Are Corgis Good With Kids?

Cute and cuddly though Corgis may be, did you know that they were originally herding dogs?

As such, you can expect them to have lots of energy as a result of years of working on farms.

But what can you expect from your Corgi around your kids? Are Corgis good with kids?

Are Corgis Good With Kids?

Corgis are good with kids that are older than five or six. Corgis have great personalities that make them fun, playful, and energetic, but their breed background as a herding dog makes them not good for families with young children under five.

Corgis have all the right qualities of a perfect family dog, with one exception. The Welsh Pembroke Corgi was bred to herd, and they do this job extremely well.

For this reason, they are not recommended where there are noticeably young children as they will try to herd them at some point and accidentally hurt them.

While it is possible to train Corgis that is very smart to behave and not herd the children or others. 

But since herding is their primary trait and what they were bred for, it can be hard to stop them from completely doing this.

For a dog, certain traits are bred into them for a specific purpose or what they were bred to do. The working class of dogs that hunt and herd and sporting dogs have certain traits bred into them so they can do what they are meant to do.

All these dog breeds were historically bred to perform a specific task and do it well, making them an asset to humans who needed help in these areas.

These traits that are bred into them are often instinctual for the dogs, and this means that they do them without even thinking, as these traits are an ingrained part of who they are as a dog. 

Therefore, the trait or quality can never be completely removed.

When Corgis are obedience trained, they will often excel in everything they do because they are highly intelligent. 

But what we must realize is even the most skilled and trained dog that is perfectly behaved will have a tough time containing traits that are deeply ingrained in their genetics.

This means for families with young children that if they adopt a Corgi, the Corgi can excel at training because they are very smart.

Still, there will be occasions where the herding instinct can and will slip out, and they revert to who they are at a basic level as a dog and attempt to herd everyone in the household.

Now with adult or older children, this may not be such a problem, but when it comes to incredibly young children, being nipped at or even accidentally bit will be too much for their little bodies to handle. 

Not to mention that they shouldn’t be dealing with those things at such a tender age anyway.

Therefore, the Corgi is not recommended for families with young children. 

Kids older than five or six might be a good fit, but pet parents must always determine what is best for their children before adopting any dog.

Corgis will not only bite or nip to herd when they think this needs to be done, but they will bark and act assertive and bossy, which is also ingrained in their herding nature.

Aside from that, like other dogs, Corgis do not like being mistreated even when it is unintentional. They won’t want their tail pulled or to be chased around the house.

While many dogs may tolerate this with a casual disinterest or patience before removing themselves from the reach of the small child, the Corgis personality will not have them tucking tail and running away.

Corgis are good with older kids but should always be watched in case things get out of hand and the older kid forgets themselves and does something unkind or the Corgi attempts to herd or bite them.

Each parent and household must decide before adopting what they are looking for in a dog and with what they can deal with. 

Parents must look objectively at what is truly best for their children and their family regardless of what they want as a dog when it comes to kids.

There are many reasons why Corgis are good for a family with kids, including their playful nature, smarts, and energetic personality. 

They also require a large amount of attention, and in a big family, there won’t be any lack of attention for the furry family member.

It all depends on if the pros of adopting a Corgi outweigh the cons of dealing with behaviors that are so deeply ingrained in this dog breed.

While the Corgi can be good with kids in the right family before adopting, the parents need to discuss their living situation and family with the Corgi breeder. 

The breeder will determine if a Corgi is a good fit. If so, that will also determine which dog might be best as each puppy in a litter will be slightly different.

What should I teach my kids if I adopt a Corgi?

If you adopt a Corgi, you should teach your kids the basics of caring for a pet. There are certain things that every person, young or old, should learn before they adopt a dog or any animal.

The kids and adults should learn about the individual breed to understand who their dog is and what they were bred to do. 

Kids and adults should also learn about the basic needs of a dog or animal and how they will participate in helping meet those needs, such as feeding, grooming, walking, and so forth.

Finally, the kids and adults should be taught what is appropriate behavior when owning a dog and what is not appropriate.

Often, we get to caught up in the adoption process and taking care of the basic needs that we forget about what shouldn’t be done, such as tail pulling and hurting in any way.

The best way to foster a healthy relationship between a kid or adult and their dog is to begin as you plan to move forward. 

Learning what not to do is as important as what should be done.

Once the Corgi puppy arrives at their new home, the kids and adults should take some time to learn about the individual dog they have welcomed into their family.

Each dog is special, regardless of breeding, and getting to know them is important for bonding and training, socializing, and living with your dog.

Final Points

Dogs and kids go hand and hand. Both are fun and love a good adventure but not every dog is good with young kids.

Corgis make great family pets but are best with older kids due to instinctual traits from their breeding that may have them accidentally herding and hurting the child.

Before adopting pet, parents must first determine what is best for their family before considering the adoption of any dog regardless of breed. When this is done, finding the right fit for a family with kids is simple and enjoyable for everyone, including the dog!