How To Train A Corgi: A Step-By-Step Guide

Find out how to train your corgi properly with our in-depth training tutorials so you can enjoy a healthy, respectful bond from day one.

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Editorial Team

Why You Must Learn How to Train Your Corgi

Think about your life with your new Welsh Corgi for a moment and picture all the activities you will engage in. Your corgi will interact with dogs in the park or in the street, as well as with other people when you go shopping, dining out, or travelling.

You will have to leave him alone at home or take him to a pet sitter or dog walker. In all of these situations, you will want your dog to be able to behave well and to display obedience when that’s required, because…

A poorly trained corgi can pose a threat to itself and everyone else

how to train a corgi aggressive dog biting a leg

You want a domesticated dog in your life, not a wild wolf!

Badly socialised and trained dogs think that they are the alphas and act accordingly by asserting themselves over their owners, other animals and humans.

This can manifest in all kinds of undesirable behaviour – from mild mischief (like eating shoes and destroying furniture) to dangerous outbursts of aggression. Trust us, you do not need any of this in your day-to-day life.

Train your corgi properly, and you will have a relaxed, confident, well-mannered pet that doesn’t get stressed easily and that can be trusted around anybody. You will be able to walk him off a leash without worrying about him attacking anyone or running into the oncoming traffic.

Start putting in a little effort every day during the first few weeks and months with your corgi, and you will have a well-trained, well-mannered companion for as long as you are together. Let’s see how you can achieve that…

What You Must Know About Dogs

If you’ve never had a dog before or you’ve never trained one, it’s important to understand a few things about how dogs think and behave and why. If you have already had dogs, you can skip to the step-by-step guide below.

When an untrained dog or puppy misbehaves, it’s not because it’s trying to get on your nerves. The animal is simply acting on its instincts and knows no better. The good thing about dogs, and corgis in particular, is that they are easily trainable. Clearly, our ancestors were onto something when they decided to domesticate a wolf!

Understanding The Pack Mentality

Before you begin with the training, you must understand something that’s crucial to your success. Your little Welsh Corgi pup might look like a cute furball, but this dog, just like any other breed, is descended from a wolf, and genetically predisposed to think like one.

And what do wolves do? Their entire existence revolves around their pack because they are social animals. Within every pack, there is a very clear-cut social organisation. The alpha or the leader is at the top of the social ladder – this top dog commands discipline and expects subordination at all times.

You Household is the Pack

Since your Welsh Corgi will live with you and any other humans, or maybe other pets, too, he will think of your family as its pack. To train him well, you must assume the role of the pack leader. If you do not assume the alpha role, your corgi will decide that it can command the parade. You cannot let that happen.

From the moment your Corgi enters your life, you will have to begin acting like the master and commander of the pack – and expect obedience at all times. The good news is that your corgi is naturally inclined to follow and obey you because all dogs seek guidance. With the right training, this will become second nature.

All dogs are pack animals, including the Welsh Corgi.

By now you might wonder, what does being a pack leader look like and how do I become one? Here’s how…

What Does a Pack Leader Do?

Being a pack leader is not about mindless dominance. In fact, the pack leader has many different roles that involve leading, providing for and protecting the pack.

In other words, the pack leader is the:

Protector: As a leader, you have the responsibility of ensuring the pack’s well-being. You have to recognise dangers and threats (oncoming traffic, toxic foods, threatening people or animals, etc.).

Provider: You are responsible for feeding the pack and taking care of it. You procure food, water and shelter. You also have to keep your dog healthy, fit and cared for.

Teacher: You are the one who socialises, trains and teaches your corgi how to behave around you and with other people and animals. You can also teach it new skills.

Leader: You are the one who determines sleep, playtime and feeding schedules. You establish the rules for what is allowed and what is not through respect and affection.

How to Become the Pack Leader

At first, during initial training, only one person can assume the alpha status. Once your dog is properly trained, it can obey everyone in your household, but in the very beginning, it must learn who is the alpha, because there can only be one leader.

