Pembroke Welsh Corgi Training Guide

Last updated Sep 26, 2020 0

Training any new dog, including a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is essential in making sure both the pet and family members are comfortable and happy with the relationship.

Generally, training has two main parts: basic obedience training, which can cover a wide area of activity; and competition/activity training.

How to Train Pembroke Welsh Corgi

The Pembroke is a very intelligent breed that should be obedient and loyal, with good breeding and early socialization by the breeder. This dog can be an excellent watchdog and guard dog as well. As you talk with breeders and look at puppies, look closely at how the breeder interacts with the dogs.

Ask what the breeder and his workers do on a day-to-day basis with the young dogs, to get a feel for how the puppies are socialized and trained. Giving the young Pembroke a good start will also help avoid having a dog that is over-protective, as can happen with this breed.

Two areas that should be the focus of early obedience and basic corgi training are the tendency to nip at peoples heels and aggressiveness toward other male dogs. The Pembroke was bred as a working dog and was often used to drive cattle by nipping at their feet and barking.

The dog can be trained not to do this, though it will take some patience from the owner. In addition, careful training can limit the problems with over-aggressiveness, as long as you are careful not to create a Pembroke that is too timid or frightened. This is usually not a problem with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

If you decide to use crate training with your Pembroke, try to look at this as giving the pet a safe haven for those times when it needs to be alone. In addition, you will give the dog a “den” that it will naturally want to protect and keep clean. Should you have to spend an entire day away from home, make sure your dog has access to water, food and newspapers. Paper training may be a good idea if you must spend several hours away.

Pembrokes are the smallest of the AKC’s Herding Group classification. These small but sturdy dogs are natural workers, helping farmers move cattle from place to place and protecting the family home. These dogs have great stamina and can do well in competitions such as herding and agility. The first AKC Champion Tracker was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

With this in mind, you may want to consider training your Pembroke for competition such as tracking. This involves teaching the dog to follow human scent. The track is a predetermined course on which a person has put personal articles. The dog and handler then follow the track as partners, with the dog taking the lead in following the scent.

The team usually follows the track for up to 500 yards in an open, grassy space for the first level of tracking. There are longer tracks for higher AKC titles that may involve cross tracks laid by others.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is good at this competition because it is built low to the ground and also is a curious, inquisitive breed. The training is very positive in nature and the Pembroke enjoys showing the owner/handler the way along a track.

There are good tracking manuals for those who want to try this activity on their own, but it may be best to seek out a good tracking class in your area. You will not only get the benefit of professional training and experience, but you also gain the camaraderie of this cooperative sport.

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