Go out at predictable times
On waking, after every meal, after play, before the crate and last thing at night. While your puppy is awake, add a trip every hour or so in the first weeks.
Puppy guide
Corgi puppy
training.
A Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a clever, food loving herding dog in a small body, and that shapes how you train one. Here is what works, from the first night to the first puppy class.
Know the breed
What makes Corgi
training different?
Pembrokes were bred in Wales to move cattle, barking and nipping at heels to get a herd going. Corgis learn fast, love food and like having a job, which makes them a pleasure to train with rewards. They also notice everything and will happily invent a job if you do not give them one.
Keep lessons short, the routine predictable and the rewards generous. A Corgi left to guess tends to bark, chase and nip.
Where your puppy starts
What has your puppy
learned already?
Our puppies grow up in the house with children, dogs and cats, with regular handling, crate training and basic grooming exposure before going home at eight weeks.
A new home still means starting again, just with a gentle head start.
House training
How do you potty train
an eight week old Corgi?
Give your puppy so many chances to get it right that mistakes become rare. A rough guide is that a puppy can hold on for about one hour per month of age, so an eight week puppy needs to go out often.
Same spot, same word
Stand quietly in one spot and give a cue such as "go potty". When they finish, praise and treat right there. The reward has to happen outside, not back at the door.
Supervise or confine
Most accidents happen when nobody is watching. When you cannot keep eyes on your puppy, use the crate, a pen or a leash clipped to your belt. Sniffing and circling mean go out now.
Handle accidents calmly
If you catch one in progress, interrupt gently and carry your puppy outside. Scolding only teaches a puppy to hide when they need to go. Clean with an enzyme cleaner so the smell does not draw them back.
The crate
How should you set up
a crate for a Corgi?
Buy a crate big enough for an adult Corgi to stand, turn and lie flat, and use a divider while your puppy is small. Too much spare space becomes a bed at one end and a toilet at the other.
Feed meals in it, hide treats in it and never use it as punishment. Build up closed door time a few minutes at a time, starting when your puppy has been out, played and eaten.
The first nights
What are the first
nights at home like?
Put the crate beside your bed. Hearing and smelling you makes a big difference to a puppy who has just left their littermates, and a hand resting by the crate door often settles them fastest.
Most eight week puppies need at least one trip out overnight at first. Take them out on leash, keep the lights low and your voice boring, then straight back to bed with no play. Some crying in the first night or two is normal and usually fades as the routine becomes familiar.
Herding instinct
Why does my Corgi puppy
nip at heels?
Moving feet and running children look a lot like cattle to a young Corgi, and a nip is how a herding dog gets a cow to move. It is instinct, not aggression, but shape it early, before a puppy habit becomes an adult one.
Stop being the cow
Herding needs movement. If your puppy grabs at ankles, stop and stand still. Teach children to freeze like a tree instead of running and squealing, and always supervise them with a puppy.
Give the mouth a job
Keep a tug toy within reach and offer it the moment your puppy starts eyeing feet. Many Corgis are happiest trotting around with something in their mouth.
Reward a better choice
Teach a sit or a hand touch, ask for it when people start moving around, and pay well for it. You are giving the instinct a polite outlet, not erasing it.
Use the drive for good
Fetch, tug and nose games work now. Once your dog is grown, rally, agility and herding instinct tests let a Corgi do what Corgis love.
Puppy biting
How do you teach
bite inhibition?
Bite inhibition means learning how gently to use that mouth. Littermates start the lesson and you finish it. When teeth land on skin, the game stops: go still and take your hand away. If it carries on, step behind a baby gate for half a minute. Offer a chew instead every time, and never use your hands as toys.
Teething
Is the biting worse
while teething?
Often. Puppies start losing baby teeth at around three to four months, and most have their adult teeth by about six months. Keep a rotation of safe chews. A frantic, bitey puppy is often an overtired one who needs a nap in the crate, not more play.
Keep reading
More Corgi guides.
Socialization
What should a Corgi puppy
meet in the first weeks?
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends socializing puppies in these early weeks, before their vaccines are finished, with sensible precautions. Aim for calm, positive meetings, not as many as possible.
- People of different ages, plus hats, beards and umbrellas
- Household sounds such as the vacuum and the doorbell
- New surfaces: grass, gravel, tile, a wobbly cushion
- Short, pleasant car rides
- Gentle handling of paws, ears and mouth
- Calm, fully vaccinated adult dogs you know
Until your vet says the vaccine series is complete, carry your puppy in public and skip dog parks and places unknown dogs gather. A well run puppy class is different: AVSAB guidance says puppies can start as early as seven to eight weeks, after at least one set of vaccines a week or more before the first class and a first deworming. Check the plan with your vet.
First cues
Which commands should
a Corgi puppy learn first?
Their name, sit, come, down, leave it, drop it and go to a bed. A hand touch is a useful extra, because it moves a puppy without grabbing. Train for three to five minutes a few times a day, and stop while your puppy still wants more.
Mark the exact moment your puppy gets it right with "yes" or a clicker, then reward. Use tiny treats taken out of the day's food. Harsh corrections make a sensitive puppy worried and a confident one argumentative.
Leash work
How do you teach
loose leash walking?
Start in the house and yard with a light leash and a well fitted harness or flat collar. Reward your puppy often for being beside your leg. If the leash goes tight, stop, and move on when it goes slack.
Early walks are about the world, not the distance. Our guide on how to take care of a Corgi covers exercise as your puppy grows.
Alone time
How do you teach a Corgi
to be home alone?
Corgis are people dogs, so teach alone time on purpose, well before your first day back at work. From the first week, let your puppy rest in the crate or pen with a stuffed chew while you are in another room, then step outside for a few minutes, then longer. If your puppy panics every time you leave, go back to shorter absences and ask your vet or a qualified trainer early.
Classes
Are puppy classes
worth it?
Yes. A good class gives your puppy safe practice around other puppies and people, and gives you a coach. Look for small classes and a trainer who uses reward based methods; a credential such as CPDT-KA is a good sign. Walk away from leash jerks, prong or shock collars. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program makes a good first goal.
Training questions
Corgi training
questions.
How long does it take to potty train a Corgi puppy?
With a steady routine, most puppies are fairly reliable by four to six months, and the odd accident up to about a year is normal. Consistency from everyone in the house helps most.
Are Corgis easy to train?
Generally, yes. They are bright and very food motivated, but they learn the wrong things just as fast, so consistent rules matter.
Do Corgis bark a lot?
Many do, as Pembrokes are alert and vocal. You will not train the bark out of a Corgi, but rewarding quiet, teaching a settle on a mat and covering exercise and mental work all help.
What if my puppy growls when I take something away?
Guarding food or toys is normal dog behavior, so trade rather than grab: offer something better, reward letting go and give the item back when it is safe. If the growling grows or your puppy snaps, get help from a qualified trainer or your vet early.
Next steps
Getting ready for
your puppy?
Read our Welsh Corgi grooming guide and how to take care of a Corgi, see what comes home with every puppy on our health and care page, and read our puppy process. When you are ready, meet the puppies available now.