To establish yourself as the alpha, you must begin bonding with your dog as soon as it enters your life. Take your Corgi out on short walks every day alone, without anyone else accompanying the two of you.

Feed your Corgi from your hands.

In the early days of your bonding, instead of letting him eat from his bowl, hold his food in your hands and teach him to eat from your hand gently. This will teach him to trust you and rely on you (as well as to never be aggressive around you as the provider of sustenance).

If your Corgi is still a young puppy, his survival instincts will help you bond faster. Every puppy is aware that it cannot survive without its mother, so it clings to her for support. As soon as it’s weaned off the mother, it will begin to bond with you and rely on you for survival.

In addition to bonding with your corgi, to become a pack leader, you must adopt the traits of one. Here’s how you must act:

Be Confident and Firm with Your Corgi.

A pack leader never tolerates bad behaviour. When you give your Corgi guidance or commands, be firm, calm and confident. If your dog doesn’t behave well, you must discipline him without letting him get away with it. Never allow him to ignore you, he must always pay attention to you, and vice versa…

Pay Unwavering Attention to Your Corgi.

When you interact with your dog, be it through training or playing, offer him your undivided attention. Remain focused and maintain eye contact. When you give him all your attention, your dog grasps very quickly what you want from him.

Be Clear.

Never give your Corgi mixed signals, because dogs can get confused easily. If you want your Corgi to stay still, tell him to stay still, not to play. Always give him very clear and specific commands about what you want from him.

Be Consistent.

Reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour consistently. If your Corgi chews your slippers, and you ignore the behaviour once, then punish it, then reward it, the corgi will not be able to understand whether he’s doing something good or bad.

Be Fearless.

Never show doubt or hesitation, and do not cower away from your dog. When you walk your dog, take the lead. Never allow him to jump on you, bark at you, or bite you. When he does something bad, discipline him without showing the slightest fear or hesitation.

Be Dominant When Needed.

If your dog tries to outsmart you, do not tolerate his behaviour. Always take the dominant role and show him he must behave well. Never show any fear and do not hesitate to tell your dog what to do and how to do it. You set the rules, and your dog follows them.

Do not give in to any demands from your Welsh corgi. No matter how cute he or she may be, you are the boss, and if you say no to playing or cuddling, then your “no” is the final word.

Affirm yourself confidently and show your Welsh Corgi who is the boss. Never show aggression.

Tips And Tricks for Establishing Dominance

Here are a few more things to bear in mind when you start training him in terms of how you can establish yourself as the leader.

When you walk your dog, he must follow you. When you leave the house, he must leave after you, not before you.
When you eat, you must eat undisturbed. Your corgi is not allowed to whimper, bark or beg.
Never give him affection when he demands it. Give him affection when he behaves well and obeys you. If you are busy with your commitments, and he demands to be cuddled or to play, tell him to back down.

What Your Welsh Corgi Must Learn

There are some general behaviours that you must teach your corgi, and once it learns them, they should stay with her for good.

1. Basic recall.

When you call your corgi back, whether on or off the leash, she must obey you and come to you.

2. Sit and lie down.

She must do this both on command and at a distance from you. Also, she must stay put until told otherwise.

3. Good behaviour at home.

You should be able to leave her on her own without any trouble, i.e. she should not bark incessantly, howl, scratch or chew up everything in the house.

4. Obedience 24/7.

She must obey all of the above commands anywhere and at any time, even when there are other people, animals, cars, smells, or noises all around.

5. No begging for food.

She must not beg at the table while you eat.

6. No jumping on people.

She must not jump on people under any circumstances.

7. No destructive behaviour.

She must not chew any random objects – be it furniture, clothes or any other belongings.

Over time and with proper training, your corgi must learn to obey you under any circumstances and without any incentive (aka yummy treats). And with consistent training, she will learn to associate certain behaviours with certain actions. For example, if you put on your walking boots and jacket, she might jump up for her daily walk. If you sit down to eat your food in a café, she will lie obediently nearby without begging.

