First off, let’s mention that all dogs bark. Most of the time, dogs bark for valid reasons. Sometimes, they bark for no reason at all.

However, there are certain dog breeds that are known to be excessive barkers. Even when everything around them appears quiet, these dogs will still find a reason to bark. And when they start barking, they hardly ever stop.

If you’re planning to adopt a corgi, one of the questions you might have asked yourself is, do corgis bark a lot?

The answer to that question is a resounding YES. Corgis may be small, adorable, and fun dogs to keep, but they rank among the most vocal dogs out there, which means they also bark a lot.

Read on as we seek to answer all the related questions with regards to corgi’s barking habit.

Barking Is Part of Corgi Adaptation

Like most dogs, corgis owe their excessive barking behavior to the primary reason why they were bred – which is herding cattle.

As small as they are, corgis had to fit into the demanding role of herding bigger animals. Therefore, one of the adaptations they developed is that of excessive barking.

Barking is one of the ways these dogs communicated with the herds under their watch. Also, it was an excellent tool for warding off potential attacks.

Animals as big as wolves were easily repulsed by the loud barks corgis gave even before they could set their eyes on the size of the barking dog.

More About Corgis

Corgis are small dog breeds that also go by the name Welsh Corgi, which speaks volumes about their ancestry. The dogs trace their origin back to Wales in the United Kingdom.

The name corgi actually implies dwarf dogs. And contrary to popular perception, the name isn’t derogative but a sincere way of describing the size of these dogs.

An average adult corgi stands about 10 inches tall and weighs between 23 and 28 pounds.

There are two variants of corgis, namely the Pembroke Welsh and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The Pembroke Welsh is the more popular of the two corgi breeds.

Much of Pembroke’s popularity comes from the fact that these dogs happen to be Queen Elizabeth II’s most preferable dogs. So far, the queen has owned more than 30 dogs. Out of those, over three-quarters are either Pembrokes or Corgi and Dachshund crossings.

Cardigan Welsh Corgis aren’t as popular as their Pembroke cousins. In fact, they are considered an endangered dog species, with the Kennel’s Club having classified them among the Vulnerable Native Breeds.

Besides their difference in popularity, Pembrokes and Cardigans share numerous other differences.

For instance, Cardigans are relatively larger and weigh more than Pembrokes. Also, Pembrokes are more susceptible to chronic renal conditions compared to Cardigans, especially in their old age.

Now, their differences apart, both Pembrokes and Cardigans are known to be excessive barkers.

As we’ve already mentioned, corgis were bred to herd cattle. Herding bigger animals like cattle and horses required a bit of expertise and arsenal. But corgis were already disadvantaged in terms of size. So, they had to develop a compensating adaptation.

This is arguably the time the dogs became very aggressive. They could demonstrate their aggression by barking to command the cattle under their watch or to warn potential intruders.

Thousands of years on, corgis have largely retained their excessive barking tendencies.

Why Do Corgis Bark?

Though we’ve already mentioned it, it warrants repeating that the main reason why corgis bark so much is that barking is an adaptation they inherited from herding cattle.

An average-size corgi can be up to 70 times smaller than an average-size cow. So, to even think that corgis could succeed in herding a drove of cattle is to overstretch your imagination.

But as strange as it sounds, corgis were bred to herd not one, not two but scores of cattle. These included cows, goats, sheep, and even horses.

To succeed in herding these huge animals, corgis developed two adaptations. One was to nip the heels of the cattle, so as to get them to move in particular directions, which earned them the term heelers.

But this wasn’t enough, as it was difficult for one dog to nip the heels of twenty-something cattle without causing chaos and confusion among the herds. Remember, nipping is nearly as good as biting.

So, corgis developed a second adaptation – barking. With time, most of the herds were able to match every corgi bark with a specific command.

Apart from using barking to command cattle to move in particular directions, it also served as a warning signal. Larger predators, like wolves and coyotes, trying to prey on farm animals could be easily turned away upon hearing the loud and terrifying corgi barks.

However, adaptation isn’t the only reason your corgi might be barking excessively. The following are some more possible causes of incessant corgi barking.

1. A Way of Communicating

Dogs use numerous vocalizations to communicate with their owners as well as amongst themselves. Some of these vocalizations include whining, howling, growling, and barking. For some reason, corgis prefer to bark.

As a dog owner, you should remember that it’s up to the dog to choose its own vocalization, and there’s very little you can do about it.

The best way to know what the dog is barking at is to take cues from its other means of communication. These include body posture, the position of the tail, shape of the ears, and eye movements.

2. Attention-Seeking Behavior

Like most dog breeds, corgis are attention-seeking dogs. But contrary to what most corgi owners believe, attention-seeking behavior isn’t necessarily bad.

It’s true that sometimes, you’ll find your dog’s excessive barking to be annoying. But it’s important to understand why the dog wants your attention in the first place.

For instance, if your corgi is hungry, it may bark and upon getting your attention, the dog might lead you to its food bowl. And if the dog wants to get out of the house, it could bark near the door or window.

More importantly, a corgi barking for attention might have noticed an intruder and is trying to draw your attention to it.

Intruders range from burglars to other dogs, mice, serpents, etc. And most interlopers have a way of coming at night. So, have you always wondered to yourself, do corgis bark at night?

Yes, they do, and the chances are that your pooch may have spotted an intruder.

3. Hunger

Babies cry when they want food and cats meow when they’re hungry. What about dogs?

