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I am so happy we chose to get a corgi puppy because Benji is the sweetest little thing ever and he makes us so happy. For this blog post, I want to list everything I've learned since getting a puppy. But a quick disclaimer first - I'm not a dog expert, I would say I'm pretty good with animals but definitely not an expert and if I could offer any advice, I would say to just go with your gut and what your vet tells you to do! So let's get into it.
Corgis are WAY smarter than you think they are. I knew they were smart but I actually can't believe how easy it has been to train Benji (I feel like he's quite advanced for his age at 3 months) - I hope he stays this way.
Corgi males tend to get desexed later in life (10 - 12 months) so that their back can strengthen up before the procedure - as long as they're happy and social. If they do have behavioural issues, you can choose to get it done earlier.
A LOT of unsolicited advice is gonna come your way - People are gonna tell you how to train your dog and what you should be doing. If they're not a dog trainer or an expert, go with your gut. Different breeds of dogs are different and will need different things. Google and YouTube can be very helpful. I also found the second time we went to the dog park (with the vet telling us to go), some random people kept telling us our dog should be in the time-out area - which I mean, I get that he's small, but he wasn't doing anything wrong and how do you socialise a dog with anyone else if he's in there with no other dogs? Maybe if he was in trouble - but he did really well both times he went. The second was a bit harder because there were way more dogs so we now know to go in the morning rather than the evening (and yes, random dudes telling me to watch my dog, I know). Gah.
Puppy pre-school is great for socialisation - I really struggled to go to this because the trainer wasn't really a "people person" and sadly, I ended up crying once because I didn't get something on the first go and I got called out in front of the whole class (no one else ever got picked on the way Luke and I did). But, Benji passed his two assessment tasks at the very end with flying colours and was a model student - showing that corgis are definitely eager to please.
Some people will tell you that you won't be able to look after a dog because of your health but f*ck them. Other people will tell you how amazing you're doing with your hard work. And people on the internet will support you. And if my mum thinks I'm doing good, then I'm pretty sure I'm doing good.
Toilet training and bite inhibition are the hardest but being consistent will work wonders. We're still having a few accidents here and there but 90% of the time, Benji will go outside and other times he takes himself out to the grass on the balcony, which is such good progress (we might be able to try one of those real-grass potty's soon). We have an alarm for once at night to take him out and are slowly making it longer and longer as he gets older. When he goes in the right place, we give him a bit more freedom inside as well as rewarding instantly. We also find that yelping doesn't work for bite inhibition because he thinks it means you want to play, so redirection or getting them to do a calm behaviour works. If this doesn't work, we either put him in his playpen or crate so he knows play stops if he bites.
The better you train your dog as a puppy, the easier it is to cut out bad behaviours early.
Listen to your vet, they know best (especially when it comes to worming + flea treatments, desexing, etc).
Everything now revolves around this little puppy, your social life, your working hours and you want to make sure they get the best care possible.
Training is fun and should be a positive reward system! I haven't trained a puppy before now - only been around the adult dogs my family has had BUT I feel like he listens to me (it helps that Benji actually likes high-pitched voices). 10 minutes is a day is all you need.
Corgis are very food-oriented and they are eager to please so training should come naturally. We've got sit, come, look, leave it, drop, on your mat, roll over, shake, sit-stay, and high 5 down pat. The next things to work on are obedience training and limiting distractions sorta thing + the wait/okay-go cue.
Corgis need a lot of mental stimulation like food puzzles, kongs, they love knowing what you're doing. We play hide and seek with Benji a lot and also if we're cooking in the kitchen, we speak to him and let him know what we're doing. He literally just wants to be included (if you get a corgi, don't be boring! Include him where you can). If you're interested in a puzzle that we've tried out ourselves, check out "this toy" on Amazon! Disclaimer - this is an affiliate link so if you make a purchase through this link, I will earn a commission. Thank you!
Corgis have super sensitive tummies - chicken and rice can be a life saviour! Make sure you figure out what hurts their tummy and what doesn't. We've noticed that lettuce, cucumber, and chicken are good, but pineapple isn't. We will try fish next.