The Basics of Training Your Corgi

While understanding the pack mentality and knowing how to establish a degree of dominance is important, when it comes to training an untrained dog or puppy, most techniques rely on positive reinforcement. That means that you reward your corgi’s good behaviour and discourage (by refusing a reward) any undesirable behaviours.

The key to training your Corgi is to teach him good behaviours and discourage bad behaviours. Here’s how that works in practice…

How to Discourage Bad Behaviour

Do you want to stop your dog from doing something unwanted, like chewing your slippers? Punishment will not earn your respect, instead, it will instil fear. Here are the 3 ways you show a dog that what he’s doing is not acceptable:

Withdraw your attention
Take away his toys
Use the time-out method of locking him up for a few minutes

How to Encourage Good Behaviour

Reward all good behaviours with treats, hugs, belly rubs, petting and stroking. This is called positive reinforcement, and it motivates your Corgi to please you. If you teach him a command, like “Watch me!”, reward him when he looks at you and discipline him when he doesn’t. Show him love and affection by praising him whenever he acts well and does what you want him to do.

Dogs Cannot Connect the Dots Like Humans

Make sure you reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour immediately – and by immediately, we mean while the behaviour is still taking place. Reward your corgi while he shows the right behaviour. Punish him while he displays any bad behaviour.

Reward and punish DURING, not AFTER.

Let’s look at a few examples of this…

Let’s imagine that your corgi chews up a slipper, and then lies down. If you punish him, he will assume that you are angry because he’s lying down. You must show disapproval while he’s chewing the slipper, so he knows what triggered your anger.

Let’s imagine that you’re training your corgi to sit down on your command. She sits down and then stands up. Do not give her a treat when she stands up – she will assume she’s getting rewarded for standing up, not sitting down. Make her sit down again and then give her a treat.

Important note: Never offer treats for no reason at all – you will send very mixed signals. Use treats during training for positive reinforcement.

Be Persistent

All dogs, including corgis, crave your guidance. At the end of the day, all dogs are little wolves who look up to the “alpha in the pack”. Some pups are a breeze to train—tell them “no” once, and they’ll do their best to never repeat the undesirable behaviour. Others can be headstrong and might need a little more time. Don’t worry, with patience and persistence, you’ll get there.

Be Consistent

Remember what we said about dogs not being able to connect the dots like us humans? You won’t have much luck eliminating bad behaviours if you’re inconsistent with discipline. If you sometimes correct a bad behaviour, but at other times let it slide, your corgi will just get confused.

Do not send contradictory signals. Always be consistent with what is permissible and what is not. The moment you get wishy-washy, your little corgi wolf will start getting confused. He relies on you, as the pack leader, to guide him and tell him what can and cannot be done.

Never offer treats or praise within ten minutes of correcting your pup, or you’ll be sending mixed signals. Even though it’s tempting to comfort your dog when she looks sad or pouts after being told “no”, try not to give in. Stay firm and consistent with your training all the time.

Dogs are creatures of habit

Do not switch up commands too quickly. Teach your dog one command using one process. Otherwise, you will confuse him, and the training will become inefficient.

Create a schedule for everything, including training, feeding, sleep and playtime. Establish fixed times and make sure you train your corgi at one and the same times.

Define the boundaries

Decide what is allowed, and what is not. And stick with it. Just as you would not allow your child or another human to do certain things around you that cross your boundaries, you would not let your corgi do that either. Maybe you don’t want your corgi sleeping in your bed. Maybe your corgi must not beg for food while you are eating your meals. Maybe he’s not allowed to leap on you with his muddy paws during walks. Whatever you decide you cannot tolerate, set boundaries, and expect your Welsh Corgi to respect them.

Never Show Physical Aggression

We couldn’t emphasise how important it is not to punish your dog physically for misbehaving during training, nor at any other stage. Hitting a dog in any way, treating him harshly, shaking him or shouting at him is abuse. The animal does not have a clue as to why you are angry at it or hurting it.

