Do Corgis Bark A Lot? [And What You Can Do To Limit Barking]

If you are contemplating getting a Cardigan or Pembroke Welsh Corgi, or you have recently adopted one, then you may be wondering if they regularly or routinely bark. As a new dog owner, this is a chief concern and something that you are going to want to know as early on as possible. I wondered this too, so decided to conduct some thorough research into the topic. Here is what I have been able to find.

So, do corgis bark a lot? Corgis are a dog breed that is renowned for barking a lot. You may encounter an individual that is quiet but generally speaking, corgis have a lot to say. On the plus side, Corgis have known for their intelligence as well as their obedience and you can easily train them to manage their vocal behavior.

Let us now explore corgi barking in a lot more detail to discover why they bark in the first place, how often you can expect them to bark, and some ways to naturally and safely limit and reduce barking.

Why Do Corgis Bark?

Corgis bark for the same reasons most dogs bark – they’re bored, hungry, annoyed at someone or something, or they’re warning you about a situation.

Whatever the reasons may be, you shouldn’t ignore them because they are trying their best to express themselves.

They were bred originally to be herd dogs on sheep and cattle farms, so they naturally have lots of energy.

Not only that but they were specifically bred to bark at animals which helped them to be efficient on the farm.

So, one of the most paramount things you must do as a corgi owner is making sure that they have daily exercise to burn off all that energy and fill their days with stimulating activities.

Not only do corgis bark, but they also whine, grumble, grunt, and lots of “words”.

Corgi owners are often convinced that their dog is speaking to them, and they are in essence and their own way.

Unfortunately, many corgis are mislabeled as aggressive because they struggle to communicate in a way that is understood by human beings and other animals.

How Often Do Corgis Bark?

An untrained or young corgi will bark non-stop, morning, noon, and night. If you are adopting a corgi this is something that you must be aware of.

You will need to provide obedience training from the time they are puppies or it could make life more of a challenge than it needs to be. Obedience training will be hard but worth it in the end.

There are two distinct breeds of corgi, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi their ancestors were herd dogs, so they will display some working dog behaviors.

While you may be able to train a corgi to bark less, it’s part of their instincts, and that behavior may never go away.

So you may notice that they continue to bark at other animals running by, or a ball being thrown, or any movement or motion.

Ways To Stop Excessive Barking in Corgis

Thankfully, whilst corgis are renowned for barking there are some practical and easy to implement things you can do.

This will limit barking in the present, and you can always look to use one of the methods below if your corgi is getting overly excited.

Use Treats As A Reward

When your corgi is in full barking mode, for example – when someone is knocking at your door, it can be difficult to communicate with your pet that there is no need to bark.

Treats can be an ideal way to distract them and reward your corgi for remaining calm, quiet and showcasing this good behavior.

Hill’s Natural Baked Light Dog Biscuits with Real Chicken (available for a great price over at Amazon) are ideal for those times when you need to jump into training action with your pet.

Hill’s only uses the best quality ingredients, with no meat by-products, and the treats are so soft that they can be broken up easily into smaller pieces for your corgi.

Read more: Best Treats For Corgis [The Ones You Need To Buy & Why]

There will be times when you need to tell your dog to stop barking but do not wait until they begin to do so.

So for example, do not wait until someone is knocking at your door to attempt to quieten them.

When you are reactive, you’re attention will be divided and you will not be making the most of what could be an effective learning learning opportunity for your dog.

You can always enlist the help of a friend to knock at your door.

When your dog goes crazy and is in no mood to listen, use a treat to get your dog’s attention on you and not the door.

It’s necessary that you always have treats at arms reach, where you can easily pick one up and offer it to your pet.

Bear in mind that you are not rewarding the loud barking but using positive reinforcement to get your corgi to pay attention to you. This is key.

Every time your dog goes to the door to bark, do your best to intercept that behavior with treats do this many times over, and with time the unwanted barking should lessen.

Use A Puzzle Toy As A Distraction

A puzzle toy should work just as effectively as puppy training treats to reduce excessive barking.

You must check out the Kong puzzle toy, this is a mentally stimulating toy for your pooch, it’s made of rubber and has a bounce to it that encourages play.

The shape placates your dog’s instinctual requirements. It’s hollow inside and is designed to be able to stuff treats inside the toy.

Not only is it appealing to look at, there’s an added element of surprise that comes with the toy, and the corgi will be too curious about what treats are inside the Kong to pay attention to any knock at the door.

Its great to leave around the house.

It’s very effective and comes recommended by thousands of dog owners.

When Nothing Seems To Work

Dogs need a distraction when it comes to managing their barking behavior, however, using toys and treats will not work on every dog.

There are times when you will need to just pick up your dog and move them away from the scene.

Any time your dog behaves well you should reward them, they will love that their good behavior is acknowledged.

Positive reinforcement, rather than harsh discipline is the best way to train your dog to not bark so much.

Corgis Need Exercise

As mentioned above, all dogs need daily exercise, this keeps boredom at bay and helps to reduce excessive barking.

There are many ways to get your corgi involved in exercise – go walking, jogging/running together, hiking, playing fetch with a ball or Frisbee.

Corgis are known to be extremely energetic and this could explain why they bark so much.

The All For Paws interactive ball launcher on Amazon is an excellent toy to encourage dogs to exercise and stimulate their minds.

You can adjust the distance setting to 10 feet, 20 feet, or 30 feet, and it’s a great way to tire out puppies as well as keep older dogs fit and healthy.

Your dog will love playing fetch and enjoy learning something new.

The ball launcher comes with three standard tennis balls and your dog can play with it outdoors and indoors, your dog can get much-needed exercise even when the weather is bad.

This is a fun activity for both you and your corgi and is particularly effective for those of you who have injuries or will struggle to throw a ball repetitively.

Corgis have so much energy and do not seem to tire; this device makes it far more gentle on your arm than can tire and become sore over time.

In Summary

So back to our original question around our corgis and their barking.

It is true that corgis bark a lot.

Unfortunately it is just part of their nature. It was in many ways a behavior bred into them so it’s something that you must accept as a corgi dog breed owner.

Never punish your corgi for barking, but be sure to reduce it by engaging them in stimulating activities, exercising them appropriately and providing plenty of distractions.