Wondering if corgis make good guard dogs? Trying to secure your home or yard from strangers?
We’ll discuss these topics:
- Their perks that make them excellent guard dogs
- Why they have protective natures
- How they can help protect your home and family
- And more
Sound good? Let’s see if a corgi can hold down the fort.
Note: Every corgi has its own disposition. There’s no guarantee that a corgi will protect, defend, or guard when necessary. These are generalized statements and do not apply to every individual dog. Use your own best judgment.
Table of Contents
Corgis are well rounded for protecting the home
These dogs make excellent guard dogs for protecting your property from strangers and potential intruders.
They have perky, alert ears with an astute sense of hearing. They can hear the faintest sounds you’ll never pick up on- even when they’re sleeping.
Corgis also aren’t afraid to bark at people, animals, and even other dogs bigger than them.
They suffer from “small dog syndrome” which works out in your favor for a guard dog. They simply don’t care about the size of the threat- they’ll bark all night.
Their small size lets them squeeze between cracks and under furniture, so they can reach even the most blocked off sections of your home.
And they’re not afraid to check it out if they see something suspicious. Despite their wiener-dog bodies, they’re extremely fast and agile.
They can make a mad dash downstairs at night to see what’s going on.
Pair that with their smart disposition and you have a dog that’ll pick up weird sounds at night, check it out quickly, and bark at it even if it’s many times bigger than Fido.
Corgis are extremely vocal
This is probably a negative trait for most homeowners as they don’t want their dog to be barking at every single little thing.
Corgis will bark at sounds, sights, and even scents they don’t recognize (to a lesser extent). Poorly socialized ones will even have a harder time being quiet and silencing themselves.
Because of this, corgis have a tendency to bark and aren’t afraid to use it.
While this is a drawback for most people, those that want a guard dog will be happy to hear that corgis are a decent choice for securing the household.
The breed’s history spans back to where they were used as a herding breed for sheep, cattle, and other animals.
This is why they’ve evolved those stubby feet and short stature so they can be fast and dodge attacks from animals.
This is also speculated to be the reason why their tails are docked as it poses a liability if it were to be stepped on by the herd.
Corgis were bred to communicate with their owners by barking. This would keep them alert to know what’s happening with the herd.
Corgis also used their bark to help control the herd.
Because of all these evolutions, the modern corgi is a loud and vocal dog.
Don’t be surprised about their bark volume- it’s loud even though they’re considered to be a small dog. And this can be a benefit to protecting your family and home from danger.
With their big, perky ears and alert disposition, they can hear the faintest sounds at night (and day) to protect your home.
They’re smart to recognize threats
Corgis are good family dogs and don’t tend to pick favorites.
They work well with multiple owners, but they do show some anxiety when everyone’s separated throughout the household.
Because they’re a herding breed and their desire to herd is strong, they’ll “herd” the family members into one room.
This is good because it means that corgis can be trained to recognize “safe” people in the house to a large capacity.
If you have family, roommates, or others that visit every now and then, your corgi can be trained to NOT bark at safe people.
Think of the possibilities:
- Your sibiling that visits once a year
- The pest control agent that comes every 6 months
- The dog sitter that comes by weekly
- The mailman that may show up a few times a week
- The college kid that comes back every weekend
- Relatives that come randomly
All these people that aren’t here on a daily basis can be trained to be recognized by your corgi as “safe.”
Of course, bark-happy corgis may never actually learn to be quiet, even to regular people. And others may bark a few times before giving the person a sniff and recognizing that they’re safe.
What can a corgi guard?
Corgis can be astute to the point where no one can walk across your home without him barking.
Corgis have deep barks and growls when they’re fully grown up. They can help protect your home from intruders and warn you of activity in the night.
Here are some things a corgi may warn you about:
- People approaching your home
- People at the door
- The doorbell
- Someone leaving the house
- Someone coming home
- People in the yard
- His own food bowl
Corgis are cattle dogs and rank well for protective traits.
They were trained to keep other cows out of his owner’s territory by barking, alongside regular herding duties.
