s world, if you are the leader, he will easily follow what you tell him to do. Without building trust and loyalty first, all of your training efforts will likely be ineffective. Trust and respect are not things that can be pressured, they must be acquired through affirmative communication with your four-legged companion. When your dog truly respects you, he knows that his job is to follow your guidance and he will choose to do so effortlessly.
In the world of a Welsh Corgi, love and affection are not the same as respect and trust. While a new puppy just wants to be cuddled, make sure you don’t offer your puppy love at an unacceptable time. While a puppy is an enthusiastic force to be reckoned with, it is valuable to set some expectations early on in order to adopt respectable habits. By setting rules for your dog to adhere to, you let him know what you are demanding of him.
By having rules and expected consequences for breaking the rules, you are mimicking the behavior of the pack. Although the pack leader is at the top of the pack, each dog in the pack also has a structured place around his companions.
Good luck training your new Corgi puppy!