Of course, being too lenient and too soft can also be counterproductive. You must not condone or encourage bad behaviour in any way. They key to dog training is in the golden mean between being aggressive and being too soft.

Ideally, you want to be calmly assertive. You have the ultimate say in what your corgi is allowed to do and what not. Simply show him that you do not tolerate his behaviour by ignoring him, leaving him alone in a separate room for a few minutes or holding his muzzle for a few minutes until he calms down.

If you have been applying what you learned so far about your dog’s behaviour and mindset, by now you have most likely gotten used to having your corgi around the house. You have bonded by walking daily and by feeding him off your hand. Now that you know more about your corgi and its wolf mentality, you’re better prepared to face the challenge of training him.

First, let’s gather the training materials.

Prepare the Training Tools

Treats: Use treats that your Corgi loves. Make sure they are small, soft, and easy to eat quickly. You don’t need big chunks, because you don’t want to overfeed him. Tiny bites or even larger morsels will do.

Clicker (Optional): A clicker is a small tool that makes a distinct clicking sound when pressed, helping to mark the exact moment your dog performs the desired behaviour. You can replace the clicker with a marker word like “Yes!” or “Good!”.

No-Distraction Environment: Start in a quiet place where your dog isn’t distracted, such as indoors, or in your own home.

Discipline Methods

There are several major discipline techniques that you can use on your Pembroke Welsh Corgi to show that you set the rules and run the parade.

Say No!

A loud and firm ‘No’ can do wonders in training your Corgi how to behave. When you are firm and decisive, your voice will impress your dog into obedience. Always keep in mind that he expects your guidance and command. This is one way to show him who is in charge, and later on you will begin by using different commands to tell him what you expect from him.

Dominance Training

When your corgi displays aggression toward you or refuses to obey you, show him you cannot tolerate this attitude. You don’t have to be aggressive or mean to establish dominance, in other words, don’t hurt him or shout at him.

Instead, simply take hold of the scruff of his neck with one hand and his muzzle with the other. Stand over him and hold his head down. When he finally relaxes his body or looks up at you, he is submitting. Let go of him and praise him.

Time Out

Dogs are social animals, which thrive on contact and being part of a pack. When you do not give them attention or leave them alone (in another room) you send a very clear signal that they have done something wrong – and this makes them realise their behaviour is not acceptable.

Don’t abuse or misuse this type of punishment – it sends very powerful signals. Keep it for when your corgi does something truly undesirable, like chewing your belongings or jumping on your guests.

Find a boring, quiet room free of toys and distractions, such as the laundry room, or porch or use a crate (More on Crate Training Here). When your Corgi does something, he is not allowed to do, simply tell him “Time out” and take him to the time-out place.

You can tie him up on a shortened leash so long as he can lie down or sit comfortably without hurting himself. Leave him there alone for about five minutes. When he is finally calm, release him and tell him that he is a good boy.

Now that you understand how your corgi thinks and know what you should and should not do to be efficient and understood, let’s look into the different types of training through positive reinforcement.

How to Create a Feeding Routine for Training

It is best not to train your young pup during the first few weeks after it arrives in your home. After that, you can start training it slowly and in small spurts.

The best place to begin is by establishing a feeding routine. This has two benefits. First of all, it will your corgi to bond with you because it will immediately learn that you are the provider of the food. Second, this will discourage your Corgi from defending its food from you. And last but not least, you will lay the foundation for teaching him a calling-off command later on.

Here’s how to start doing that:

Eat your meal before feeding your corgi.

Your dog must learn to wait. After that, prepare your corgi’s food and make sure he notices that you’re preparing his food. Ask another member of your household to hold the puppy while you do that.

Kneel and hold his food bowl in front of you.

As soon as you do this, give the puppy the command “Here”. At this point, the other person should let the puppy go. When the puppy comes to you, praise him, put his bowl down in front of you and let him eat.

Add other commands.

