How to Socialize a Corgi (Complete Checklist)

So, you’re wondering how to socialize your corgi.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Why you should socialize
• The benefits of socialization
• How to socialize your corgi
• FAQs about socialization periods
• How to socialization adult
• And other common questions

You can leave a comment if you have any other questions.

Sound good? Let’s get your corgi socialized.

Why should you socialize?

Socializing your corgi is good practice.

Dogs that are well socialized become generally happier, healther, calm, and less temperamental than unsocialized or poorly socialised dogs.

A few examples?

Let’s say you never socialized your corgi to vacuum cleaners. The next time you vacuum, your corgi goes nuts. This leads to depression, aggression, barking, and other negative behaviors that you want to avoid.

He’s not to blame since he’s never seen a vacuum before when he was young. Or maybe just had a bad experience with one.

Now let’s say you introduced him to a vacuum when he was young, or maybe rewarded him with positive refinancing when exposed to the cleaner.

This results in a calm and collected corgi who just sits there patiently while you vacuum. No barking, chewing or howling. No aggression.

How to socialize a corgi

The whole concept of socialization is a lot easier than it sounds.

It’s basically just constantly exposing your corgi to a wide variety of objects, sounds, scents, people, and other animals and rewarding your dog with positive reinforcement.

There’s nothing special about it. These can be used for corgis (both Pembrokes and Cardis) to any other breeds.

The point is to make your dog never afraid of anything and comfortable in human society- from touching its paws to grooming his bobtail.

Some benefits of socialization:

• Your dog will be relaxed and calm at all times
• He’ll respond to your commands even when flustered or in times of uncertainty
• Your corgi will be happier and more easygoing
• Your corgi won’t be shy or apprehensive to strangers, other dogs, or people
• Reduce the chances of barking, howling, or biting at objects, people, or other dogs
• Your dog will be overall more friendly in public

So, as for actually “how” to socialize your corgi, there’s no magic formula. That’s like asking “how to drive a car?” there are tons of ways to do so and no one single solution.

Typically, you’ll want to start by making a checklist of all the things you encounter in your daily routine.

This ensures that your corgi will get used to those things. Though, the things you expose your corgi to daily are the easiest because they’re already part of your routine.

So that means it’s pretty much guaranteed that your corgi puppy sees them at some point. It’s more of the stimuli that you forget to socialize that become apparent later on when he grows up.

These are the “once in a while” stimuli that can be easy to skip. So add those to another list.

I like to break down all the different stimuli by category:

• People
• Objects
• Events
• Sounds
• Other creatures (animals, cats, chickens, etc.)

You can make your own lists by category if you want. It just makes keeping track of everything easier. Then you don’t have to worry if you’ve covered that specific stimulus yet with your corgi.

The next step would be to add items to each category. These are things that you want your corgi to become familiar with, so think of daily stimulus that you want your corgi to remain calm during.

These should be things that occur daily or frequently in your routine, but also be sure to add the stimulus that only occurs once in a while, such as the trash truck coming on every Tuesday or the relatives coming over every now and then.

These are to be included on the list as you don’t want your corgi to be afraid of them. And you only have a few weeks to get him socialized, so act quickly!

Here’s a sample checklist of things to socialize with your corgi puppy.

Sounds

This category covers all the various sounds in real life your dog would hear on a routine basis. The easiest way is to jump online and play videos of sound effects over and over on a low volume so you don’t scare your dog.

There are some videos that are made just for this purpose. You can also buy CDs and play them, but why spend money when you can just play them online for free?

• Sirens
• Thunderclaps
• Rolling thunder
• Music (hip hop, classical, rock, EDM, pop, acoustic, etc.)
• Fireworks
• Alarms
• Doorbell ringing
• Jackhammers
• Other dogs’ barking
• Kids crying, screaming, and yelling
• Car horns

Objects

• Cars
• Vacuum cleaners
• Pots and pans
• Trash cans
• Bikes
• Buses
• Motorcycles
• Shopping carts
• Shoes
• Skateboards, scooters, rollerblades
• Sidewalk signs
• Sports equipment
• Plastic bags
• Pens
• Lights
• TVs, radios, and screens
• Computers
• Umbrellas
• Chairs
• Streetlights
• Blankets
• Towerls, clothes, and fabrics
• Wires
• Air purifiers, humidifiers, dehumidifier
• Showers, sinks, and toilets

Surfaces

• Carpet
• Wood
• Concrete
• Grass
• Stairs
• Mud
• Wet grass
• Snow
• Frost
• Unstable surfaces
• Metal surfaces
• Cars, truck beds, etc.