They sleep a lot! Let them.
CORGIS ARE A SOCIAL MAGNET! 90% of people will want to come say hi and pet them. If he's not doing a training command in the moment, it's okay to let them say hi. Corgis often get offended if people don't say hi or just walk past without stopping - it's funny but they do have to learn that not everyone will say hi.
Benji is really good with children - there's a 3/4-year-old across the road and he hasn't nipped her once when they've seen each other.
If you feel like you do need a nap and have the time to, feel free to take one when your dog does - they like to mirror you. Often if I do have an afternoon snooze on the couch, Benji will stay asleep until I wake up. And I do assume if he wakes up, I'd hear him or he'd go right back to sleep.
Don't punish them for making a mistake. Try and try again! With lots of praise when they get it right. Be firm, but not angry if you're teaching something like "leave it" and NEVER ever punish them for making an accident (this should go without saying).
Apparently, if puppies like eating their own sh*t (like Benji sometimes does) you can put crushed pineapple in with their food - we tried both this and normal pineapple but unfortunately Benji had a reaction to it (he threw it up) so we've been doing a distraction type of thing as soon as he goes potty throw some treats over to the side so you can clean up after him (kinda like an exchange system).
If you love them, they will love you.
Do your research before getting a dog, always. Make sure you have the time commitment and effort you need to put in with them. They require A LOT of attention.
You will discover things about yourself that you didn't know.
You are now "mum" or "dad".
Dogs won't hold grudges if you say "ouch" too loud if a bite hurts as a puppy - this is how they learn.
Spend lots of time outside with your puppy - in different climates, and different environments.
SOCIALISE, SOCIALISE, SOCIALISE!
I actually thought I was going to be grossed out cleaning up after a dog when they go to the bathroom, but it's actually really good because they learn where to go and you can tell a lot by the way their poop looks. Suddenly, gross toilet stuff isn't so gross anymore.
Test them being alone, set up a camera inside and give them an area where they can toilet if they need to as well (but be aware if you need to leave for 8 hours a day at a time, this will hinder their toilet training). Laundries and bathrooms can be great for this sorta thing. Start by leaving them alone for short periods and then slowly increasing it so they don't get social anxiety. Sometimes if Benji is asleep and we go for a walk or something, he doesn't get too bothered but other times he can cry (so that's something to work on). Also, leaving puzzles out for them to do while you're away is a good distraction too. Plus, once their bladders are fully developed and their toilet training is going well, they'll be able to hold it for longer and be able to be trusted more inside.
Enjoy it while they're a small puppy, they grow so FAST (we're almost at 4kg and he was only 1.24 when we first got him).
Work on your relationship and Bluetooth connection so that your puppy trusts you.
Tune into your surroundings like a dog does!
That if you wear black or white, be prepared for fur to stand out or if your dog is still wet after going to the bathroom, stains to appear on white clothes (hahaha I learned this the hard way).
That routine is really good (I mean I always knew this, but your day is way more structured with a dog).
Live in the moment.
Play time with your dog is a good thing - make it so!
Dogs can see blue and yellow (they also like watching Bluey so feel free to put that on and don't be ashamed if you enjoy it as an adult - I'm pre sure one episode has already made me cry and we put it on for Benji).
My camera roll on my phone and my SD card are now basically ALL puppy content (I don't think I've taken a photo of something else in a while lol - should start doing that).
You think about someone else before you think about yourself.
Here's some Benji photos, please enjoy this cute AF content. If you'd like to follow Benji's journey, you can check out his socials (IG & TikTok: @benjibear_thecorgi) + he makes a guest appearance on my YouTube channel a lot.
I think I've already said this, but if I could give anyone a piece of advice if they are gonna get an animal, I would say, trust your gut - you'll know what works for you and what doesn't (and trust your vet).
I hope you enjoyed this post. Please let me know in the comments below if you'd like to see more posts like this!
Much love,
Ash xx
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