Repeat this exercise every single time you feed your corgi pup. When you teach your puppy the command to “sit”, add waiting in front of the food bowl to the routine. To do this, when your puppy comes to you, instead of praising him, order him to “sit”.

Put his food bowl down but do not let him eat. Use the “wait” command to give him a signal that he should wait. Lift it, if he tries to attack it. Gradually, he will get used to waiting for your cue to start eating.

Some dog owners will consider you cruel, and others might laugh at you, but your Corgi is a dog. As the pack leader, you determine who eats when and what. Make the effort to teach your corgi to wait for his food and to obey your commands, and you will build a very strong bond based on mutual respect. Your corgi will never bark, beg, jump or growl at you but will patiently and politely wait for his food.

How to Train A Corgi with a Leash

A dog follows his or her human, but have you ever wondered why?

The little puppy knows that it cannot survive without its mother, and that’s why it doesn’t venture far from her. The grown-up corgi, on the other hand, knows that it must follow the pack leader to stay alive. These are a dog’s instincts – and the good news is you can use them to train your corgi to follow you. Here’s how to do this.

Pick a Leash

First, pick a short leash, one that won’t allow your puppy to venture too far off. If it veers the wrong way, it might get hit by a biker or a car or just end up doing something else that’s unsafe.

Have Treats

Choose on which side you want to walk your Corgi. Whenever she keeps following you, offer her a treat at your thigh level. Use a command when you give her the treat, so that she associates the treat with staying close to your thigh.

Do not offer any treats if she ventures off, lags behind or bounds forward. If she does that, slap your thigh with the leash and when she comes to you, give her a treat.

Reward her only when she keeps pace with you, and when she comes back to you. You’re the pack leader – she must follow you and fall into step with you at all times.

Space Out the Rewards

Gradually begin increasing the amount of time between giving your corgi treats. The goal is to get her used to coming back to you whenever you call her. Vary the route and go to new and different places.

Try Walking Off Leash

Once your corgi gets used to the leash, start giving her short daily walks without the leash (in a safe, fenced-off area if you feel nervous about her running away). Walk ahead of her at a faster pace and watch whether she follows you. If she does, start changing the direction of the route and make sure she keeps pace. If she does not follow you, put her on the leash or call her with a treat.

Corgis are naturally inquisitive, curious dogs that need mental stimulation. Make sure you add some adventure into your routine now and then by going to a new park, crossing a stream or exploring a pile of leaves.

How to Train A Corgi Using a Clicker

Dogs learn new skills extremely quickly via conditioning. You can benefit from that by using a small handheld clicking device, aka a clicker, in combination with a verbal command and a yummy treat. While our voice might fluctuate in volume or sound, and separate words might be perceived in several ways by a dog, the clicker produces a sound that does not vary in tone or volume.

Using the clicker is an effective way to communicate with your dog and reinforce positive behaviour through conditioning. The clicker provides a consistent and clear signal to your dog that it has performed the correct behaviour and a reward is coming. Gradually, your corgi will begin to associate the reward with a certain command.

Keep in mind that you won’t need the clicker forever; it’s just a training aid you will need to get your corgi to listen to you. Likewise, you won’t need to feed her treats forever. Gradually you will have to stop giving away treats and start rewarding good behaviour with love and attention – such as stroking, belly rubs and verbal commands like “Good boy/girl!”

You can buy a clicker online at popular retailers like Amazon or your local pet store.

Here’s how to use a clicker in dog training:

Timing is Crucial

The key to effective clicker training is timing. As we have discussed before, dogs are Zen masters.

Your corgi only understands what happens in the present moment.

That’s why the clicker marks the exact behaviour you want to reinforce, and the treat follows shortly after.

Click at the exact moment your dog performs the desired behaviour. For example, if you’re teaching her “sit,” click the moment her haunches touch the ground.

The Association Phase

Before you start using the clicker for training, you will have to teach your Corgi to associate the clicking sound with a reward.