Well, one of the ways dogs express their hunger is by barking. If your corgi is hungry, it will bark either near its food bowl or while leading you to it.

It’s important to ensure your corgi receives adequate food because when it starts to bark for it, the chances are that the dog is already pretty hungry.

4. Anger

Anger and frustration are other reasons why your corgi may be barking excessively.

Corgis especially tend to get annoyed with their fellow dogs. Reasons could range from rough play gone bad to competition for territories, food, mates, and toys.

If you own more than one corgi, it’s important to ensure that all dogs receive the same level of attention. That will prevent instances of jealousy, which could lead to frequent dog fights.

5. Boredom

When a dog is bored, it will resort to all manner of aberrant behaviors. One of those is barking incessantly. Boredom usually happens when your corgi is left alone for extended periods of time.

Boredom can easily degenerate to separation anxiety, which is a mental condition that occurs when a dog is separated from its owner for extended durations. The condition is most common among clingy dogs.

Some of the symptoms of separation anxiety include;

– Irritable behavior, such as excessive chewing, howling, growling, and barking;
– Escaping and a tendency towards seclusion;
– Pacing;
– Lack of bowel and bladder control; and
– Other deviant behavior, such as eating poop.

6. Medical Condition

After you’ve checked and confirmed that your corgi isn’t barking due to any of the above reasons, then perhaps the dog could be suffering from an underlying condition.

As we’ve already mentioned, diseases of the kidney are common among corgis. Other common health concerns with this dog breed include hip dysplasia, gastrointestinal problems like constipation, canine arthritis, etc.

Your best bet here is to consult your vet to have the dog examined.

How Often Do Corgis Bark?

How often a corgi barks depends on a lot of factors. An untrained and poorly-socialized corgi will bark in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and at night. So, that’s pretty much all the time.

Excessive barking isn’t only annoying to you, it also causes disturbance in the neighborhood. Thankfully, you can redirect the behavior through rigorous and persistent training.

How Do I Get My Corgi To Stop Barking?

There are numerous tips that you can implement to train your corgi to stop barking.

But first, it’s important to emphasize that it’s not possible to train a corgi to stop barking completely. That’s because barking is part and parcel of doggy life. However, you can significantly reduce the frequency with which your corgi barks.

This section shall go over the two top ways to stop excessive barking in corgis.

1. Train Your Dog

The most efficient way to make a corgi stop barking is to train the dog using relevant barking commands.

Barking commands work in two ways. First, you use them to make a dog bark at something to scare it away. You can also say these commands to cause the dog to stop barking.

A) Training a Corgi to Bark

To begin with the training, do something that will cause the dog to bark. It doesn’t take much for corgis to bark, so a subtle knock on the door is enough. As soon as the dog barks, praise the dog or give it a reward.

The next step in training the dog is to have it associate barking with the word bark. So, before knocking on your door this time, firmly say the word bark, then immediately knock on the door.

Repeat this several times until you’re convinced that the dog now associates barking with the word bark.

Now, in between the training, there will be lots of other things that cause your corgi to bark. You can experiment with the bark command to see whether your dog has made any progress.

For instance, if the dog is barking at other dogs, shout bark! Most likely, the dog will only bark once or a few times after your command, and run to you for a treat.

B) Training a Corgi to Stop Barking

So now you’ve already trained your pooch to bark, which is great. After all, your corgi is a dog and dogs should bark, right?

The good news is that you’ve taught your dog to bark controllably. The next thing to do is to train the dog to stop barking.

Here, you can either use the Stop or the Quiet command. The process unfolds in the same way as training the dog to bark.

First, get the dog to bark and as it’s barking, firmly say the words quiet or stop. If the dog stops barking on your command, immediately reward it with a treat.

There are numerous ways you can reinforce these commands. You can hold down your corgi’s muzzle and repeat the words. But nothing works magic like a dog treat.

The only thing you need to make sure of is that the dog associates the treat with the command. To do that, give the dog the treat immediately. Also, the best treat should be in the form of food.

2. Give Your Dog Enough Stimulation

Denying your corgi enough physical and mental stimulation will cause the dog to develop boredom or separation anxiety, both of which are symptomized by incessant barking.

To keep your dog stimulated even while you’re gone, you might consider getting the dog suitable dog toys. And the good news is that the dog toy market teems with hundreds of toys you can experiment with.

You can try puzzle toys like the Outward Hound Puzzle Brick. This dog puzzle works by allowing you to hide treats in it. That way, it takes some time for your corgi to locate the treat and in the meantime, the dog gets its much-deserved physical and mental stimulation.

Another excellent toy idea to keep your corgi stimulated is to get it an interactive ball launcher like this iFetch Interactive Ball Launchers for Dogs.

iFetch can launch a standard-size tennis ball to as far as 40 feet, allowing your dog to get ample exercise as it goes after the tennis ball.

Also note that whenever you’re around, you should take your corgi for regular walks, jogging, or swimming. These activities will tire the dog down.

And if you can, invest in a professional dog trainer to help keep the dog stimulated in your absence.

So, Why Does My Corgi Bark At Me?

As we’ve already mentioned, it’s in the nature of corgis to bark, seeing as they were bred for herding. However, there could be other underlying causes behind excessive barking.

The convention is to uncover the reasons why your corgi is barking excessively. That way, you can adapt the right remedy.

If you choose to train your corgi to stop barking, be patient with the dog. Never yell or hit the dog, as that will only reinforce the bad behavior.

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