Welsh Corgis?

[WildernessLofts]

Do you think these would be okay around poultry/small animals? I know they are a herding breed, so I was hoping they may have that "instinct" to not actually hurt their "victims."

Also, suggestions on whether to get a pembroke or cardigan? I like the look of the cardigan more, but that's a minor detail.

 

[corgipower]

Many corgis do have strong herding instinct. They will chase poultry and sometimes they'll chase other small animals. It is possible to keep them separated though, and depending on the small animals it may be possible to teach the dog to ignore him. Keep in mind small animals are not stock to be herded and part of herding instinct includes species discrimination, but that doesn't always work.

Depending on the small animals, corgis might kill. Corgis do have a long history of being ratters. They also very well might hurt/kill poultry if left to their own.

As for which is better ~ I very much prefer the pemmies.

It would be helpful to know a bit more. What are the "small animals"? Are you going to use the corgi to herd the poultry? What are you looking for in a dog? Energy levels, working abilities, temperament?

Pemmies are usually more outgoing with strangers than cardis, and often are more athletic. I haven't seen a lot of working quality cardis ~ or even sport quality, but I have seen a number of working pemmies. Pemmies are often medium-high energy and drive.

 

[WildernessLofts]

Small animals could mean any number of things, really. I bring home random things all of the time. lol I currently just have rabbits and cats in that department, but I was also referring to smaller "stock" animals like dwarf/pygmy goats/sheep and the like. I guess I want a dog that is reliable around the poultry/animals, but that I can use to herd when necessary. (I could have REALLY used a dog today while trying to herd up some guineas and chickens to sell this weekend!) I guess corgis are out in that case, then. They may see younger chickens/bantams as prey since they can be ratters as you said. Not sure the energy level would be good. I don't want the poor birds exhausted when they don't even need to be bothered with. (I work nights and sleep during the day, so I couldn't be there to stop such behaviour.)

Any other herding breed suggestions, then? I'm going to see about getting a LGD this weekend (see earlier post about dog breeds good with poultry), but would also like a dog that can be helpful in other areas.

Thanks a lot for the info.

 

[corgipower]

Well, if you're looking for a dog to help with herding, any breed is going to need training. Instinct is great, but they need to learn how to use it.

A corgi isn't likely to kill a bantam ~ the instinct tells him that, but he might if he's not trained and he gets frustrated. As could any of the other herding breeds.

The ratter aspect could become an issue regarding rabbits, but then again, many breeds might view rabbits as prey - rabbits are prey. So it would be your job to either teach him otherwise or to make sure he never has access to them. Likely a little of both.

 

[Zoom]

From your description, I would look for a working breeder and find a good herding trainer in your area to help shape your pup into a reliable and trustworthy worker.

Barring all that, a solid "leave-it" command will be your best friend. Also, the more heavily socialized with "prey" animals a dog is, the more likely it is that they will stop at just herding them. But if you are that worried, just make sure that your corgi can't get to anything unsupervised.