Sit with your corgi in a quiet place.
Click once and immediately give your dog a treat.
Repeat this 10-15 times, spacing out the clicks and treats.
After several repetitions, your corgi will associate the sound of the click with the reward.

Start Training Simple Behaviours

Begin by using the clicker to mark simple behaviours like “sit,” “lie down,” or “come.”

Ask your corgi to perform a command, such as “sit.”
The moment she sits, click the clicker immediately.
After clicking, give her a treat.
Repeat several times until she associates the behaviour with the click and reward.

Shaping New Behaviours

You can use a clicker to shape more complex behaviours by rewarding the small steps your corgi takes toward performing the final behaviour. This technique is called “shaping.”

If you’re teaching your corgi to lie down, click when she initially lowers her head, then when she bends her legs, and finally for lying down fully.
Gradually increase the criteria for clicking as your dog gets closer to the final behaviour.

Fading the Clicker

Once your corgi consistently performs the desired behaviour, you can begin to phase out the clicker.

Only click for the best responses or gradually reduce the frequency of clicks.
You can eventually replace the click with verbal praise or a hand signal and reward with treats when necessary.

Use in Real-World Situations

Once your dog has learned a behaviour, practise it in different settings with distractions.
Continue to use the clicker when reinforcing behaviours in these more challenging environments to help your dog generalize their training.

Don’t Overuse the Clicker

The clicker is only meant to mark specific behaviours during training sessions. It should not be used to get your dog’s attention or as a toy.

Key Tips:

Consistency: Always follow the click with a treat in the early stages of training.

Short Sessions: Keep training sessions short (5-10 minutes) and fun to prevent your dog from losing interest.

Patience: Dogs learn at different speeds. Be patient and give your corgi time to understand new behaviours.

Clicker training is an excellent way to create a positive learning experience for your dog, helping them quickly grasp new skills while strengthening your bond!

How to Train A Corgi to Obey Commands

Teaching The “Watch Me” Command

One of the most important and powerful tools in your training arsenal is the “Watch me” command. Teaching your corgi to watch you will build focus and ensure that your dog pays attention to you, especially in distracting environments. The goal is to get your Corgi to make eye contact with you, which is the foundation for successful training.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on how to teach the “Watch me” command:

Step 1. Lure the Eye Contact

Get your dog’s attention: Stand in front of your Corgi with the treats in your hand. Say her name to draw her attention.
Show the treat: Hold a treat in front of your corgi’s nose to get her interest. Don’t feed her yet. Slowly bring the treat up toward your face, stopping right between your eyes.
Say the command: As soon as she looks at your face, say “Watch me” or “Look,” using a calm but clear voice.
Mark and reward: The moment your corgi makes eye contact with you, click the clicker or use your marker word (like “Yes!”, “Well done!”, Good girl!”) and immediately give her the treat.

Remain calm and relaxed, there’s no need to stress out yourself or your Corgi. If she doesn’t look at you immediately, be patient and make sure she sees the treat.

Step 2. Gradually Increase the Duration

At first, your corgi might only glance at you for a split second. Reward even brief eye contact. Be careful not to push your dog too fast—gradually increasing the time will help her build focus without frustration.
After a few repetitions, start waiting a little longer before giving her the treat. Aim to increase the duration of eye contact in small increments (e.g., from 1 second to 2 seconds, then to 3 seconds).

Step 3. Add Distance and Distractions

Once your corgi learns to maintain eye contact for several seconds, it’s time to up the game.

Increase the distance: Move a step or two away and ask: “Watch me.” If your Corgi responds well, gradually increase the distance between you and her over time.
Add distractions: Start practising in slightly more distracting environments, such as outside in the garden, in the street or around other people. Begin with mild distractions, and gradually introduce more challenging ones (like other dogs or cars). If your Corgi gets distracted, go back to a less challenging environment for a while before trying again.