Other animals

• Other dogs
• Cats
• Small animals
• Birds
• Any other pets you own

People

• Children
• Adolescents
• Adults
• People with beards
• Tall people
• Short people
• Toddlers and babies
• People running
• People with boots
• People with helmets, hats, sunglasses, etc.
• Elderly

Touching

• Regular handling
• Touching the paws
• Examining the mouth and teeth
• Clipping the nails
• Pinching the skin
• Poking the skin
• Cradling
• Holding the dog in the lap
• Holding the dog upside down
• Hugging the dog
• Grabbing the tail
• Touching the dog by another part of the body
• Using a towel, saddle, hat, clothes, or shoes
• Harnesses, collars, leasehse
• Touching and pinching the nose
• Checking and cleaning the ears

Tools

• Nail clippers
• Shavers
• Scissors
• Brushes
• Pens
• Flashlights
• Grooming tools
• Cotton swabs
• Various hygiene sprays or cleaning agents
• Shampoo
• Hygiene wipes

Places

• Beach
• Restaurants
• Malls, stores, shopping centers
• Various buildings
• Busy streets
• Suburban areas
• Rural areas
• Dog events
• Puppy classes
• Vet clinics
• Pet stores
• Residential areas

As you can see, there are many different stimuli you need to get your corgi accustomed to. I’m pretty sure there were some on here that you would’ve never thought of! It’s easy to never think about the things we encounter on a daily basis.

There are many socialization checklists out there, but I haven’t come across a single one that has literally EVERYTHING.

You should use multiple lists and combine them into a master socialization list. That way, you can cover all your bases and not miss anything- or at least get the most you can.

Remember that your lifestyle varies and no list is perfect except the one you make tailored to your life.

Your dog will be exposed to different stimuli depending on where he lives and what he does, so you’ll have to make your own.

If you keep your corgi busy (it’s in their genetics), they’ll need a different set of cues compared to a sedentary corgi.

For example, if you work on a farm, that list could be completely different too. Or someone who lives in a high rise building in a metro city. See the difference?

How many times do I need to expose my corgi to socialization cues?

Until he’s settled and relaxed. That means when your corgi doesn’t care or ignores the stimuli and remains settled, you can consider him “done” with that socialization cue.

But if your corgi gets excited, scared, or aggressive, then more work is needed. Lower your standards and start again.

Basically, downgrade your current exposure method.

For example, if you’re trying to get your dog used to other dogs but he gets fearful when they approach, drop your standards and try again. Have YOUR dog approach them.

Rather than letting your dog stand there on a leash and cover as other dogs walk by, walk your dog behind other dogs and have him sniff them out on his own.

Ensuring your dog gets used to things like bathing, examinations, and even taping the ears can make your life a lot easier in the future.

What’s the socialization period for corgis?

Socialization is one of the most important things that you NEED to do when the corgi is young.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks never rang more clearly.

There’s a “magical” period of when a puppy is most receptive to the world around him. This is between weeks 8-16 for corgis on average.

Some corgis will still be able to be socialized beyond week 16 (4 months), but it gets harder and harder as the dog learns to form generalizations about the environment around him.

Can you still socialize a corgi after the socialization period?

Yes, it’s still possible. But it’s very difficult. Most generalizations are already ingrained in his mind. He’s already learned what he likes, what to avoid, and what’s a threat.

Trying to change and reshape his learned understanding of the world around him is hard. He may be shy, resentful, hesitant, or even aggressive when forced.

Corgis don’t “get used” to stuff. This is extremely hard to do after 16 weeks of age.

For example, many owners try to stuff their corgi into dog shoes or boots when they’re adults or adolescents.

The dog hates it and resents walking. He chews on it, pulls it off, or otherwise refuses to move.

Why?

Because he was never socialized properly when he was young. The right thing to do would be to get him used to the shoes/boots when he’s under 16 weeks.

Trying to do it after is hard.

And this is true for many different things like collars, leashes, harness, saddles, clothing, accessories, and even dog carrier backpacks and dog crates.

Can you socialize a corgi after the socialization period is over?

It’s possible, but it’s not easy.

The dog will be very shy or reluctant to try to get accustomed to new things. This can be people, objects, or other animals.

You’ll have to do a very slow and long-winded program to get him “used” to the new stimulus. He may never fully be comfortable with the stimulus anyway.

But you can try by making a plan outline to socialize your corgi even after the period is over:

Start by introducing him to the stimulus (person, object, sound, or animal) slowly.

Set up a contained environment where no one can get hurt. Make sure that you can easily stop or remove the stimulus if needed.

See how your corgi reacts. He’ll probably sniff the object or so.

Praise him for doing so and reward with positive reinforcement. If he reacts negatively, quickly remove or stop the stimulus. Lower expectations. Try less exposure time or a more distanced exposure.

Continue lowering your standards until your corgi is neutral and calm. Reward with positive praise.

Continue raising your standards slowly by bringing the stimulus closer, making it louder, or lengthening the exposure time.

Adjust your program as necessary. If he’s starting to show signs of aggression, shyness, or other uncomfortable behavior, lower your standards again. If he’s relaxed and calm, you can raise your standards.

Always rewarded for positive and calm behavior. Never punish. He’s already not used to the stimulus in the first place.

Repeat the process over the course of a few weeks until your corgi is used to the new stimulus and well sized.

Further reading

Here are some tips from other corgi owners:

• How should I go about socializing? – Reddit
• Socializing Corgi Puppy – Reddit
• Socialization Dos and Don’ts? – MyCorgi.com

Did you get your puppy well behaved?

Now you know the basics to getting your new corgi puppy socialized and on his way to becoming a happy, healthy dog.

With proper exposure, he can become a fearless, bheaved, and calm dog that’s settled rather than a rambunctious or aggressive dog.

If you have any questions, post a comment. Or if you found this page to be helpful, let me know also.

Thanks for reading.