Do Corgis Need A Lot Of Attention?

If you’re thinking of getting a dog, you need to make sure you get one of a breed that meets your lifestyle.

If you don’t have tons and tons of time to devote to your dog, you need to be extra careful to get a breed that doesn’t need tons and tons of attention.

So if Corgis are on your shortlist of considerable dog breeds, you first need to find out if they need a lot of attention.

Do Corgis Need A Lot Of Attention?

Welsh Pembroke Corgis need a lot of attention, from grooming to physical exercise and love. They need lots of attention to be happy, content, and thriving. While this is true for most dog breeds, Corgis need more attention than some other breeds and if their needs are not met, they can act out by barking and through destructive behaviors.

Corgis love to be with their owner or family, and they love to be close by and around all the fun.

And at times, they may appear to be more demanding than other dogs and demand attention by acting out if they don’t get that attention.

In this way, they can become territorial of their owner or family member and have issues with visitors or people and animals that might come into the home environment and divert the attention away from them.

This breed can be needy in this department and need more attention than other dogs, but this behavior can be remedied if it must be started as early in their life as possible.

Also, the pet parent or owner must have a keen sense of being in charge and be confident about that, which leaves no room for negotiations.

Not all Corgis will be this way; younger puppies will not display this assertive and demanding behavior that translates into more attention. 

And this is the best time to train your Corgi when they are a puppy to reduce bad behaviors, so they don’t become habitual and harder to be rid of later in life.

Senior Corgis will also be less likely to display this behavior. They may have had prior training, but their behaviors tend to slow down and be mellow as they age. 

This isn’t always the case as each dog is individual, and behaviors will be based on who they are as a dog.

What can be done to prevent my Corgi puppy from being so needing of attention as an adult dog?

There is nothing that can be done to completely remove this tendency or neediness in your Corgi as a puppy, but there are things that can be done to reduce the occurrence of this issue when they are an adult dog.

What can be done to reduce the chance that your Corgi puppy will be needing a lot of attention as an adult dog is to meet their needs as a puppy while beginning training and social skills at an early age.

Beginning training and social skills at an early age will teach them what is expected of them, and while they may not get it exactly right as a puppy, it will become a natural part of who they are as a dog with repetition.

Their needs should be met, needs for love, food, a warm bed, and so forth create the foundation of a happy and healthy life. 

As the puppy grows, they will display certain behaviors that the pet parent will need to manage through training.

The more they are socialized from an early age, the easier they learn from other dogs and those around them.

Corgis can be headstrong and make their own rules which will be different from their pet parents. The sooner they learn what is expected of them and how to behave in certain scenarios, the better.

The sooner they know who is in charge, and the fact that there is no room for negotiating this, also the better. 

Therefore, a pet parent who has a Corgi as their fur baby will need to have strong confidence in their abilities as the pack leader.

When all these areas are covered, there will still be days where Corgis demands attention, but what they demand and what they get, much like a human child, may be vastly different.

Even in the best-case scenario, a Corgi will always need more attention than other dog breeds because they like being near their owner or family members and having full-on attention paid to them. 

They also need a lot of physical activity due to their energy level.

With proper training, they can learn to cope with those moments when they don’t get all the attention they need and be patient enough to wait until they have time to devote to them.

Each dog is different and will have its own threshold of what it can tolerate in that department. Some dogs will be fine being left alone for an hour without their pet parent, and others will bark and behave badly if their owner is in the garage without them.

Each pet parent is different and must decide what they consider acceptable and not acceptable. 

They must decide what they will tolerate and bend the rules on and what they will not, but this, of course, comes from the pet parent being a confident pack leader.

When training the Corgi regardless of age, consistency is especially important. If the pet parent or owner is incapable of being consistent, why would the Corgi trust in them and listen to them as the pack leader?

This is true for any dog breed. If you are not confident in your position in the pack, they will attempt to overthrow the government or simply refuse to listen.

This consistency will include not bending the rules and tolerating behaviors that were once not okay down the road because you are too tired, busy, or something else.

It is best to train or at least begin training when a Corgi is a puppy because they are more receptive to learning and accepting what is being taught. 

The Corgi puppy will still have a mind of its own and be an independent thinker, but their youthful age increases the chance that they will accept new ideas.

Needing a lot of attention need not be a terrible thing if the parent has a lot of time and attention to share. It should be noted that attention can come in many forms, physical playtime, snuggles, a hike, bath time, sharing some snacks, going for a car ride, and even simply talking to your dog.

As a pet parent we need to be ourselves and do what feels comfortable for us, after all our Corgi must live with us for the rest of their lives. 

We can adapt and go beyond sometimes for the ones we love, including a dog but we should also remember to take care of ourselves and give a break when needed.

Closing Points

We all need attention, but some of us need more than others. Corgis are a dog breed that happens to need more rather than less.

That being the case, it is still possible to live a happy life with a Corgi that can be bossy and demanding at times.

Training and being confident in your position in the household and consistency are the best ways to promote good behavior while providing them with the love and attention they need, without overdoing it!