Step 4. Practise Regularly

Be consistent: Consistency is key to successful training. Short, frequent sessions (5–10 minutes) are more effective than long ones.
Vary the time and place: Your Corgi should learn to obey “Watch me” in any situation. Practise several times a day in different settings and with varying levels of distractions:
Indoors, outdoors, in the park, in new environments.
Vary your tone of voice and body position (e.g., sitting, standing, while walking).
Eventually, the command should work even when your dog is excited, distracted, or playing.

Step 5. Transition to No Treats

Once your Corgi learns to make eye contact on the “Watch me” command, start to phase out the treats:

Start rewarding every other time, not every single time.
Use praise, toys, stroking, or other forms of positive reinforcement instead of food.
Gradually work toward a point where verbal praise or affection are the main rewards.

Step 6. What to Do When Training Doesn’t Work

Your corgi is distracted: Start the training session in a quiet place with minimal distractions. If the environment becomes too overwhelming for your dog, reduce distractions and make the training easier again.
Your corgi doesn’t make eye contact: Move slowly, and don’t bring the treat too quickly to your face. Reward even the briefest glance toward your eyes.
Your corgi fixates on the treat, not your eyes: Hide the treat behind your back or in a pocket once your dog begins to get the command. He has to understand that he’s being rewarded for making eye contact, not for following the treat.

Final Tips

Keep sessions short: around 5–10 minutes.
Make Training Fun: Training should be enjoyable for both you and your corgi. Use a positive, upbeat tone. If your dog is getting frustrated or tired, take a break and try again later.
Practice when your dog is calm and focused: A hyper or tired corgi may find it harder to concentrate.
Incorporate “Watch me” into daily activities: Use it before feeding, before crossing the street, or during walks when distractions are present.

By following these steps, your corgi will learn to give you their full attention on command, improving their focus and responsiveness in various situations.

Teaching a Corgi Commands

Now let’s explore how to teach your corgi some of the other major commands. Here’s a step-by-step guide for each command:

Objective: Your corgi sits on command.

Step 1: Hold a treat close to your corgi’s nose.

Step 2: Move your hand upwards, and watch as your dog’s head or gaze follows the treat, which will cause its bottom to lower. If it does not sit, push its bottom down until it takes a sitting position.

Step 3: Once in the sitting position, say “Sit” and give the treat as soon as it sits.

Step 4: Repeat several times in short training sessions, eventually phasing out the treat and using praise or a clicker.

Stay

Objective: Your corgi stays in place until released.

Step 1: First you must teach your corgi how to sit. Once you have mastered that, ask your corgi to sit.

Step 2: Once sitting, hold your palm out in front of his face (as a “Stop” signal) and say “Stay.”

Step 3: Take a step back. If your Corgi stays, use the clicker then give him a treat and/or praise. If he moves, calmly start all over again.

Step 4: Gradually increase the distance and duration. Once you say “Stay” and give the hand command, keep walking away. If your Corgi stays put, get to the point where you leave the room entirely. Always reward him with treats and praise when he stays in one place.

Step 5: When it’s time for your Corgi to go, use a release word like “Okay” or “Free”.

Come

Objective: A good corgi must come to you when called.

Step 1: Start in a low-distraction environment, such as your home, with your corgi on a leash.

Step 2: Get down to your corgi’s level and say “Come” in an excited and positive tone. You can pat your thighs or point to your feet.

Step 3: Gently pull the leash towards you while holding out a treat as a reward.

Step 4: When your corgi reaches you, give him the treat and praise.

Step 5: As soon as your corgi gets used to coming without you pulling the leash, remove the leash and start repeating the drill off leash.

Step 6: Once you have mastered the coming command at home, start practising in different environments and situations. You can call your Corgi to come when he’s in the park or when he’s playing with a toy. Keep increasing the distance and distractions over time.

Down

Objective: Your corgi lies down on command.

Step 1: Whenever you see your corgi lying down, say “Down” out loud. Gradually he will get used to associating the command with the lying position. Once you have mastered that, you can start teaching him to lie down on command.

Step 2: Start with your corgi in the “sit” position.

