Corgis have all the desirable characteristics of professional herders: smart, quick, energetic, hard-working, and highly trainable. They also have several traits that are typical for herders and less desirable for family pets. A prime example is their urge to bite and nip.
To make your corgi stop biting ankles, make biting unrewarding. Freezing and shifting attention is often effective. Plenty of exercise and chew toys are important. Corgi responds well to training, so use commands and positive reinforcement consistently – even an adult corgi can learn new behaviors.
It is important to understand herding dogs as a group to have empathy for some of their bad habits and to address them methodically.
HOW BEING A HERDING BREED AFFECTS CORGIS
Corgis Bark
Corgis bark and vocalize in general.
In their glorious past, it was their job to alert the owner of any danger. They were responsible for vocalizing when they saw strangers or predators.
Corgis Are Energetic And Bright
Both Pembrokes and Cardigan Welsh corgis are dynamic and intellectual.
Those are great qualities for companion dogs but these pets also need things at all times. They require stimulation for their minds and physical exercise. Otherwise, corgis can become impatient and unhappy, misbehave, and even do some damage to the house.
Corgis Have Strong Instincts
Corgis pass on their herding traits and behaviors from generation to generation. They are wired the way they were bred to be. The implication of having strong instincts is that it could take time to teach them to change behaviors, including vocalizing and biting. Despite, their high working intelligence, corgis are stubborn and may revert to their old habits unless they practice new skills and behaviors consistently.
Corgis Nip And Bite Ankles
As herding dogs, corgis had to react to any movement around them. They guarded livestock and used chasing and nipping behaviors to guide sheep or cows back to their flock as needed. Farm dogs also chased away predators, and that required some barking and biting too.
It is natural for corgis to be defensive of their territory because that too was a part of their job. So dogs of both corgi breeds can bark and possibly even charge at a passer-by unless they are trained appropriately.
Nipping and biting could become an issue if you run with your corgi and your pet tries to nip other runners or if the dog tries to herd and nip cats or other smaller animals.
Corgis’ intelligence is a strength and a tool you as the owner can use to change the patterns of your pup’s behaviors.
Corgis Respond To Training
According to renowned canine psychologist Stanley Coren, Pembroke Welsh corgis are the eleventh most intelligent dog breed. Welsh Cardigan corgis are not far behind.
Corgis score highly in working intelligence, also known as obedience. So, they have the wits to learn and acquire new behaviors:
- Intelligent dogs learn very basic commands with about 10 repetitions and respond appropriately to the first command 85% of the time
- Practice reduces delays with the response and helps the dog master more complex commands
- If you stand right next to your corgi, the dog may respond to your commands quicker and more reliably than if you are farther away. For that reason, practice commands in different settings to make sure the dog will listen to you if you are on a crowded beach, for example. Corgis can be great off-leash dogs if they learn to focus and respond to you in any setting.
- The skills of the trainer are not very important for bright dog breeds. Your corgi does not need a professional trainer. You can train your dog even if you are a novice.
Pembrokes are also known for their desire to please their owner, which is another prerequisite for being highly trainable.
TO STOP A CORGI FROM BITING AND NIPPING
Note The Triggers
It is important to understand what triggers your corgi to attempt nipping or biting. For example:
- If runners make your dog react, then keep your pup on a close leash around runners until you trust him to ignore them.
Even with highly trainable and smart dogs, you should be prepared to be patient. If you want the nipping and biting to stop right away, then your best bet is to remove your pup from being in situations where he or she may be tempted to nip.
Respond Methodically
Any impulsive acts by an irritated owner, such as jerking the leash, yelling, or swatting at the dog, will not yield results:
- It may stop the behavior for a moment in time but he will nip and bite again.
- The dog could even become defensive or aggressive with it.
- If your dog has some anxiety, being treated in such a manner will only perpetuate the problem.
For those reasons, do your best to respond consistently and methodically every time.
The goal is to avoid punishing, confusing, or frightening the dog but, instead, to instill a change over time
Reduce The Urge To Bite
The following are important components of success.
Plenty Of Physical Activity
Corgis are active dogs. Providing them with an opportunity to exercise will help release some energy. They will be less tempted to chase and bite ankles if they are tired enough and regularly get physical and mental stimulation.
Socialization, Desensitization
Like any dog, your corgis should be appropriately socialized from puppyhood. He or she should know people, dogs, and other animals.
If your dog wants to chase bikers, exposing him to people and bikes will help to desensitize him to those triggers. But watch him closely until he becomes trustworthy around people on bikes.
Chew Toys
Offer a variety of chew toys for heavy chewers and toys and complex dog puzzles for smart dogs. Your corgi may love some of those toys and completely ignore others.
Rotate toys if your pet seems to no longer be interested in a particular toy. Hide it for a few weeks and then give it back, the dog’s interest might be renewed that way.
Establish Dominance
For everyone’s safety, including the dog himself, your corgi should see you as the pack leader.
Most dogs learn that the owner is the pack leader from puppyhood because the human is in charge of food, treats, and all good things.
