When Do Corgi Puppies Stop Biting?
Puppies are a bundle of joy regardless of their breed and age. They are full of life, curious, and with all that fuzzy softness, hard to resist. With all this adorable cuteness, it may be surprising for some new pet parents that their Corgi puppy bites them.
Biting and nipping during the puppy stage can be a normal but irritating behavior that needs to be remedied, so they don’t carry this trait into adulthood.
When Do Corgi Puppies Stop Biting?
Corgis, like other puppies, will stop biting when they are trained and have learned not to bite. This can happen before or after their first year, and it may require a periodical refresher course for Corgis that get the hang of things earlier in their lives.
Puppies of any breed will nip or bite early on because they don’t know any different. They might think it’s okay to do when playing a game with someone, but they don’t ever mean to harm.
It’s all wholesome fun, right?
Not necessarily. While this behavior can be a normal part of a Corgi puppy’s development into adulthood, it should never be considered acceptable and allowed.
Even at an early age, there are ways to gently encourage good behavior and other ways of playing while allowing the puppy to be a puppy.
Teething
One of the most common reasons for a Corgi puppy to bite is teething.
In the early months of their lives, the Corgi puppies’ body will undergo physical changes that can be uncomfortable and difficult for them, like teething, and they don’t know what to do about it.
This is where the pet parent can channel their need to chew, bite and nip because of the pain and discomfort they are experiencing during teething.
If, for instance, they start biting the parents’ fingers, the parent can gently remove their fingers and leave the room for a few minutes.
When they return, they can bring a replacement for the fingers, a teething toy that will relieve them from their discomfort and teach them what is acceptable for them to chew and bite.
Fear
Sometimes a puppy gets scared, their new home is different with odd smells and new people, and it can be scary.
The Corgi puppy might hear a noise or be scared by something inside their new home.
When a puppy is scared, they will react and protect themselves, and they might accidentally bite or nip someone because they are fearful and confused.
The best way to handle this situation is to pick them up gently and provide some comfort and soothing words while stating in a matter a fact tone, NO BITE, and leaving it at that.
Once they are calm and relaxed again, the parent can put them back on the floor or find something to distract them, like go outside for a bathroom break.
The same can be said for when they are trying to protect themselves.
If the Corgi puppy is fearful for their own physical safety, they will lash out and bite without meaning to harm but because they don’t know what is happening and are scared.
When a Corgi puppy is sick or injured like anyone else, they will feel snappish and may not want to be touched.
Should the pet parent or someone else attempt to touch a Corgi puppy when they don’t feel well, they might bite to send a warning to be left alone.
Puppies that are not feeling well don’t mean to hurt, but again, it is a reaction at this point to their pain and suffering.
It is best to find a way to show them comfort and love without stressing them out then access what’s wrong and, if necessary, take them to the veterinarian for a checkup.
These behaviors that can cause biting and nipping in a Corgi puppy.
In some cases, these behaviors can carry on into adulthood and become a habit that’s hard to break.
A Word About Breeding
It must be said that Corgis are a herding dog breed which will make them more likely to bite and nip out of instinct, whether they are puppies or adults.
It is ingrained in who they are as a dog and can be a hard habit to break no matter what age.
Thankfully, obedience training can go a long way towards correcting this behavior, but it may never completely be eliminated.
Instincts ingrained in a dog’s personality and temperament are hard to break due to breeding.
They can be minimized, managed, and controlled to a certain extent, but the Corgi might still bite given the right situation.
How can I stop my Corgi from biting?
The best way to stop your Corgi from biting is obedience training and socializing.
Socializing is a passive way of training a dog how to behave while they are around others from a young age, they will mimic and copy the other dogs around them.
When the Corgi puppy is with their littermates and mother, this is how they learn.
They learn by gently being taught through interactions with there litter mates and the mother, and they learn by copying and natural consequences.
Obedience training is a formal way of training your Corgi what is expected of them as a dog in your household and family.
They learn what is allowed and what is not allowed in various life situations inside the home and out in the world.
Training can be done by a professional, which may be best for a first-time Corgi owner because this breed is highly intelligent.
They learn quickly, but they also have a stubborn streak which can cause problems sometimes for the parent who decides to train them but is not confident in their role as trainer and pack leader.
Whichever method is chosen, training is incredibly important for preventing unacceptable behaviors like biting, excessive barking, or destroying household items through digging, scratching, or chewing.
Training is the foundation for good behavior that the pet parent and dog can fall back on when they forget the rules or act up and bite or do something they shouldn’t.
Throughout a Corgis life, they may need refreshers training, not because they didn’t get it the first time, but because they chose to ignore what was being taught or forget about it because they would rather do something else instead.
Closing Points
Corgis bite because of their breeding as a herding dog and a natural growth process as they go through the puppy stage.
Being gentle but persistent and confident in your role as a leader and providing diversions and channeling this habit into something else can be an effective way to manage this issue.
Formal training is essential and something your Corgi will easily learn, that is if they want too!