You may see your corgi staring through the window or sitting down when he hears something going on.
Their sense of hearing will detect the quietest whispers in the night- even stuff that you can’t hear.
Over time, you can tell if the dog is just playfully barking or “serious alert” barking. This is different for each dog so you’ll learn with your own corgi.
He may bark, grunt, howl, or even let out a small whimper when he’s confused. Those are just some of the sounds corgis can make.
Corgis have small dog syndrome
Even though they have a small size, they act and play like big dogs. If you’ve ever taken a corgi out to the park who’s not used to other dogs, he’ll bark at dogs triple his size.
This is perfect watchdog material as hell bark at night time predators even if they look scary. They really don’t care about the size of the bad guy.
Your corgi may go nuts at someone you’d never want to stare in the eye.
Are corgis protective?
Corgis are generally protective dogs who will stay loyal to the few people in Fido’s life that he cherishes.
Suppose strangers get into the home that the corgi doesn’t recognize- even socialized dogs can easily recognize suspicious behavior when it happens.
Think about it: If they can pick up body language cues from their owners, they can definitely see when a bad person wants to do “bad” stuff.
They’re extremely aware of their surroundings and can detect when something’s awry. They’ll bark at unusual sounds, sights, and people.
This makes them a good choice for a family watchdog to protect the people you care about and the house.
Are corgis friendly even as a guard dog?
Yes, corgis are known to be family-friendly dogs and do well with adults.
Children can also be familiarized with this breed but only when proper boundaries are enacted.
These dogs can be rough and may learn bad behaviors when kids play with them.
So it’s important to establish proper socialization and teach your kids the right way to play with your corgi.
Note that corgis will nip at the heels to “herd” children, so this behavior should be controlled early on or else the dog will pick up biting and nipping problems.
To adults, corgis make excellent family dogs even with their protective nature.
There’s no reason why they have to be “mean” and defensive but can’t be affectionate.
What can corgis protect?
Corgis can safeguard your home, apartment, yard, and even your farm.
No matter where or what you live in, you should be able to train your dog to protect and defend your property.
Over time, corgis will easily pick up on his own “turf” and defend it from strangers. Dogs can recognize their own territory, even if it spans a wide distance.
Don’t be afraid to adopt or buy a corgi as a guard dog for your multiple acre farm. You could even train it to help you herd your cattle like the breed’s olden days.
Socialization matters
Note that even though corgis, by nature, are vocal dogs that bark at thin air, they may not end up barking at strangers to guard your home.
Each corgi has a different personality and how the dog was raised makes a huge difference. If you socialized your corgi the right way, they may be alert and friendly to strangers, rather than barking at them.
This can be a drawback to those who want a dog that barks at everyone.
But then again, you probably wouldn’t be training your corgi to NOT bark, so that’s a moot point.
Even the loudest dogs can be trained to be quiet. It’s usually harder going the other way around- shy and quiet corgis will have a hard time barking on command and guarding the home.
Again, every situation is different.
Every corgi is different. If you want a generalized statement, then yes, most corgis can be potentially made into a decent guard dog.
That’s as “general” as you can be.
Further reading
Here are some additional references you may find helpful:
Corgis are good guard dogs
Now you know some of the reasoning behind why these dogs make excellent watchdogs to protect your home.
Always remember that every corgi is unique and there are always exceptions. Some are naturally good at protecting you and your home from intruders.
Others are more shy and reserved, which make them less prone to fulfill the watchdog role.
But even the shyest corgis may end up barking at strangers when it really comes down to it.
How the dog was socialized also matters a ton to the dog, so there’s that.
If you have any questions or experience with your corgi as a guard dog, let us know!
Thanks for reading!
Roy has owned 14 dog breeds, with corgis being his absolute favorite. He’s a self proclaimed “corgi whisperer,” whatever that means. He enjoys hiking, videogames, binging on shows, and writing (that’s why he’s here).
Welsh for dwarf dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is small but no lap dog. Bred for herding, these creatures love to stay active and do well in the outdoors. Despite their short legs, corgis are surprisingly quick and athletic.