Hello,
I have a question that always seems to be answered half-way.

Everything I read about Corgi's says that they are happiest if they have a job to perform. But nobody ever says what kind of jobs would be suitable for a Corgi. My Corgi is a lovable 2 year old and is therefore very, very active. But the only job she really has is to guard the house from visitors. I read somewhere that if a Corgi is over-protective of their territory it can be a sign that they are bored. We'd really like to give her some other tasks but in all of our research nobody says WHAT kind of jobs to give.

So, my question is: what kind of jobs should I give her to keep her the happiest.

Thanks
Kevin

Hi Kevin
Your girl sounds lovely.
The no job= boredom comment is often made about many working dogs so I wouldn't worry about finding something Corgi specific.

My Pem [18 month old boy] is not a cattle herder so I go to huge lengths to keep him happy.
We got him as a companion not as a guard dog and I am quite careful to let him know that it is my job to guard the house not his. In any event he does not bark in the house - he only growls at passing dogs which I've been working on reducing. Many people have commented on the corgi's use as a guard dog because of the deep bark but I don't think this is an appropriate job for this breed nor is it fair to place this kind of pressure on the dog. When he does growl I say cheerfully "thank you! that's my job!" and he stops and relaxes.

To stop him being bored, this is what we do:
- He gets 3 walks a day - with the main walk being at lunchtime. I talk to him on our walks so we are always interacting.
- We vary the walks - his weekend walks involve adventures to new and interesting places.
- He plays with other dogs twice a week in controlled circumstances when I am at work
- He is rarely home by himself and if so, he gets a stuffed kong
- We play games with him - ball throwing, hiding stuff, hiding behind trees
- He has started having swimming lessons at a special dog pool
- I never let him off lead near farm animals or deer and have spent a lot of time with him watching Cavalry horses and he now accepts all horses wherever we meet them. I let him chase pigeons and squirrels but that is it and he is starting to lose interest in that activity. He is not allowed near geese but he has lost interest in them thankfully.

Generally, he is a very happy dog, sleeps well and doesn't bother us when we are busy or eating.
Does this help? :)

EDIT - you could always look into agility; I know some corgis like this though I am not sure if it is ok for mine as he has a longish back.

Cissy

Kevin there is a great book by Gwen Bailey called " Good Dog Behaviour" which has terrific jobs for dogs under tricks and games. You could teach her to carry something home form the shops or take paper to the basket or play messenger. The book shows you how and youll think of some original ones too. Our lad learned to " make his bed" by dragging a blanket around and he can unload the washing machine too. Perfect if he could wait till the clothes were actually clean! :D

Thanks a lot. This really helps.

She wasn't given the job of guard dog, but she just seems to have taken to it. I read somewhere that Corgis are really good guard dogs because they are very protective, especially towards children. But it's really funny if we have children over. She'll be wonderful to them and then they'll start running away, but Macy (the Corgi) thinks they're still playing so she chases them and herds the while the kids are crying away and we're laughing our heads off trying to get the child to stop running.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely look into that book. Some of her habits are definitely signs of boredom, even though we give her a lot of attention and play with her a lot.

Anyway, I could keep on talking about Macy for hours (and I sometimes do) but I have work to do.

hi kevin
Don't worry about talking too much, I would love to hear about your corgi. The kiddie herding sounds pretty normal to me - mine is good at rustling up straggling, gossiping friends on our walks.

What other signs of boredom is she showing?

I agree that there is a lot of opinion re the "corgi protection" instinct. I have not encouraged it in my boy because until recently he was having fear aggression problems with male dogs outside the house due to being attacked. I wanted him to know that I could always protect him which meant showing leadership and taking from him the burden of guarding. This approach has helped his confidence a great deal.

BTW He is also an angel with kids [his babysitting services are often requested] though he knows that I am also their protector.

Cissy

Sometimes she digs in the back yard and sometimes she's a little destructive. Both seem to be getting better. She also doesn't seem to act aggressive with other dogs, she just wants to know them and makes it known that she intends to say hello. When people or animals walk by the house she displays a protective stance by anxiously looking out the window, growling slightly or sometimes wimpering in a frustrated manner, with her ears forward and tail straight in the air. She's never violent but she's extremely dominant and if a dog doesn't like it and bites at her she will not back down, probably because she was bred for herding cows which, as you know, are much larger. So it's definitely a trait that's been bred into her.

Kids absolutely love Macy too. They play with her and giggle and squeel when she licks their ears (which she does a lot of to both children and adults alike). I'm curious to see what happens when my wife and I start having children. We may never have to hire a babysitter. :-) If I can train her to do the laundry and clean the house my life is set.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,
I would have alook around in your area to see if any Dog Training schools have any 'speciality' classes that you could try. By this, I mean agility, flyball, heelwork to music or even tracking and nosework. Our training school specialises in Working trials, and we have anything from the gundog breeds right down to staffies and westies doing it.
Good luck
Ali :)

Hi
The good thing about [most!] corgis is their trainability :) which can override their stubborness. I'm sure you will solve your digging/destruction probs in due course. There are many posts here on these topics.

The behaviour and posturing in the house, stiff tail etc. sounds very similar to mine except it does not happen with people passing, only dogs. I would not assume it is "protective" but have a think about what she may be anxious about in the outside world. e.g. her dealings with other dogs could give you a clue.

With mine I worked out that the behaviour in the house was linked with his [post attack] fear of males so I did some intensive work on his recall from other dogs and general dog manners. He would meet an entire male dog, go stiff then either he or the other dog would growl, escalating quickly into a spot of pandemonium and misery for me. Part of this could also be "unwillingness to back down" as you say but I had to do something because I couldn't bear the thought that every walk was going to be a leap of faith.

I now approach all dogs with care, with a quick "say hello!!", then BIG praise and top treat for tail wagging and racing back to me after a sniff. I let him play if the other owner agrees but normally its only the girls who want to play and he has no probs with them. In short - I keep all interactions short and positive; he still gets his proper play time but with dogs that we know :).
The house growling is reducing concurrently with his dog problems.

If you are worried about the growling and her pushiness with other dogs - it is really worth focussing her attention on you with lots of training. That way you end up with a great dog whose mind is too busy to be bored. :)

Good luck
Cissy