If your dog demands attention by jumping all over you and licking your hands and face, he or she is expressing dominance. Not being willing to move off the couch and growling at family members when they pass by to seemingly protect you from them are also examples of dominant behavior.
Obedience training by positive reinforcement is most effective with puppies but older dogs can learn too.
Teach Impulse Control
Teach your corgi to control impulses. For example, when you play fetch, see if you can get him to sit calmly for a few moments before throwing the stick. Reward your pet if he or she does wait, and that’s okay if not – try again later.
Patience is a transferable skill. If your dog learns to use self-control when playing fetch, the animal might practice it in other situations, too.
When you notice that your pup is about to bark or start chasing a runner or a biker in a park, use a command to distract him. You could call your dog’s name to get your pet’s attention and have him or her focus on you.
If your dog obeys, offer a treat or verbal praise. If not, kindly correct the behavior by lightly pulling on the leash or distracting him with a toy.
Correct the behavior every time until your dog consistently comes to you when you call or simply does not chase or bark at a moving person.
Teach Verbal Commands
Try using the same command every time you want a particular behavior to stop, at least in the beginning. Once the dog learns to behave appropriately in any given situation, you will not need to give a command. Your dog may need a reminder now and then, although corgis are among the breeds that memorize commands for a long time.
- It is important to pick the right time for training.
- If your pet is too excited and overstimulated, pause the training until your pet is calm enough to be receptive.
- Train in a familiar environment to minimize distractions.
HOW TO HANDLE BITING AND NIPPING
Freeze and shift attention
- The idea is to make nipping unrewarding.
- Don’t move your hand or foot when the dog bites, because dogs think of that as a game. Instead, make your hand or foot go limp.
- You could make a yelping sound to startle your pet, to imitate the way dogs communicate discomfort.
- When your dog lets go, pet him or offer a treat or a toy for distraction.
Time-out method
- Taking the fun away from biting is the goal too
- When your corgi bites, freeze until he/she lets go.
- Then ignore the dog for a few seconds.
- Pet him/her if he is not biting anymore.
Actual time-out
Staying in a crate for a short period could be helpful for some dogs to collect themselves and calm down. This method is more effective with young excited pets rather than mature dogs.
Be Consistent And Patient
Although corgis are highly intelligent and capable of learning new commands and behaviors quickly, they do have very strong instincts. For that reason, it could still take some time for them to stop a behavior they are hard-wired for.
Some owners can impulsively give their dog a swat to deter the nipping but it is important to note that punishing corgis is not just pointless but also counterproductive. They will not learn that way but may become anxious.
Respond in similar ways to a behavior you want to discourage, so your dog knows what to expect from you.
You need a long-term plan to stop the dog from misbehaving, and consistency and patience are a must to teach your dog any new skill or discourage any behavior.
Corgi Puppy And Biting
If you are planning to get a corgi puppy, it is wise to be proactive and prevent playful nipping from becoming a bad habit. Pembrokes are a breed that can benefit from early socialization and puppy classes.
Puppy classes are an opportunity for very young pups of all breeds, dimensions, and temperaments to play together and learn from the interactions.
When puppies play together, they teach each other that biting is undesirable. They bite each other. The victim squeals and withdraws, and the fun game is paused. That happens over and over again until the offending puppy catches on that playing is more fun when no one bites.
Corgis And Kids
Corgis can nip at your feet when you are simply walking around the house. They can also nip while playing. This behavior is particularly problematic and consequential when your pooch tries to herd young children.
In the eyes of a diligent herder, young kids are like puppies or sheep. They need to be protected and prevented from running away. Your dog may even try to nip the hood or the shirt on its neck. They are just trying to help of course but such behavior is a serious issue.
In addition to teaching your dog to refrain from mouthing, children who are old enough need to be taught how to interact with the dog.
Young school-age children will not modify their activity level in general but they can learn to stop chasing or trapping the dog under the table, for example. Such actions are not appropriate for any dog, because they can be perceived as threatening. Even a very well-behaved dog can snap in self-defense. If the kids are too young to understand that, then their interaction with the dog should be watched closely.
Corgis do great with children of school age because these dogs love playing and can learn a lot of tricks that are fun for the dog and the kid. Babies and very young children in general should not be left alone with a corgi, or any dog, for that matter.
Related Issues:
My puppy bites even harder after I yelp or say “Ouch”
This is not uncommon at all! Yelping is a popular method of signaling to the puppy that he is biting too hard. However, some puppies mistake yelping for being part of the game. If you notice that your corgi puppy consistently keeps biting when you vocalize in an attempt to make him stop, consider giving up this method at least for some time. Most puppies eventually give up nipping if you freeze in response and then shift attention.
Puppy bites hard and nothing seems to help
Some corgi puppies are very stubborn because they have strong instincts. If you have tried a variety of methods, and your puppy has access to plenty of toys and opportunities to run and play, consider enrolling him in puppy classes. If you know owners of other very young dogs, you could set up regular play dates for your puppies. Dogs can teach each other a lot and puppies learn to be gentler from playing.
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