Step 3: Hold a treat in your hand and lower it to the ground in front of the dog’s paws.

Step 4: As your dog follows the treat, move your hand along the ground, causing your corgi to lie down.

Step 5: Once he is fully lying down, say “Down” and when he lies down, give him the treat.

Step 6: Repeat until your corgi consistently responds to the command without needing a treat lure.

Fetch

Objective: Your corgi retrieves a thrown object and brings it back.

Step 1: Pick a toy or a ball your corgi likes and hide a treat in your pocket.

Step 2: Tease your dog with the toy, but instead of giving it to her toss it a short distance.

Step 3: When your corgi picks up the toy, call her back to you by saying “Come” and hold a treat.

Step 4: Once your corgi returns with the toy, give her lots of praise and the treat. Encourage her to drop the toy (next step).

Step 5: Repeat, gradually throwing the toy farther away.

Drop It

Objective: Your corgi drops an object from her mouth on command.

Step 1: Take a toy your corgi likes but isn’t too possessive of. Give the toy to your Corgi.

Step 2: Offer a treat (something more desirable and tempting than the toy) and say “Drop it.”

Step 3: When your dog drops the toy in exchange for the treat, give her praise and feed her the treat.

Step 4: Practise frequently. Once your corgi comes to grips with this, try with more valuable items.

Leave It

Objective: Your corgi ignores an object or leaves it alone when commanded. This is a valuable skill because you can use it to discourage your corgi from attacking roadkill or destroying your valuables.

Step 1: Hold a treat in both hands. Show one treat to your corgi but close your hand around it and say “Leave it.”

Step 2: Let your dog sniff, lick, or paw at your hand. Wait until it backs away or stops trying.

Step 3: The moment your corgi stops, say “Yes” or give a click, and offer the other treat from your opposite hand.

Step 4: Repeat, increasing the temptation of the “leave it” item (using toys, food, etc.).

Step 5: Gradually increase the difficulty by practising in more distracting environments.

General Training Tips:

Consistency: Use the same words and gestures each time for each command.

Timing: Reward at the exact moment when the desired behaviour occurs so your corgi associates the command with the action.

Positive Reinforcement: Always use treats, praise, and petting to reward correct behaviour.

Short Sessions: Keep training sessions 5-10 minutes long to avoid frustrating your corgi, because otherwise she can get distracted easily.

Patience: Corgis are intelligent but can be stubborn. Be patient and consistent, and you’ll see progress.

With these steps, your corgi should learn the commands effectively, and with regular practice, they will become second nature!

How to Train A Corgi Using Hand Cues

In addition to using verbal commands and a clicker, you can train your Corgi to understand hand cues. This can come in handy in situations in which you want to be quiet, yet need to keep your dog obedient, such as in public spaces or while on the phone.

“Sit!”

Hold up your hand with your palm facing forward toward your corgi.

“Stay!”

Clench your palm into a fist and hold it up with your palm facing your corgi.

“Down!”

Hold your hand with your palm facing down and make a downward motion.

“Leave it!”

Use your index finger to point toward the object that your corgi must drop.

“Quiet!”

Make an “O” with your index finger and your thumb, aka the OK sign.

“Come!”

Hold your palm up and wiggle or bend your fingers back and forth.

“Good boy/girl!”

Simply a thumb up!

The training methods are the same as described above for the verbal commands. Start training your corgi to perform the desired action first by using the clicker, a verbal cue, or a combination of both. Once you have trained your corgi to follow your verbal commands, you can try out the hand commands. Have a treat ready as a reward.

If your dog does not understand what you are asking, you might have to force him to do the action by holding him and making him sit or stand still. If you have already taught him the verbal command, you can use that while using the new non-verbal cue, too. When your corgi obeys, give him a treat.

Repeat this at least a dozen times. Once he understands what he has to do, start increasing the amount of time you expect him to perform the desired action. Then begin to practise in distracting environments, such as in the park.

And that is all you need to know about basic training techniques.